- These posts will absolutely contain major spoilers. Every post, every paragraph, every spoiler I can jam into a few hundred words.
- There are a million movies I want to do but simply can't. 1 movie per day is a tough challenge as it is (in accordance with writing the post, homework, and boyfriend). So who knows. Maybe in the future I'll do more.
- These movies are a predictable mix of classics, my favorites, and movies I felt I couldn't live without writing about in a horror movie blog. There's no real method to picking, and although I've already compiled the list, I reserve the right to change it. You won't know anyway, stranger.
So now let's boogie.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in 1921 and directed by Robert Weine. It's a silent movie, and I know that will discourage a lot of people from watching, but I'd like to nudge you, reader, into the realm of Willing To Watch. Let me show you a picture of the trippy set to entice you.
All these painted details (yes, painted), add to the creepy vibe of the entire film. Basic plot follows a town being harassed by an evil Frankenstein type, but even referencing Frankenstein feels like a cop-out given that Cesar came first. Cesar, the "somnambulist" is having his mind hacked by the evil Dr. Caligari. Mad scientist uses body of another to act on his murderous impulses.
This sounds like a trope or a plot we've heard before, but if you ask me its ~~special~~ because it came first. Don't get me wrong, I know books exist. I love books. But film is unique, especially as it comes to horror films. Innovative plots become cliche, but it wasn't cliche then. In fact, it was quite innovative and scary. But that's not where the innovation turned trope ends.
The film concludes with our protagonist, Francis, coming to the revelation that he is in an asylum. The evil Dr. Caligari is none more than the asylum director. Whaaat!? It was all a dream...or something along those lines. Again, this feels familiar. But think about how cool it would be to see this, not anticipating such an outcome? Talk about an unreliable narrator, and talk about how sick that would be in 1920.
If you ask me, this movie is only missing one thing: the word Creepy in the title. I don't even care where, just stick it in and I'm happy. This film comes highly recommended by me, especially if you have any interest in the foundations of horror.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in 1921 and directed by Robert Weine. It's a silent movie, and I know that will discourage a lot of people from watching, but I'd like to nudge you, reader, into the realm of Willing To Watch. Let me show you a picture of the trippy set to entice you.
This sounds like a trope or a plot we've heard before, but if you ask me its ~~special~~ because it came first. Don't get me wrong, I know books exist. I love books. But film is unique, especially as it comes to horror films. Innovative plots become cliche, but it wasn't cliche then. In fact, it was quite innovative and scary. But that's not where the innovation turned trope ends.
The film concludes with our protagonist, Francis, coming to the revelation that he is in an asylum. The evil Dr. Caligari is none more than the asylum director. Whaaat!? It was all a dream...or something along those lines. Again, this feels familiar. But think about how cool it would be to see this, not anticipating such an outcome? Talk about an unreliable narrator, and talk about how sick that would be in 1920.
If you ask me, this movie is only missing one thing: the word Creepy in the title. I don't even care where, just stick it in and I'm happy. This film comes highly recommended by me, especially if you have any interest in the foundations of horror.
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