Awaken from Your Dark Night: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

It’s pure horror. The shadows that play on the walls of our subconscious.

In a short form, it’s an exquisite mind fuck, but this is one of those movies that doesn’t deserve a short-form right-off.

Everything about it is visceral, with a strong emphasis on the visual: sets, costumes, title cards, filters, make up, actors. The version I watched had an updated score by Rainer Viertblock, a kind of twangy, discordant jazz that roots around and picks up all of the bizarre overtones of the film, bringing to the audience the need to sit up and pay attention.

While being extraordinarily different, there are pieces of it that fit into the usual movie scenario: The hero, a villain, an idyllic maiden.

It plays with your emotions, suspicions and expectations. It changes the perspective and the mood with painted shadows and grimly costumed characters. While touching on the Victorian Gothic, it also envelops Europe, post-WWI during the time of expressionism and Dadaism. If anyone ever doubted that film is art, sit them down and show them this movie.

It is part romantic Victorian novel and part trip into the hell of the mind, the entrapment of insanity and the escape of reality. It is dark and riotous and bizarre, a sleepwalker’s dream on the crooked streets in a surreal German village.

How is it pure horror? While the sets are highly designed, the horrific aspect of the film is simple compared to horror from later years. It is the fear of murder and of death– stripped down bare and unexpected. It is also the fear of no control, whether as a puppet in the hands of a cruel master or loss of control in one’s own mind.

It explores dark imagination, obsession, and the darkness of scientific exploration. Beautiful and frightening, it is not only a must see before you die, it is a film that haunts our nightmares.

Three for Three: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Read the book.  See the Play.  Watch the Movie.

Pic from Rachel.

I really love this play, and attached to that, the movie.

I saw the movie first, sometime last year: In the middle of my discovery of the works of Gary Oldman, I found the IMDb page for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.  Now remember, dear readers: I do not have netflix.  The one time that my family did have netflix, I was too young to really comprehend the point of blogging, besides ranting about stuff that you want to keep private, that society wants you to keep private, but you rant about it on a public space anyway.

So, I went to Blockbuster.  Blockbuster has never really been high on my list of good feelings places until recently (because, y’know, cheap DVDs…).  When I walked in, I couldn’t find it so I went up to the cashier and asked “Do you have R+GaD?”

And he said, “No, but it’s a great movie!”

Sadface.  Now, I put it out of my mind for awhile, but the youtube clips were really good and my friend Lucy is all excited about it from when she saw it in her Philosophy class. 

On a shopping trip, we arrrive at Suncoast and I get the idea “Hey, what about…”

So I ask the cashier, “Do you have R+GaD?”

And he said, “No, but it’s a great movie!”

I’m just about to leave in utter defeat when he says, “Wait, I can order it for you!”

This would be the first time I would buy a movie without seeing it first.  And although I was a little worried, I did not really care.  I wanted to see this movie that much.  The thing of it is, it was a really good purchase and the Suncoast guys are really nice, so ordering was a piece of cake.

I get home, pop the DVD in, and just sit on the corner of the couch cushion for awhile.

The first twenty minutes, maybe less, are not all that impressive, since it’s just Tim Roth and Gary Oldman wandering through some woods hypothesizing on God knows what.  And just as I was suspecting that I had made a bad purchase, Plot descends!

I really love this movie right now.  I went out and read the play and lent the movie out to friends or we watched it together on movie days and nights.  It’s so much fun to see someone really like the movie all at once, actually get it straight off the bat.  Or even if they don’t, at least being able to see them piece the bits together.

I loved the play while reading it– couldn’t stop talking about it for ages.  Bought it when I had the money.  Used the text for art projects or random quotes.

Then this past summer, I finally saw it performed by an amateur group.  And I couldn’t help but think, “Y’know, this is really the way to watch the play as a play.  If you want the cut and dry, absolutely perfect version, watch the movie.”  As the play that it was, with much more expression and random arrangements, hyper Rosencrantz and Guildenstern played by women, a Player who looked and acted a lot like Heath Ledger’s Joker, it was a fresh view.

So, here’s Three for Three, read and reviewed.

The Last Reservoir Dogs Virgin…

… Loses it!
(the whole ResDogs Virginity, that is).

On the whole, I really liked the film. I have a greater feeling towards Tarantino now, one that is neither apathy nor “…what?” It’s more of a curiousity thingummer. I now want to go through IMDb now and look through his works, finding things to either love or hate, or learn from (at least, a little bit at a time).

There’s really nothing I can say here that hasn’t been said before about the film. That’s why I always hesitate for posting about big films like these: What more can I add? It’s not like this is one of those smallish indie films that always gets a blank look when I mention it.

I will say that I needed a bit of digesting time afterwards. There was a lot that I didn’t understand immediately (or maybe not as much? I watched it about two weeks ago ago), but it’s one of those movies that sticks. I’ll be at work or at school, and all of a sudden my mind connects something entirely random with Reservoir Dogs.  For instance:

I smiled a lot while reading an article about the new tipping etiquette laws.

Had a rather fun conversation about it with people at work over birthday cake.

And bought a t-shirt: http://www.threadless.com/product/983/Color_Coded_Criminals

So, like I said, nothing much left to say.

Citizen Kane/Immortal Beloved Parallels

I have the strangest feeling that this post might piss some people off… Ah well.

So, we just finished watching Citizen Kane in one of my classes, and I couldn’t help but thinking “Hm, Citizen Kane seems to have influenced Immortal Beloved to some extent.”

For instance, both are about trying to define some great character through one thing: Rosebud, last words, or the Immortal Beloved letter. Then the actual exposition and rising action comes from the stories people tell about this person– and of course, these opinions are all colored by the particular storyteller.

(Gah, I hate blogging in public spaces. The conversation of the people sitting next to me is very annoying-distracting).

Anyway, that’s my thought for today. I also had a rewatching of “The Legend of 1900″ yesterday, which makes me very happy and very sad (it’s just that kind of film). I’m thinking about buying a sheet music collection of piano solos based on Ennio Morricone’s compositions– or they’re directly his compositions, something like that– but I’m being indecisive. “The Best of Ennio Morricone vol.1″ is about $25, comes with a CD, includes “Playing Love” from 1900, but that’s really all that I want.

The collection also includes a selection from “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Mission,” amongst other Italian films. Anyone want to give some opinions here? Is this purchase worth it?

Distopic America: Soylent Green and Fight Club

I’m saying this right now: Watching these movies is not a good way for ending a year. But watch them I did. Soylent Green was on Turner Classic Movies December 28th, and I fell asleep afterwards. I woke up just in time to catch Fight Club on G4.

And then I was in A Mood.

To Start, Soylent Green frightens me, because I can easily see it occuring. “Make Room, Make Room” on an already overpopulated planet. Or we’re getting to overpopulation or we are already sweltering underneath the strain. In my film class last year, we talked about this film, but never watched it. The majority of my class decided that it wasn’t immoral to eat dead bodies in such a situation, and I stand by that. When life is a battle to survive, we end up doing anything that is within our power to go on.

It would have been better to know, though. The ignorance of the future scared me, such as with the Furniture when they are dehumanized or this grabbing for Soylent Green, a product with no past, but a strong future in the arms of many. How we died, too, is a frightening experience, with its strong regimentation, although I get the feeling that if I ever approach death I would much rather die in a room like that than in some cold hospital bed.

Ah me… it frightened me, because the ghosts of the present haunted the shadows of this film.

FIGHT CLUB

Hello Edward Norton. What can I do for you today?

I think his character needs a hug, and a really well made dinner. Then sent to a great psychiatrist. I’m glad that the ending wasn’t predictable, with a fantastic shot of these two silhouettes against the destruction of office buildings.

There’s also, and I love it, the house where most of the action takes place. It’s such an old and grimy house, but inside it’s still a mansion. A dirty, disgusting mansion, but there are charms.  It reflects the entire movie well, anyway.  What creeped me out was this break away from the average that turned into a complete, faceless organiztion.  There’s that cyclic event that we face in life, especially with the new Outliers of society, when they finally become the norm.  It’s scary, to wake up and have no face.

(Ho hum, ignore that if it doesn’t make sense.  I think I’ve just rambled my way, trying to explain what the theme is of Fight Club, when I can’t.  Not right now, anyway). 

Basically, I love and hate this movie on an even keel. It moves me to the emotions and thoughts that the film draws out, but then I have to live with them. These views on the waste of modern life and hateful office jobs.

Two really fabulous, well done movies, that tell and keep secrets and have the wonderful ability of motion.

Somehow, this led to a Bookclub Discussion

So I watched the original House on Haunted Hill last night.  Everything was going great until my brother entered the room, and then I just wavered from consciousness to unconsiousness for the last forty minutes or so of the movie.

I couldn’t help but notice though:  Hugh Laurie and Vincent Price… look alike.   Yeah, okay, one plays a hot American doctor with serious problems and the other is something like the master of horror and Tim Burton’s childhood hero, and yet

1) They’re about the same height.

2) They hold themselves the same way when walking.

3) Same shape of the head. 

4) Both have rather intense eyes (it’s been awhile since I’ve seen anything in color with Vincent Price in it though).

5) Distinct voices (this is a good thing.  It’s different for both, but I have the feeling that if I was put in a dark room and someone had a recording of either Laurie’s or Price’s voice, I could tell who it was).

Anyway, there was a lull at book club today, and I bring this up:

Me: I couldn’t help but notice that Hugh Laurie looks like Vincent Price.

Lauren: …what?!

Me: Well… yeah.

Lauren: I’m sorry, you’re comparing hot old guy to Vincent Price?!

Me: *gives reasons from above*

Matt, Lauren’s Friend: yeah, I can see it.

Lauren: No!

Me: *shrug*

Lauren: I’m not convinced Vincent Price even died.  He’s probably hiding out somewhere.

Me: And only Tim Burton knows where.

*headdesk*  Gah, I’m tired.

That movie actually freaked me out though, but I don’t like the remake much either.  It’s that idea of being trapped that gets to me.  Trapped, and no one outside would know what actually happened, so it could just continue. *shiver*

Great start to Halloween Week, I have to admit.

Currently Number One On My “To Buy” List

Because I love old horror movies just that much. And cranky Bela Lugosi makes me smile.

I saw this at Borders one day, when I was with my friend Elizabeth and we hiked about five miles to get to the nearest awesome shopping centers (saves gas and we have nothing better to do during the summer).  And here this was, in the horror section.  For $20, I could get fifty movies.  That’s about $0.43 a movie (where oh where is the good ol’ cent sign from my childhood math books?)

And then I go on Amazon, only to find it for $13.  Beautiful… the only thing stopping me from buying it now is 1) shipping and 2) I just bought some shirts from Threadless.

I haven’t seen most of these films, but even if I don’t like most of them, this is a great deal for a ton of classics.  Let me give you some titles of my most highly anticipated:

Night of the Living Dead, The Phantom of the Opera (silent version! Lon Chaney Sr.!), Nosferatu, The Little Shop of Horrors, A Shriek in the Night, The Bat (thanks to Tim Burton I will watch anything with Vincent Price in it), The House on Haunted Hill, White Zombie, Metropolis. 

And those that I’ve actually seen:

The Last Man on Earth, The Screaming Skull. *headdesk*  And I’ve only seen The Screaming Skull because of Movie Science Theater 3000.  So I might actually skip that one when I have the giant Horror Movie Marathon after buying this.

From what it looks like on the internet, there’s this whole series of old movies compacted into large collections like this.  Clearly this was made by awesome people.  Or people who just wanted to squeeze an extra dollar out of old movies, whatever.  I love this.  I love having more fodder for this blog.  I love classic horror movie actors running around and being just scary enough.  I love, beyond all of this, that I got my paycheck in the mail today so that “50 Horror Classics” is within my clutches.  Mwa ha ha.