August in Houston is horrific enough, but why not give yourself an old-fashioned scare this weekend. Really old-fashioned. As in 88 years old.
Considered to be the first horror flick ever, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) has got all the wacked-out trappings of German Expressionism but no sound. Last fall, Houston's Two Star Symphony Orchestra played its own original soundtrack alongside a screening to a sold out show at the MFAH. This weekend, they're baaaack! This time, the show's at DiverseWorks.
For a plot synopsis involving a creepy hypnotist, the carnival circuit and murder, follow the jump.
What: Screening of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari alongside original soundtrack by Two Star Symphony Orchestra
When: Friday Aug. 24th and Saturday the 25th, performances at 8PM and 10PM
Where: Diverse Works 1117 East Freeway, Houston TX 77002, map
Cost: General admission $15, seniors/students with ID $10
For reservations and tickets, call 713 478 2334
Here's a plot synopsis by Hal Erickson from the All-Movie Guide:
In one of the most influential films of the silent era, Werner Krauss plays Caligari, a sinister hypnotist who travels the carnival circuit displaying a somnambulist named Cesare (Conrad Veidt).
In one tiny German town, a series of murders coincides with Caligari's visit. When the best friend of hero Francis (Friedrich Feher) is killed, the deed seems to be the outgrowth of a romantic rivalry over the hand of the lovely Jane (Lil Dagover). Francis suspects Caligari, but he is ignored by the police. Investigating on his own, Francis seemingly discovers that Caligari has been ordering the somnambulist to commit the murders, but the story eventually takes a more surprising direction.
Caligari's Expressionist style ultimately led to the dark shadows and sharp angles of the film noir urban crime dramas of the 1940s, many of which were directed by such German émigrés as Billy Wilder and Robert Siodmak.
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