Dave D., one of our loyal readers, caught a screening of the remake of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. Now he did his level best to give us a solid, site-formatted review, so I’m just gonna give him the floor:
REVIEW by Dave D. – THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
– The remake of the 1920 horror classic is much moodier and darker than ever before. New shots and many different camera angles really add to the punch! Come back to the fair, and Caesare will tell you your fortune!
PLOT: In the 1920’s, a man and his mentally unstable friend visit a fair in their hometown. One of the sideshows features a sonambulist by the name of Dr. Caligari. His attraction is weird enough, but as the bodies pile up, it’s clear the doctor is taking names and marking gravestones.
LOWDOWN: This is without a doubt, one of the most creepy and atmospheric films ever made. Yes, this is a remake and yes some shots are very similar to the original 1920 masterpiece, and YES, the backgrounds are the exact same ones, via blue screen, as the first film. However, there are different camera angles and new dialogue that add to the suspense rather than detracts from it. It is not a shot for shot film. Obviously the makers knew how stupid it was of Gus Van Saint to do this to the fabulous PSYCHO. The shadows are much darker and much more characterization is put on our characters. Mainly though, this story focuses on the main character Francis and his own mind. Throughout the film, we see him slowly begin to lose it and finally question his own sanity. The Caligari in this film looks the same as the original one, but is more fiendish and creepier. As he talks, he seems like he is feasting to his foul deeds, along with his accomplice(patient) in tow, Caesare. Now the sleepwalking madman is more nightmarish than before. He creeps throughout the film in an arched like sneak that can really freeze your ass solid cold. As many know the whole story, I won’t reveal a whole lot, other than we do get to see a dead man’s head that’s never seen in the original, and more time with a suspected criminal who is about as loony as Renfield in Dracula. This is a film worth the bucks, and being that it is an indie film, it proves that Hollywood has got nothing on true genre filmmakers. Let the revolution begin!
ACTING: The main characters were more than what they were in the original film. The man who plays Dr. Caligari is outrageously insane and is indeed a nightmare inducing figure. Once the characters begin talking, you will be immersed in the film almost immediately.
T & A: Nadda 1920 Nadda 2005
GORE: We see a shadowed brutal stabbing. We see the face of a clerk victim. Guys holding knives in manaical ways. Great stuff but no red stuff.
BOTTOM LINE: A great film that does justice to the term remake. It will have a limited release and will soon be on DVD so get ready to have your fortune told. It says-SEE THIS FILM!
This is an indie film that was the only film that sold out during L.A.’s Screamfest and is an odds on favorite of winning the top prize. Not rated but really gives us a psychological horror film that creeps into your head and never lets go.
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