Dr. Caligari (1989)
October 21, 2018 4:19 PM Subscribe
We’ve discovered a midnight movie that’s slipped under our radar all these years. It’s just as retro, hypnotic, and freaky as say, the cult musical Rocky Horror Picture Show— but you might even say more chic.
Now that Rocky Horror has been mentioned, here's a tidbit about the Loft Cinema in Tucson as being the longest running host of RHPS ever: 40 years. The history of the Loft is also interesting. The Loft & Rocky
Now that Rocky Horror has been mentioned, here's a tidbit about the Loft Cinema in Tucson as being the longest running host of RHPS ever: 40 years. The history of the Loft is also interesting. The Loft & Rocky
I never heard of this, but clearly Trace Beaulieu was a fan. I definitely remember Dr. Forrester spanking his own butt and shouting “naughty, naughty, naughty!”
posted by Countess Elena at 5:08 PM on October 21, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by Countess Elena at 5:08 PM on October 21, 2018 [9 favorites]
It’s a film by Rinse Dream, whose primary output is a series of very odd new wave porn film, especially featuring the legendary Cage Flesh, which weds an obsession with trash cinema, a proto-music video sensibility, and an almost boundless disinterest in sex, which is always mechanical and is often accompanied by piston noises. Dr. Caligari flew under the radar because it is less interesting than his adult movies.
posted by maxsparber at 5:23 PM on October 21, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 5:23 PM on October 21, 2018 [11 favorites]
In case anyone wants to see this classic it's on YouTube.
posted by gideonswann at 6:09 PM on October 21, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by gideonswann at 6:09 PM on October 21, 2018 [14 favorites]
Seconding Cafe Flesh. An awesome soundtrack by Mitchell Froom, too! The film's aesthetic can be described as if DEVO made pornography.
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 6:15 PM on October 21, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 6:15 PM on October 21, 2018 [10 favorites]
Also, Jerry Stahl wrote both cafe flesh and Dr. Caligari.
As to the question of art: Dr. Caligari v cafe flesh. Cafe flesh was undoubtedly a stronger statement, but dr. Caligari was infinitely more quotable.
Chinchilla, chinchilla, chinchilla..
posted by cadmus at 6:18 PM on October 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
As to the question of art: Dr. Caligari v cafe flesh. Cafe flesh was undoubtedly a stronger statement, but dr. Caligari was infinitely more quotable.
Chinchilla, chinchilla, chinchilla..
posted by cadmus at 6:18 PM on October 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
I've been looking for something to pair with an upcoming viewing of Liquid Sky to make it a double feature. Now I have it, thank you. :)
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:55 PM on October 21, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:55 PM on October 21, 2018 [8 favorites]
I'm a twitchin skeeball!
I've been well aware of Dr. Caligari for a long time. It's kind of paced slow, but when you are watching it with freaks who get it, you are watching it with friends for life.
(And oh, when did I first see RHPS at The Loft? 87 or 88? At the old location off 6th? The way they treated "I'm Going Home" like it was group emotional catharsis was legend. Also Charlie Brown was the best Frank ever.)
posted by Catblack at 7:22 PM on October 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
I've been well aware of Dr. Caligari for a long time. It's kind of paced slow, but when you are watching it with freaks who get it, you are watching it with friends for life.
(And oh, when did I first see RHPS at The Loft? 87 or 88? At the old location off 6th? The way they treated "I'm Going Home" like it was group emotional catharsis was legend. Also Charlie Brown was the best Frank ever.)
posted by Catblack at 7:22 PM on October 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
And because it's never a bad time to watch it, here's Kyle Kalgren on the original film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the book From Calgari to Hitler by Siegfried Kracauer, and how film imagines the tyrant.
posted by dannyboybell at 7:27 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by dannyboybell at 7:27 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Seen Caligari back in the day. Wasn't impressed with it then and still not today. I like weird movies but this one just didn't gel for me. RHPS, as odd as it may be, has themes that are universal: finding love, a sense of belonging, becoming who you are, not dreaming it but being it. Caligari, not so much. That said, it was definitely trippy and if visual what the fucks are your thing then by all means, go for it.
posted by ashbury at 7:31 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ashbury at 7:31 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Catblack: yeah, the 6th St. location. I left Tucson in 87 and the Loft moved to its new site in 92.
posted by MovableBookLady at 7:31 PM on October 21, 2018
posted by MovableBookLady at 7:31 PM on October 21, 2018
Without having seen it, it looks very much like a mash-up of the original The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and RHPS; mashups were a lot less common in the eighties, but a lot of films have tried to mine the same midnight cult flick magic and failed, including Shock Treatment, the official RHPS sequel. On the other hand, I did find Cafe Flesh interesting (Rev. Syung Myung Me above has it about right), and it's free on YooChoob so why not.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:44 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:44 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you ever get the chance see the directors art porn nightdreams. It's interesting to say the least.
posted by Ferreous at 8:19 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Ferreous at 8:19 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Nightdreams was the name of the sex toy store in the town where I went to high school.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 9:46 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 9:46 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
THis is bringing me back to the Forbidden Zone. Danny Elfman's brother.
posted by markbrendanawitzmissesus at 10:07 PM on October 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by markbrendanawitzmissesus at 10:07 PM on October 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
Fun fact: the patient with the "Chinchilla, chinchilla, chinchilla" line was played by Jennifer Miro of The Nuns.
posted by Graygorey at 10:11 PM on October 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Graygorey at 10:11 PM on October 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
From the intro, I was thinking it was going to be
this one.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 10:35 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
this one.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 10:35 PM on October 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
I worked at Caligari many years ago. Good times.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 11:28 PM on October 21, 2018
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 11:28 PM on October 21, 2018
A really wild midnight movie choice would be Possession. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani in a bizarre bizarre melodrama-horror(-comedy?) involving communist Eastern Europe in the 80s, body horror, demon fetuses (I think), and much much more. One scene with Adjani in a pedestrian tunnel will sear into your brain, forever.
posted by zardoz at 12:05 AM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by zardoz at 12:05 AM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
Aw man I was supposed to see this last week at the Alamo, but then I got a frickin migraine and had to lie not moving in the dark for two days. AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH
posted by miss-lapin at 2:31 AM on October 22, 2018
posted by miss-lapin at 2:31 AM on October 22, 2018
The title of this post knocked me off the Halloween costume decision fence: I'm definitely going as the somnambulist from the C. of Dr. C.
posted by deadbilly at 4:27 AM on October 22, 2018
posted by deadbilly at 4:27 AM on October 22, 2018
(Also Charlie Brown was the best Frank ever.)
god dammit
Now I'm picturing Magenta in a blue dress yelling YOU BLOCKHEAD at him
posted by delfin at 5:21 AM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
god dammit
Now I'm picturing Magenta in a blue dress yelling YOU BLOCKHEAD at him
posted by delfin at 5:21 AM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
fascinating, I just attended a showing of the 1920 film "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari". The original silent film was accompanied by a silent-film pipe organ with all the bells and whistles. Truly delightful!
posted by rebent at 6:52 AM on October 22, 2018
posted by rebent at 6:52 AM on October 22, 2018
It is funny what people rediscover via Youtube. The fact that it hasn't had a proper next generation media release I guess leads to ignorance of it though it was certainly well known in my circles. The original VHS of the film was a hot item back in the day - I recall selling my original copy for some serious coin on eBay.
The director's better known and more infamous films Cafe Flesh and to a lesser extent Nightdreams (which is closer in tone to Dr. Caligari) are worth a look if you can stomach adult films (though the sex is really beside the point in the films as maxsparber mentions). Rinse Dream also did the video for Wall of Voodoo's Do it Again which I know has its fans.
If you know Forbidden Zone, Dr. Caligari is like a second cousin (Canadian John Paisz' Crime Wave or Chris Windsor's Big Meat Eater [my personal favorite Halloween film] are like third cousins). Liquid Sky & the George Kuchar penned Thundercrack might be also distantly related.
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:07 AM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
The director's better known and more infamous films Cafe Flesh and to a lesser extent Nightdreams (which is closer in tone to Dr. Caligari) are worth a look if you can stomach adult films (though the sex is really beside the point in the films as maxsparber mentions). Rinse Dream also did the video for Wall of Voodoo's Do it Again which I know has its fans.
If you know Forbidden Zone, Dr. Caligari is like a second cousin (Canadian John Paisz' Crime Wave or Chris Windsor's Big Meat Eater [my personal favorite Halloween film] are like third cousins). Liquid Sky & the George Kuchar penned Thundercrack might be also distantly related.
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:07 AM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
Now I'm picturing Magenta in a blue dress yelling YOU BLOCKHEAD at him
Now that--a You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown/RHPS mashup--would be just about the best fucking thing ever.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:23 AM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Now that--a You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown/RHPS mashup--would be just about the best fucking thing ever.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:23 AM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Ah, such a classic. I actually owned a VHS of this back in the day. It was the perfect movie to throw on at a party in the background to throw people off. (Along with Tetsuo the Iron Man and the aforementioned Forbidden Zone)
It really harkens to a time when any non-normative cinema was inherently dangerous.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:46 AM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
It really harkens to a time when any non-normative cinema was inherently dangerous.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:46 AM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Along with Tetsuo the Iron Man
YOU. YOU WERE THE SICK BASTARD THAT DID THIS. IT WAS AN ACID PARTY. PEOPLE FLED AND HID AND NEEDED THERAPY AFTERWARDS.
posted by loquacious at 10:36 AM on October 22, 2018 [9 favorites]
YOU. YOU WERE THE SICK BASTARD THAT DID THIS. IT WAS AN ACID PARTY. PEOPLE FLED AND HID AND NEEDED THERAPY AFTERWARDS.
posted by loquacious at 10:36 AM on October 22, 2018 [9 favorites]
Now that--a You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown/RHPS mashup--would be just about the best fucking thing ever.
I'm not sure how well the characters map, and framing these kids in a sexual/subversive light feels a little gross to me, but I couldn't get it out of my head until I put it down.
I'm not sure how well the characters map, and framing these kids in a sexual/subversive light feels a little gross to me, but I couldn't get it out of my head until I put it down.
- Charlie Brown has to be Brad (they're both the everyman character)
- That leaves the red haired girl as Janet (or possibly Sally if you want to amp the uncomfortableness factor by introducing incest)
- Lucy is probably best for Frank (that requires a pretty strong character, but it takes some of the fun drag elements out of the show)
- Schroeder is Rocky (just because of the blonde hair. You could also cast against type and use Franklin)
- Pepperment Patty is Magenta
- Marcie is Columbia
- Linus is Eddie (mainly because the blanket would play well against the line when he said he didn't like his teddy you knew he was a new good kid).
- Pigpen is Riff (by process of elimination)
- Snoopy (maybe Dr. Scott with the doghouse for a wheelchair)
I was just thinking last night how much Christopher Lee's performance in The Mummy owes to Conrad Veidt in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Character design has never really stopped drawing from that well, from Edward Scissorhands to Kylo Ren.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:44 PM on October 22, 2018
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:44 PM on October 22, 2018
I see the Peanuts/RHPS casting quite differently. Yes, it feels wrong to imagine those characters actually acting out the story, but let's pretend this is like one of those Mad Magazine parodies where the characters are all grown up but they still have their old personalities intact.
Yes, Charlie Brown is Brad. He just is.
Lucy could be Janet, but she'd be more of a loud, nagging Janet than the innocent one of the movie. Personality wise, Janet is actually closest to Sally. Sally's the most innocent of the bunch, but she has an edge that surfaces under stress. But Sally and Charlie Brown are siblings, so, no.
(I thought about making Lucy play Frank, since she's the one with a wicked streak and she and Charlie Brown have always had a weird dynamic where she's way into teasing him and he can't seem to stay away, but that would eliminate the transgressive gender stuff and just make Lucy kind of a glam mean girl.)
Peppermint Pattie is Rocky. They're both big, butch, clumsy, totally guileless and innocent, and looking for fun.
Marcy is Riff-Raff. Deadpan, overly polite and servile, but with a tendency to slip in these little cutting remarks.
Magenta is played by that girl who was always going on about her beautiful, naturally curly red hair.
Sally is Columbia, tap dancing around in a top hat.
Pig-Pen is Eddie. Crashing through the mansion and raising a cloud of dust.
Schroeder is Dr. Scott. Well-meaning but self-serious, stuffy and uptight.
Linus is the criminologist. "Lotht in time... And lotht in thpathe..." He'd be really into the somber narrator parts, and then he'd love hopping on the desk to show us how to do the Time Warp. "It'th jutht a jump to the left!"
Snoopy is Frank. He's mischievous, he loves being the center of attention and he's into costumes. He doesn't bang everybody, but he does kiss Lucy and then she runs around hollering about DOG LIPS!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:30 PM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yes, Charlie Brown is Brad. He just is.
Lucy could be Janet, but she'd be more of a loud, nagging Janet than the innocent one of the movie. Personality wise, Janet is actually closest to Sally. Sally's the most innocent of the bunch, but she has an edge that surfaces under stress. But Sally and Charlie Brown are siblings, so, no.
(I thought about making Lucy play Frank, since she's the one with a wicked streak and she and Charlie Brown have always had a weird dynamic where she's way into teasing him and he can't seem to stay away, but that would eliminate the transgressive gender stuff and just make Lucy kind of a glam mean girl.)
Peppermint Pattie is Rocky. They're both big, butch, clumsy, totally guileless and innocent, and looking for fun.
Marcy is Riff-Raff. Deadpan, overly polite and servile, but with a tendency to slip in these little cutting remarks.
Magenta is played by that girl who was always going on about her beautiful, naturally curly red hair.
Sally is Columbia, tap dancing around in a top hat.
Pig-Pen is Eddie. Crashing through the mansion and raising a cloud of dust.
Schroeder is Dr. Scott. Well-meaning but self-serious, stuffy and uptight.
Linus is the criminologist. "Lotht in time... And lotht in thpathe..." He'd be really into the somber narrator parts, and then he'd love hopping on the desk to show us how to do the Time Warp. "It'th jutht a jump to the left!"
Snoopy is Frank. He's mischievous, he loves being the center of attention and he's into costumes. He doesn't bang everybody, but he does kiss Lucy and then she runs around hollering about DOG LIPS!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:30 PM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
help how do i delete this peanuts/rhps thing from the internet before it escapes
posted by loquacious at 7:24 PM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by loquacious at 7:24 PM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
On second thought, Schroeder should be the criminologist and Linus should be Dr. Scott! I can see Schroeder sitting at the piano, then he turns to us and says, "I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey..." And Linus is way too easy to picture as the moral crusader who rushes in to save our heroes, only to become corrupted himself. "I've got to be thtrong, and try to hang on, or elthe my mind may well thnap, and my life will be lived... for the thrillth!"
help how do i delete this peanuts/rhps thing from the internet before it escapes
Moowa-haha... You're too late!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 8:03 PM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
help how do i delete this peanuts/rhps thing from the internet before it escapes
Moowa-haha... You're too late!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 8:03 PM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
I’m only like 10 minutes in, and now I know where most of Liquid Television came from.
posted by valkane at 8:39 PM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by valkane at 8:39 PM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Max Renn woulda paid good money for this for Civic TV.
posted by valkane at 8:44 PM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by valkane at 8:44 PM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Moowa-haha... You're too late!
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE AUUGGH
posted by loquacious at 9:09 PM on October 22, 2018
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE AUUGGH
posted by loquacious at 9:09 PM on October 22, 2018
(To avoid any confusion, I should say that I didn't create that image I linked before. I just found it online and don't know the artist.)
posted by Ursula Hitler at 9:54 PM on October 22, 2018
posted by Ursula Hitler at 9:54 PM on October 22, 2018
Ah, such a classic. I actually owned a VHS of this back in the day. It was the perfect movie to throw on at a party in the background to throw people off. (Along with Tetsuo the Iron Man and the aforementioned Forbidden Zone)
Some guys I knew in college had the very best version of that ever. One of them had a hobby of buying up every old reel-to-reel grade-school-level instructional film and filmstrip he could get his hands on; he'd wait until the entire place was roaring drunk and then start playing 1950s "oh no, I'm menstruating" and "how to properly wash your hands" and "dating tips for teens" films on random walls.
posted by delfin at 8:05 AM on October 24, 2018
Some guys I knew in college had the very best version of that ever. One of them had a hobby of buying up every old reel-to-reel grade-school-level instructional film and filmstrip he could get his hands on; he'd wait until the entire place was roaring drunk and then start playing 1950s "oh no, I'm menstruating" and "how to properly wash your hands" and "dating tips for teens" films on random walls.
posted by delfin at 8:05 AM on October 24, 2018
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posted by MovableBookLady at 4:22 PM on October 21, 2018 [10 favorites]