Last night I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for the first time and I can definitely recommend it. Directed by Robert Wiene in 1920, the film is a masterpiece of German Expressionism, not to mention creepy as all hell. Conrad Veidt's performance as the somnambulist Cesare was terrifying--when he awakens from his slumber (shot of it above), it is one of the most bone-chilling moments of cinema I have witnessed. His heavy makeup, dark costume, and trembling, inhuman facial and body movements make for a spectacle so frightening that even Lil Dagover's overwrought performance as Jane seems justified. For those of us who don't buy into the whole "gore is scary" thing that seems so popular these days, it's a perfect Halloween thriller. Go watch it!
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