Every city should have something as cool as Cleveland's UnSilent Film series - a multimedia juxtabulation of classic silent films and live electronic music performance.
Just in time for Halloween, UnSilent Film celebrates its first anniversary proudly with its fifth presentation, the 1921 classic silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with a live "improvised soundtrack" by Steven K. Smith, Thieves Like Me, tofu, dust_head and fluxmonkey on Wednesday, October 26 at Rain Nightclub in Cleveland.
Directed by Robert Wiene and starring Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the landmarks of the German Expressionist style (Nosferatu, Faust, Metropolis), enigmatic and highly stylized, with a twist ending from a M. Night Shyamalan wet dream: madness, love, murder and sonambulists - all set against a carnival side-show backdrop.
Madly slapping the Wheels of Steel before and after the film will be special guest DJ Feima from WCSB's "F2" show.
Article comments
1 - jim
I'm happy for Cleveland and agree that other cities should be able to experience this. Toronto has had the good fortune to see our own Nash the Slash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_the_Slash) perform a number of silent film scores over the years. He's even recorded his version of Nosferatu, which may still be available on his web site. This year he reprises the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, just in time for Halloween.
2 - Eric Olsen
very cool Jim, thanks - I remember Nash the Slash from the '70s
3 - Victor Lana
What a fantastic concept, Eric. And I simply adore this film. Everything from the warped sets (right out of the scariest dream imaginable) to the frenetic pace of and the over the top (yet still impressive) acting make this a winner.
I am still haunted by Veidt's Cesare...what a fantastic character. Of course, Veidt would go on to star as the Nazi in CASABLANCA.
Cool stuff!
4 - Eric Olsen
thanks Victor! yes, I remembered his name from Casablanca butforgot which character he was.
The film Academy actually did something like this last night with The Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps it's an idea that is coming on - it's cool for both the music and the films