The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

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Review added by
Stuart McLean

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
Certificate: U
Running Time: 77 Mins
Retail Price: £19.99
Release Date: 29/09/2014
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
One of the most iconic masterpieces in cinema history, Robert Wiene's Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari shook filmgoers worldwide and changed the direction of the art form. Now presented in a definitive restoration, the film s chilling, radically expressionist vision is set to grip viewers again.

At a local carnival in a small German town, hypnotist Dr. Caligari presents the somnambulist Cesare, who can purportedly predict the future of curious fairgoers. But at night, the doctor wakes Cesare from his sleep to enact his evil bidding...

Incalculably influential, the film s nightmarishly jagged sets, sinister atmospheric and psychological emphasis left an immediate impact in its wake (horror, film noir, and gothic cinema would all be shaped directly by it). But this diabolical tale nevertheless stands alone - now more mesmerising than ever in this new Dual-Format special edition.

Special Features:
- Brand new and exclusive audio commentary by historian David Kalat
- "Caligari: The Birth of Horror in the First World War" - a new 52-minute documentary on the cultural and historical context of the film
- "You Must Become Caligari" - a new video essay by David Cairns
- On The Restoration - three short video pieces on the film's restoration
- Theatrical trailer for 2014 reissue
- A 44-page booklet with new writing, reprints and rare archival imagery