We hope you're ready to get your sexy German Expressionism on, because today we're talking about - not the remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - but rather the full on direct sequel to the 1920 silent film. We answer important questions such as, "Did The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari need to be remade?", and "If so, should it have been at the hands of an avant garde adult film director with actors voguing the entire time?" In short, the answers are yes, and it's amazing.
This film picks up many years after the events of history's first horror film, and it's Dr. Caligari's granddaughter running the asylum now, with some help from her (now very old) zany assistant, Cesare. The new Dr. Caligari specializes in hypothalamus interfacing, which involves swapping the brain fluids from one person to another to swap their personalities. And with this foundation, the film launches into a bizarre, nightmarish exploration of sexual politics and the authoritarian attempts at control over gender identity.
It's a film that looks as though it was shot entirely inside an old ride-through haunted house, with absolutely wild set design and cinematography and wall-to-wall over-the-top performances. We feel as though this is the closest cousin we've ever seen to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and it might just deserve just as much acclaim and cult fandom as that groundbreaking film. It's a lost gem of pop-art insanity and we can't wait to break it all down with you.
Also, Cassie reveals a shocking admission about the original Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Dr. Caligari
Directed by Stephen Sayadian
1989, United States
Incredibly Strange Video is produced and edited by Ryan Quinn and Cassie Kay. Follow us on Bluesky @isvpodcast.bsky.social for updates on the newest episodes!
Theme music:
The End by EVA
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All excerpts from the films discussed are used for educational and critical purposes only.
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