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Three seminal works in one package make this an ideal choice for film buffs and horror fans.
The Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema contains three influential masterpieces from the early 1920s:
The Golem,
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and
Nosferatu. All three films are excellent, and their influence on later works, most notably
Frankenstein, is clear.
Nosferatu, directly plagiarized from Bram Stoker's
Dracula, is by far the scariest of the three. Max Schreck's bizarre, creepy performance as the vampire is still surprisingly effective.
The Golem is a retelling of the Jewish legend of a rabbi who dabbles in the black arts to protect the inhabitants of the ghetto. He makes a man of clay and brings him to life, with dire results. Though all three have gorgeous images,
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the tale of a mysterious mesmerist, is the most interesting as a prime example of German expressionism. The swooping, distorted sets are brilliantly nightmarish. The three silent films are best enjoyed with the volume turned all the way down. While
The Golem is presented in silence, by far the most satisfying option, the music soundtrack tacked onto
Caligari is unnecessary at best, and the score
Nosferatu has been saddled with is absolutely dunderheaded. Bonus material includes stills and poster art from all three films and a clip from the lost film
Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire.
--Ali Davis