Silent Horror Review: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (dir by Robert Wiene)

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir by Robert Wiene, DP: Willy Hameister)

Sitting on a bench, a man named Franzis (Friedrich Feher) tells a story of how he and his fiancée Jane (Lil Dagover) suffered at the hands of Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss), the owner of a traveling carnival who used an apparent sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders for him. Franzis’s story takes place in an odd village, one that is full of crooked streets, ominous buildings, and dark shadows. It’s a bizarre story that gets even stranger as we start to suspect that Franzis himself is not quite who he claims to be.

Released in 1920, the silent German film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of those films that we’ve all heard about but far too few of us have actually seen. Like most silent films, it requires some patience and a willingness to adapt to the narrative convictions of an earlier time. However, for those of us who love horror cinema, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari remains required viewing. Not only did it introduce the concept of the twist ending but it also helped to introduce German expressionism to the cinematic world. The film’s images of twisted roads and ominous structures that seem to be reaching out to capture the people walking past them would go on to influence a countless number of directors and other artists. The film captures not only the logic and intensity of a nightmare but the look of one as well.

It also captures something very true about human nature. Running through the story is a theme of authoritarianism. Before Caligari can bring his carnival to the show, he has to deal with a rude town clerk who seems to take a certain delight in making even the simplest of request difficult. Caligari keeps Cesare in a coffin-like box and only brings him out when he’s needed to do something. The sleepwalking Cesare does whatever he is ordered to do, without protest. Even the film’s twist ending leaves you wondering how much you can trust the people in charge. When the film was released, Germany was still struggling to recover from World War I, a war that was fought by people who had been trained not to question the orders of those who were sending them to die. Caligari, like a general, sends Cesare into danger and Cesare, being asleep, never questions a thing.

(Of course, thirteen years after The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released, Germany would once again embrace authoritarianism. Director Robert Wiene left Germany after the rise of Hitler and died in France in 1938. Co-writer Carl Mayer and star Conrad Veidt also fled Germany, with Veidt landing in Hollywood and playing the villainous Nazi in Casablanca. Meanwhile, Werner Krauss was reportedly a virulent anti-Semite who supported the Nazi Party and who became one of Joseph Goebbels’s favorite actors. Lil Dagover also remained in Germany and continued to make films. She was known to be Hitler’s favorite actress though Dagover always claimed that she didn’t share Hitler’s views.)

Needless to say, it takes some adjustment to watch a silent film. That’s certainly true in the case of a The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, though the twisted sets and the bizarre story actually help the mind to make the adjustment. Dr. Caligari takes place in a world so strange that it actually seems appropriate that the dialogue is not heard but only read on title cards. (If I could imagine a soundtrack to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, it would probably involve a lot of industrial noise in the background, in the manner of David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Lynch, incidentally, is a filmmaker who was clearly influenced by Caligari.) For modern audiences, watching The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari also means accepting that there was a time when CGI was not a thing and films had to make due with practical effects. But Conard Veidt’s performance is all the more impressive when you realize that it was one that he performed without any of the filmmaking tricks that we now take for granted.

Ever since I first watched it on a dark and rainy night, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has stayed with me. The night after I watched it, I even had a nightmare in which Dr. Caligari was trying to break into my apartment. Yes, Dr. Caligari looked a little bit silly staring through my bedroom window but it still caused me to wake up with my heart about to explode out of my chest.

In short, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari passes the most important test that a horror film can pass and one that most modern film fail. It sticks with you even after it’s over.

Horror Film Review: The Vampire’s Ghost (dir by Lesley Selander)

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

1945’s The Vampire’s Ghost takes place in the African port of Bakunda. It’s the colonial period and the port is full of not just adventurers and local plantation owners but also all sorts of disreputable people who are looking to disappear from civilization for a while. A series of murders have recently rocked the port. Victims, almost all of them women, have been discovered drained of blood. The natives claim that it is the work of vampire but the colonialists dismiss that as superstition. Plantation owner Thomas Vance (Emmett Vogan) says that there is no such things are vampires. Thomas’s daughter, Julie (Peggy Stewart), says that there is no such things as vampires. Julie’s boyfriend, Roy (Charles Gordon), says that there is no such thing as vampires. Mysterious casino owner Webb Fallon (John Abbott) says that …. well, actually, Webb’s thoughts on the subject are a bit less certain.

Webb Fallon is known to be an expert on the occult and voodoo. The natives consider him to be a vampire and it turns out that they’re right! After he is wounded in an assassination attempt, Fallon is forced to reveal the truth of his existence to Roy. He also puts Roy under his psychic command, forcing him to serve as Fallon’s servant while Fallon proceeds to kill several people. Can Father Gilchrest (Grant Withers) save Roy from Fallon’s control and also prevent Fallon from turning Julie into his eternal vampire bride? And why exactly did Thomas think it was a good idea to buy a plantation next to the infamous Temple of Death in the first place?

It may not sound like it from the plot description but The Vampire’s Ghost is actually a fairly interesting take on the traditional vampire story. The film was made by Republic Studios and, as was so often the case with Republic, the budget was noticeably low and the film’s African locations were obviously just sets on a Hollywood soundstage. The film was apparently shot in ten days, which was considered to be a long shoot by Republic standards. And yet, despite the low budget, director Lesley Selander does a good job of creating a properly eerie atmosphere, opening with a POV shot of the vampire stalking a native woman and filling the soundtrack with the sound of beating drums in the distance. The beautiful Adela Mara appears as a dancer in Abbott’s casino and her dance scene is definitely one of the film’s highlights, a sudden burst of energy that fills the screen with life. With his somewhat wan appearance, John Abbott may not immediately strike most viewers as the most intimidating of vampires but, as the film progresses, Abbott’s performance win us over. He plays Webb Fallon as being a calculating villain who suffers from just a touch of ennui. He’s grown weary of his existence but he’s still driven by his vampiric urges.

This film was an early credit for screenwriter Leigh Brackett. Apparently, Howard Hawks hired her to adapt The Big Sleep after seeing this film. Brackett would go on to work on the scripts for Rio Lobo, El Dorado, The Long Goodbye, and The Empire Strikes Back. And it all started with a vampire named Webb.

Horror On The Lens: Mazes and Monsters (dir by Steven Hilliard Stern)

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi there and welcome to October! This is our favorite time of the year here at the Shattered Lens because October is our annual horrorthon! For the past several years (seriously, we’ve been doing this for a while), we have celebrated every October by reviewing and showing some of our favorite horror movies, shows, books, and music. That’s a tradition that I’m looking forward to helping to continue this year!

Let’s get things started with 1982’s Mazes and Monsters!

Based on a best-seller by Rona Jaffe, Mazes and Monsters tell the story of some college students who enjoy playing a game called Mazes and Monsters. Now, I realize that Mazes and Monsters may sound a lot like Dungeons and Dragons but they are actually two separate games. One game takes place in a dungeon. The other takes place in maze, got it?

When the players decide to play the game in some nearby caves, it causes the newest member of the group (Tom Hanks — yes, Tom Hanks) to snap and become his character. Convinced that he’s living in a world full of monsters and wizard, Hanks runs away to New York. How does that go? During a moment of clarity, Hanks calls his friends and wails, “There’s blood on my knife!”

It’s all fairly silly. There was a moral panic going on about role playing games when this film was made and this film definitely leans into the panic. But, in its own over-the-top way, it works. If you’ve ever wanted to see Tom Hanks battle a big green lizard, this is the film for you. And I defy anyone not to tear up a little during the final scene!

From 1982, here is Mazes and Monsters! Happy Horrorthon!

6 Trailers For The First Day Of Horrorthon

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is the first day of our annual October Horrorthon! In honor of our favorite time of the year, here is a special edition of Lisa Marie’s Favorite Grindhouse and Exploitation Film Trailers.

The six trailers below all have one thing in common! Can you spot it?

Enjoy and happy Horrorthon!

Lisa (1989)

2. Lisa Lisa (1977)

3. A Black Veil For Lisa (1968)

4. The Haunting of Lisa (1996)

5. I Am Lisa (2020)

6. Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

6 Things That I Am Looking Forward To In October

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to October! October is a big month here at the Shattered Lens. It’s the month when we devote the majority of our time to the horror genre. It’s time for our annual Horrorthon! Last year, we had a record number of Horrorthon posts. I’d love to break that record this year but mostly. I just want this year’s Horrothon to be fun for both our writers and our readers!

Here’s what I’m looking forward to in October!

Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein — I think I was one of the few people who unreservedly loved Del Toro’s version of Nightmare Alley and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what he does with Mary Shelley’s classic tale. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein just feels like perfect casting.
The Horror Movies On TCM — TCM never lets me down in October. I can’t wait to binge all of the classic horror that will be aired this month.
Nouvelle Vague — Richard Linklater’s tribute to the French New Wave is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 31st and then on Netflix two weeks later. While I was a bit disappointed with last year’s Hit Man, I still look forward to every new Linklater film. Speaking of which….
Blue Moon — Linklater’s other 2025 film is scheduled for an October 17th release. Ethan Hawke is said to be brilliant in this film.
After The Hunt — I’m not really a huge fan of director Luca Guadagnino and I’ll probably never forgive him not only his Suspiria remake but also his uncharitable words about the original. That said, After The Hunt has gotten such mixed reviews that I’m intrigued. Julia Roberts is said to give one of her best performances in the film but the film’s storyline has been criticized. Whenever critics give a negative review to a politically-charged film, I feel almost duty-bound to watch the film and decide for myself.
Halloween — It’s my favorite holiday! I can’t wait to see all the decorations, all the parties, and all the costumes!

October’s going to be a great month and those of us at TSL can’t wait to celebrate it with you! What are you looking forward to in October?

Music Film Review: Take It Or Leave It (dir by Dave Robinson)

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I have Jeff to thank for introducing me to the British ska band Madness. The first Madness song that he played for me was Our House, which was the band’s biggest hit in America. I liked the song, so much that I found myself humming it incessantly after first listening to it. Perhaps to get to me hum something else, Jeff then sent me a playlist including Night Boat To Cairo, The Prince, One Step Beyond, It Must Have Been Love, Michael Caine, Driving In My Car, Grey Day, and a host of other songs. It was not only my introduction to Madness but also my introduction to two-tone ska in general. I was quickly hooked.

Here in America, Madness is often incorrectly described as being a one hit wonder. While it is true that Our House was Madness’s biggest hit in America, it’s also true that, ever since the late 70s, Madness had been hugely successful in their native UK, spending 214 weeks on the UK Singles Charts and essentially becoming a bit of a cultural institution. They’ve had 16 singles reach the UK top ten and, somewhat charmingly, the band that formed in 1976 is still largely together.

Ever since the Beatles made A Hard Day’s Night, it’s been almost a rule that almost any successful British band should make a movie. 1981’s Take It Or Leave It is the Madness movie. Admittedly, it’s not a film with a great reputation. The members of the band have themselves described the film as being a bit amateurish and, as I watched the film, I couldn’t help but notice that lead singer Suggs always seemed to be struggling not to look straight at the camera when delivering his lines. Watching the film, it was obvious that the members of Madness were better musicians than actors. It’s interesting to consider that one of the things that makes Madness such an amazing band is that every member comes across as being a star. Watching them perform in their music videos, you get the feeling that you’re watching a group of seven extroverts having the time of their lives. And yet, even though the film’s director also directed the majority of the band’s videos, the members of the band still seemed to be unsure how to play themselves in Take It Or Leave It. It wasn’t just Suggs looking at the camera. It was also the other members of the band, often looking down at the floor when they had to deliver their lines or speaking so softly that it was a struggle to actually hear what they were saying.

The film attempts to tell the story of Madness, from the early days of Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson, and Mike Barson playing in a living room to the full band heading out on their international tour. Along the way, there’s arguments about the band’s musical direction, frequent personnel changes, and Suggs becoming the lead singer, leaving, and then becoming the singer again. The drama is all very lowkey. It’s perhaps a bit too lowkey. A scene where one of the members of the band attacks a drummer seems to come out of nowhere because the members of the band all just come across as being too mellow and friendly to really attack anyone.

Here’s the thing, though. None of that mattered. The members of the band were all so likable that it really didn’t matter that they weren’t particularly good actors. The scenes of the band performing were full of so much energy and joy that it more than made up for the parts of the film that dragged. Watching the band perform One Step Beyond in a pub, it’s impossible not to get pulled into the excitement. Even the use of slow motion during a performance of Night Boat To Cairo works because it allows us to watch a group of young men who are obviously having the best night of their lives. It’s moments like those that make life worth it. It’s moments like those that make you love a band like Madness.

In the end, Take It Or Leave It is a film that will best be appreciated by people who already like the band. It may not work as a drama but, as a celebration of music and performance, it’s the nutsiest sound around.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Pacific Blue 2.22 “Rumpelstiltskin”

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network! It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.

This week, the second season ends.

Episode 2.22 “Rumpelstiltskin”

(Dir by John B. Moranville, originally aired on April 20th, 1997)

Rumpelstiltskin. That’s the nickname that FBI agent Tim Stone (David Lee Smith) has given to expert counterfeiter Laszlo Parkes (Josh Richman). Laszlo and his three associates — Sheila (Heidi Lenhart, who was Jenny Garrison on California Dreams), Lana (Diana Barrington), and Bree (Jennifer Sky) — are passing the fake money all around Santa Monica. Laszlo is planning on scoring a big drug deal. Meanwhile, Bree and her boyfriend (Tim Griffin) are planning on taking out Laszlo.

Agent Stone requests that Cory and Chris be assigned to work with him. It soon become apparent that Stone has more in mind than just work. Chris likes Stone but Stone like Cory. When Chris find out that Stone and Cory slept together, she throws a fit. I’ve noticed that Chris really only has to modes on Pacific Blue. Either she’s disturbingly robotic and unconcerned with civil liberties or she’s getting mad about something and threatening to go all-Fatal Attraction on somebody. I’ve also noticed that the show’s writers are incapable of imagining Chris or Cory in a situation where they don’t end up falling for whoever they’re working with.

The funniest part of this episode was when word came in of a shoot-out so all the cops jumped on their bicycles and rode over to the scene. Seriously, a guy was taking fire and instead of jumping in a car and speeding over there, everyone decided to ride their bicycles. Somehow, the bike cops were able to take down the mob and also arrest Laszlo. I always wonder how they get people to the jail after they arrest them. Do they chain them to the bicycle or something?

After the shoot out, Tim and Cory enjoyed a romantic sunset and Tim promised that he would return soon.

And so ended the second season!

Wow, the second season sucked. Here we are, about to start season 3, and I’m still struggling to tell everyone apart. Chris and Cory still don’t have a personality. Everyone still looks silly on their bicycles. This show grows more pointless with each episode.

Next week …. we’ll start season 3!

It’s Almost Time For The Shattered Lens’s 14th Annual Horrorthon!

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Put on your dancing shoes because, in just a few hours, it will be the first day of October!

If things have been a little bit more quiet than usual here at the Shattered Lens Bunker, it’s because we’ve been busy getting ready for our 14th Annual Horrorthon! That’s right, this is the time of year when the Shattered Lens devotes itself to my favorite genre …. horror!

This is my favorite time of year!

The tricks and the treats begin in just another few hours! So, sit back, have some popcorn, and get ready for the greatest 31 days of the year!

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For September

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As September comes to a close, the Oscar picture is clearing up a bit. The early word on some films is very strong. The new Paul Thomas Anderson film is being massively hyped online, though I get a Killers of the Flower Moon/Brutalist vibe from a lot of the coverage. Meanwhile, films that were once seen as surefire contenders are falling to the wayside.

And, with that inspiring introduction out of the way, here are my predictions for September.

Click here for my April and May and June and July and August predictions!

Best Picture

Hamnet

Jay Kelly

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Wicked For Good

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another

Ryan Coogler for Sinners

Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine

Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

Chloe Zhao for Hamnet

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis in Anemone

Leonard Di Caprio in One Battle After Another

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine

Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent

Jeremy Allen White in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley in Hamnet

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked For Good

Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love

Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Valure

Julia Roberts in After The Hunt

Best Supporting Actor

Paul Mescal in Hamnet

Sean Penn in One Battle After Another

Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly

Stellan Skarsgard in Sentimental Value

Jeremy Strong in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in The Smashing Machine

Zooey Deutch in Nouvelle Vague

Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value

Ariana Grande in Wicked For Good

Emily Watson in Hamnet

Retro Television Review: Fantasy Island 7.12 “The High Cost of Loving/To Fly With Eagles”

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing the original Fantasy Island, which ran on ABC from 1977 to 1984. Unfortunately, the show has been removed from most streaming sites. Fortunately, I’ve got nearly every episode on my DVR.

The Island just hasn’t been the same without Tattoo.

Episode 7.12 “The High Cost Of Loving/To Fly With Eagles”

(Dir by Jerome Courtland, originally aired on January 21st, 1984)

Craig Bradshaw (Doug McClure) is an aging pilot and daredevil who comes to the Island because he wants to compete in one final competition before he gets too old to keep going up in the air. His girlfriend (Christine Belford) doesn’t want him to keep risking his life. In the end, Craig finally comes to peace with the idea of getting older and he also gets engaged.

This fantasy felt pretty familiar. A lot of people have come to the Island over the years with the hope of winning one final competition. Actually, that’s probably one of the more realistic recurring fantasies that this show employs. Who wouldn’t want one last chance to win? If I went to Fantasy Island, I’d probably want to return to my high school years and compete in another speech and debate or drama competition. As for this specific fantasy, it’s always difficult for me to take Doug McClure seriously and this episode was no different.

As for the other fantasy …. yeesh! Lynn Redgrave plays Kristen Robbins, a former advertising exec who was fired when she refused her boss’s sexual advances. Instead of suing the guy, Kristen comes to Fantasy Island and tells Mr. Roarke that her fantasy is to fall in love and get married and start a family because that means she will never be sexually harassed again. (For a 40-something veteran of the advertising world, Kristen is incredibly naive.)

Kristen meets Paul Horner (Alex Cord) and it’s love at first sight. Paul is actually on the Island to interview Kristen for a job with his firm but instead, they have a night of passion. The next morning, Paul tells Kristen that, before they had sex, he recommended her for a job in which she would be working with him in Hawaii!

Kristen asks Roarke to change her fantasy. She now wants to get that job and work in Hawaii. Roarke reluctantly agrees. Kristen does get the job but the company decides that Kristen will be their sole representative in Hawaii and Paul will remain in New York. Kristen asks Mr. Roarke to change her fantasy once again. She doesn’t want the job, she just wants Paul. (Keep in mind that she’s known for Paul for one day.) Paul overhears and pretends to be a cad so that Kristen will take the job.

Now convinced that Paul is a compulsive womanizer, Kristen tells Roarke to change her fantasy back to taking the job. Roarke tells Kristen she needs to make up her own damn mind and then tells her that Paul was only pretending to be a womanizing jerk. In the end, Kristen decides to take the job and marry Paul. Paul decides to continue working in New York. As they leave the Island, they assure Mr. Roarke that they’ll make it work.

Yeah, good luck with that.

This fantasy irked me. Kristen lost her job because she refuses to sleep with her boss. I would rather have seen her get a revenge fantasy than a love fantasy. At the very least, Roarke could have introduced her to a good lawyer. Instead, we got a fantasy in which the main theme was that women are irresponsible and can’t make up their own mind.

This was not my favorite trip to the Island.