Critical Reaction
Surprisingly, considering its outrageous approach, the film received excellent reviews in the mainstream press (LA Times, Entertainment Weekly, NY Post, Seattle Times, etc.) and was selected as an opening night feature at the Toronto Film Festival. Many fans of the film have cited both a strong David Lynch "feel" to the film as well as a touch of David Cronenberg's Videodrome. The scene where Mrs. Van Houten speaks to a glamorous image of herself on the T.V. clearly reminds one of Debbie Harry as Nicki in Videodrome licking her lips and enticing James Woods. Many of the special effects, such as the fleshy wall with open sores and a giant tongue, leave one feeling uneasy much in the way some people react to scenes in Lynch's films. Overall, the look of the film is an unmistakable product of the 1980s and represents a good juncture point to where film was heading at the end of the 1980s.
Read more about this topic: Dr. Caligari (film)
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