Since I’ve already posted a lot of classic horror films, I figured it made sense–although silent movies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea–to post the two films that can undeniably be said to have either a direct or indirect influence on virtually every horror film made since.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTyJAIUnYAQ&t - from the Lumiere Factory YouTube channel (1 hour 17 mins long - 1080p - Eng. subtitles)
Synopsis:
Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.
Directed by Robert Wiene.
Cast: Werner Krauss & Conrad Veidt.
Trivia:
Considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema and the origin of many visual tropes now associated with classic horror and film-noir.
Nosferatu (1922)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7p3ct5hcks - from the Neil Dinsmore YouTube channel (1 hour 28 mins long - 720p)
Synopsis:
Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter’s wife.
Directed by F.W. Murnau.
Cast: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim & Greta Schröder.
Trivia:
The film was produced by Prana Film and is an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. Various names and other details were changed from the novel, including Count Dracula being renamed Count Orlok. Even with several details altered, Stoker’s heirs sued over the adaptation, and a court ruling ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed. However, a few prints of Nosferatu survived, and the film came to be regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema.