REEL ODDITIES: DR. CALIGARI (1989)

March 4, 11 & 18, 2026
Reel Oddities:
Dr. Caligari (1989)
As deranged as it is stylistically unhinged, this psychedelic surrealist neo-noir reworking of the 1920 German expressionist classic features Laura Albert as Mrs. Van Houten, a woman whose libido is dangerously out of control. There’s only one place for her – the Caligari Insane Asylum. With eye-popping set design from Stephen Sayadian (Night Dreams, Café Flesh), a luscious synth score courtesy of Mitchell Froom, not to mention acid-tongued dialogue written by Jerry Stahl (Permanent Midnight), Dr Caligari drops a dirty bomb on Reagan era family values. Mining high art in bad taste, it parodies both mass media and pop culture through a roll call of staged citations and quotations as exquisitely framed as they are sexually charged.
Dir: Stephen Sayadian / 1989 / US / 78 min

Dr. Caligari was guest curated by Olympia-based programmer Maren Moreno, the mind behind the wildly popular Sleazy Femme Film Fest.

Sleazy Femme Film Fest is a forum for transgressive, underground queer cinema. The festival highlights low-budget, DIY, and filthy independent films that often face censorship or algorithmic burial online. Past events have featured works by Heather McAdams, Louise Weard, Emily Esperanza, Becca Kozak and David Leo.

SCREENING: WED 3/4 7PM; WED 3/11 7PM; WED 3/18 7PM

$14 GA & $11 OFS. Tickets are available at the box office 30 minutes before showtimes.