Brand new and factory sealed. Rare and out of print.
Deaf Crocodile is thrilled to collaborate with the Filmmuseum München to release these two exceptionally rare German silent genre treasures from pioneering Jewish director/writer Henrik Galeen (1881-1949, who wrote & directed the original, recently reconstructed 1915 version of THE GOLEM starring Paul Wegener and scripted NOSFERATU (1922) and WAXWORKS (1924). Restored by the Filmmuseum München, ALRAUNE and THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE show Galeen’s flair for delirious, Expressionist horror / fantasy.
ALRAUNE (A WOMAN OF DESTINY), 1927, Filmmuseum München,131 min. Dir. Henrik Galeen. Deranged Weimar Era erotic sci-fi / horror starring Brigitte Helm (METROPOLIS) as the unholy offspring of a genetics experiment conducted by her scientist “father” Paul Wegener, who implants the semen of a hanged man in the womb of a prostitute. As an adult, the lithe, sinuous Helm drives men to suicide and madness – including her own pseudo-father Wegener who succumbs to incestuous obsession with her. Score by Sabrina Zimmermann and Mark Pogolski.
DER STUDENT VON PRAG (THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE), 1926, Filmmuseum München, 133 min. Dir. Henrik Galeen. Conrad Veidt (THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, CASABLANCA) stars as a hellraising student who sells his soul to the Devil - but Veidt hasn’t bargained on meeting his own evil doppelgänger who literally steps out of a mirror, Cocteau-like, and starts to take over his life. Score by Stephen Horne.
Both films feature German intertitles with English translations.
Special Features
Excerpt from AUF GEFÄHRLICHEN SPUREN (DANGEROUS PATHS), 1924, Filmmuseum Düsseldorf, 15 min. This clip from the 1924 crime film is a rare opportunity to see Galeen’s work as both writer and actor, alongside frequent collaborator, director Harry Piel.
New video interview with Stefan Drössler of the Filmmuseum München about the preservation of Galeen’s films, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile (90 min., in English).
New audio commentaries by film historian Jan-Christopher Horak, former director of the UCLA Film & TV Archive and the Filmmuseum München.
Reversible Wrap Art by Beth Morris
Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity In Motion.
Deluxe Edition Bonus Content
Slipcase featuring new artwork by artist Dave McKean
80-page illustrated book
Newly translated essays by Hanns Heinz Ewers (1913), Henrik Galeen (1926), and Felix Panten (1926)
Reprinted essays by Michael Farin (1993), Erich Hellmund-Waldow (1928), and Oswell Blakestone (1929)
New essay by Stefan Drössler
New essay by Walter Chaw
New essay by Stephen R. Bissette
Rare original photos and artwork