A world-famous pianist loses both hands in an accident. When new hands are grafted on, he doesn't know they once belonged to a murderer.
Reuniting the star and director of The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, The Hands of Orlac is a deliciously twisted thriller that blends body horror with the visual splendor of German Expressionism.
Based on a novel by horror novelist Maurice Renard, it charts the mental disintegration of a concert pianist (Conrad Veidt) whose hands are amputated after a train crash, and replaced with the hands of an executed murderer. When Orlac’s father is murdered by the dead man’s hands, Orlac begins a steady descent towards madness.
The VOC Silent Film Harmonic, under the direction of Ted Harms, was formed in the summer of 2007 with the idea of performing live & improvised music to accompany silent films. The group takes its inspiration from how many silent movies were originally presented - taking themes and using them as the basis for improvisation. The overall goal is for the music to reflect, enhance and support the movie, not to overtake or distract.
Previous Playhouse screenings with the VOC Silent Film Harmonic:
The Phantom Carriage
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Dragnet Girl
Nosferatu
Vampyr
Un Chien Andalou, La Chute de la Maison Usher
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Gamera, The Giant Monster