THE SERPENT'S EGG
Almost as scary as looking at the box for two hours
Ingmar Bergman's probably everybody's favorite Swedish filmmaker, mostly because they haven't let Drain STH make a movie yet. (and when they do, YEAH, I'm there!) No, seriously, he's great. Seventh Seal, baby! But it wasn't movies like this which built his reputation.
A man goes to Germany in 1923 to form a trapeze act with his brother, who unfortunately dies. So this poor bastard, stuck in a really lousy time and place to be out of a job (pack of smokes? 4 billion marks) takes a job at a hospital while he keeps going back to this cabaret to watch increasingly perplexing cabaret acts. (perplexing in that it's hard to imagine that these are or were ever considered a form of entertainment)
The horror in this movie is pretty much nonexistent until the last 20 minutes, which are great. But man oh man, the 100 that preceded them are so, so slow and long and many. I mean, Jesus. It took me four viewings to get through this one.
Not recommended to anyone other than the extremely patient, and Bergman's fans (who have, of course, by now seen the film anyway).