“That’s the funny thing about desire… if it’s not crude, it’s not pure.”

Stephen Sayadian’s 1989 cult classic DR. CALIGARI was released to critical acclaim before slipping underground, proliferating through various nocturnal subcultures as the ultimate midnight movie experience. Now, thanks to a glorious 4K restoration (soon to be released by Mondo Macabro), the 21st century will finally get the DR. CALIGARI it deserves.

Co-written by Sayadian and Jerry Stahl, this film plunges viewers into the pitch-black depths of an institutional labyrinth controlled by a witty sexual sadist who claims to be the granddaughter of the original Dr. Caligari, and is eager to continue his legacy.

Those in Caligari’s care find themselves subjected to inhumane experiments exploring the absurdity (and fragility) of human constructs such as gender, sexuality, and sanity. A rebellion is brewing among the Caligari Insane Asylum’s more ethical clinicians… can they manage to derail the mad doctor’s supervillainous schemes, or are they doomed to become the latest subjects in her diabolical research?

Our collaborations are love letters to brilliance: a jubilant conspiracy of artists, authors, mischief-makers, rabble-rousers, and visionaries whose wild genius we are delighted to bottle and unleash upon the world.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is an independent gothic perfumery founded in Los Angeles in 2002 and now handcrafting artisanal fragrances from our home in Philadelphia, where we blend every indie perfume oil by hand in small batches, drawing on literature, mythology, folklore, horror, the occult, and the dark romance of vampires and Victorian mourning to create scents for goths, dreamers, and anyone who wants their perfume to tell a story. 

Alongside our alcohol-free perfume oils, which are made to be worn close to the skin and unfold slowly over hours, we make scented lotions, hair glosses, beard oils, room sprays, and atmosphere sprays, along with ritual and condition oils, “Claw” Nail Polish, limited-edition seasonal releases for Halloween, Yule, and Lupercalia, and licensed collections inspired by film, television, and literature. Gamers will find a whole world of fantasy perfume and RPG-inspired scents designed to enhance tabletop and TTRPG sessions, from the tavern and the dungeon to the wizard’s tower, and our sister brand, Twilight Alchemy Lab, carries the same handmade niche spirit into its own corner of the dark. 

Discovery sets are available to sample our atmospheric and nostalgic perfume oils so that you can find your signature scent. All BPAL products are cruelty-free and never tested on animals.