Dr. Mesmer, most of the film's cast portray fictionalized versions of themselves: Lars von Trier Niels Vørsel Allan De Waal Ole Ernst Michael Gelting Colin Gilder Svend Ali Hamann Claes Kastholm Hansen Ib Hansen Anja Hemmingsen Kirsten Hemmingsen Cæcilia Holbek Gert Holbek Udo Kier Jørgen Christian Krüff Jan Kornum Larsen Gitte Lind Leif Magnusson Reception The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated for Best Film at the Fantasporto International Fantasy Film Festival in 1988. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 27%, based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 66 out of 100, based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Robert K. Elder of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3 out of 4, and wrote: "Will never be confused with von Trier's great films. But it is an intriguing introduction to his later cinematic obsessions". The Village Voice called the film "among [Lars von Trier's] better and most revealing movies". Chicago Reader gave the film 3 out of 5, and wrote: "Aside from the Pirandellian games and some interplay of different film stocks there isn't much going on here, though von Trier rewards the patient with a strange and horrifying climax". See also Rat king (folklore) Bubonic plague References External links 1987 films 1987 horror films 1987 drama films 1980s horror drama films Danish avant-garde and experimental films Danish horror drama films 1980s Danish-language films 1980s English-language films Films directed by Lars von Trier Films about filmmaking Films about viral outbreaks Films set in Denmark Films shot in Denmark Films set in West Germany 1987 multilingual films Danish multilingual films 1980s black comedy films 1980s comedy films 1987 comedy films