When they were first shown to audiences, silent movies weren’t actually silent. Sure, the films themselves lacked sound, but the performances were usually accompanied by live musical performance. Not So Silent Cinema, the project of New York composer Brendan Cooney, aims to restore that practice. Days before Halloween, Cooney will perform alongside The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , a classic German expressionist film known for its jagged set design and unnerving, dreamlike qualities. The film follows a character named Francis, who, along with love interest Jane, uncover the mystery of the murderous Dr. Caligari. When Jane’s life is threatened by a brutish monster, Francis and a friend track its creation back to the Caligari. Together with Jane, they set out to put an end to his misdeeds, but witness murder and mayhem along the way. The film, which concludes in what some call the very first twist ending in cinema, is exciting and undeniably creepy to this day. For his “Caligari” composition, Cooney blended demented circus music, avant-garde melodies, and minimalist textures to create an atmosphere suitable for the 94-year-old film. Oct. 25 at Artisphere. $16