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★ 6 / 10
***Unknown Hammer vampire flick is subpar, but has
Wuchak
***Unknown Hammer vampire flick is subpar, but has its attractions*** Early in the 19th century a dying vampire curses a Serbian village, which is visited…
***Unknown Hammer vampire flick is subpar, but has its attractions***
Early in the 19th century a dying vampire curses a Serbian village, which is visited fifteen years later by a sinister circus of vampires & their acolytes who seek to resurrect the diabolical Count via the blood of youths from the hamlet.
“Vampire Circus” (1971-1972) is an obscure Hammer production from their declining years. It’s technically not as good as the contemporaneous “Countess Dracula” or the earlier “The Vampire Lovers” (1970), although it arguably contains more sensationalist thrills. Along with the slightly subpar vibe, it seems more dated than Hammer’s earlier Dracula flicks, like “Dracula, Prince of Darkness” (1966), “Dracula has Risen from the Grave” (1968) and “Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1970).
If you can handle the low-rent, kitschy air there’s enough to appreciate here for fans of Gothic Hammer flicks. As usual, the colors are bright and the women are a highlight. This one features Domini Blythe as Anna, the vampire’s aide in the long prologue; Adrienne Corri as the Gypsy ringmaster; Christine Paul as Rosa, who has the hots for the Count’s cousin; Lynne Frederick as the winsomely youthful Dora; and Lalla Ward as the acrobat twin, Helga.
No doubt later films “Something Wicked this Way Comes” (1983) and “Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” (2009) were influenced by “Vampire Circus.”
The movie runs 1 hour, 23 minutes and was shot at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.
GRADE: C+/B-
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★ 7 / 10
Vampires, naked babes, and a freaky midget.
BA_Harrison
Fifteen years after staking Count Mitterhaus, the vampire that had been preying upon their children, the people of a remote European village suffer once again…
Fifteen years after staking Count Mitterhaus, the vampire that had been preying upon their children, the people of a remote European village suffer once again as a mysterious plague begins to claim their lives. With roadblocks in place to stop the disease from spreading, they are cut off from the outside world.When a gypsy circus somehow beats the quarantine to put on nightly shows at the village, the locals are happy that they have something to take their minds off the illness. But soon, the now-grown-up children of those who killed the Count begin to turn up dead, and the villagers start to suspect that the circus folk are somehow responsible. It eventually transpires that the creepy entertainers, some of whom are vampires, are out to seek revenge for Mitterhaus's death, and ultimately aim to raise the Count from his tomb.A better-than-average offering from Hammer studios, Vampire Circus offers all of their trademark elements—lush visuals, lavish sets and costumes, beautiful women, handsome heroes and Gothic atmosphere to spare—plus quite a bit of blood and gore, and a generous amount of gratuitous nudity from several beautiful babes (although the stunning Lynne Frederick unfortunately remains fully clothed).Director Robert Young ensures that the film is effectively creepy from start to finish, paying special attention to the scenes featuring the bizarre circus folk, which prove to be genuinely freaky (the dwarf, with his evil grin and painted face, is particularly disturbing). Occasionally the film suffers from some poor special effects, and the odd spot of hammy acting, but this does not detract from one's enjoyment (on the contrary, they actually made the whole experience more fun for me).Best watched at night, with the curtains drawn, lights out, and accompanied by a big box of popcorn, this solidly entertaining vampire yarn is well worth checking out.
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★ 7 / 10
It's the original Bloodiest Show on Earth.
Hey_Sweden
"Vampire Circus" tells the story of a village plagued by the curse of a vampire. As the residents are doing away with the evil Count Mitterhaus (Robert…
"Vampire Circus" tells the story of a village plagued by the curse of a vampire. As the residents are doing away with the evil Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman), he swears that he will "live" again to savage their children. 15 years later, a circus comes to town while a plague of a different sort is ravaging the countryside. It's all connected, of course: most of the performers in this circus are vampires themselves. While the disease spreads, some foolish villagers try to flee, but it's all for nothing. No, these people are going to pay the price.While it does suffer from a story (by Judson Kinberg) that isn't always terribly coherent or well thought out, "Vampire Circus" is still engaging horror-fantasy from those fine people at Hammer. It does benefit from absolutely intoxicating atmosphere, grandiose music (by David Whitaker), and a merciless body count that includes a number of kids. Its characters are decently defined, whether they are heroes like young Anton (John Moulder-Brown), or completely vile like the Count and his minions (such as Emil (Anthony Higgins) and the malevolent midget clown Michael (Skip Martin)). The special effects are occasionally dodgy, and some of the gore is hilariously tacky, but in general the makeup (by Jill Carpenter) is pretty good, especially on a female performer painted like a tiger.Once again, Hammer assembles an elegant British cast that plays the material for everything that it's worth. Actors such as Adrienne Corri (as the Gypsy Woman who presides over the circus), Martin, Tayman, and Higgins are clearly relishing their villainous roles. Moulder-Brown is a likeable young hero, and Thorley Walters (as the Burgermeister), Laurence Payne (as Mueller the schoolteacher), Richard Owens (as the brave Dr. Kersh), and Robin Hunter (as Hauser) are all excellent. Lynne Frederick is positively ravishing in the role of Dora. David "Darth Vader" Prowse shows off his incredible physique as the circus' silent strongman.Showcasing the kind of sex appeal and gore that would mark later entries in Hammers' filmography, "Vampire Circus" isn't a great shocker, but it certainly is fun.Seven out of 10.
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