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Released by: Synapse Films
Released on: 12/14/10
Director: Robert Young
Cast: Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Anthony Higgins
Year: 1972
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The Movie:
Directed by Robert Young in 1972, Vampire Circus has been conspicuously absent on DVD in North America until now. Synapse has finally brought this top tier later entry Hammer horror not just to DVD but to Blu-ray as well, a first for the studio. Fans have been chomping at the bit for this one for months now… so does it deliver?
When the movie begins, a lynch mob forms in a small European town called Schtettel where a Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman) is rightly believed to be a vampire and the cause behind some recent problems in the area. They storm the gates of his residence and a fight ensues but as they take their fanged foe down for the count, pun intended, he puts a curse on them.
Jump a decade and a half into the future and Schtettel falls victim to a strange plague shortly after a bizarre travelling circus sets up just outside of town. The other towns in the area, worried about the plague, put up roadblocks and the small village finds itself rather secluded. That circus, however, proves to be too tough to resist and before you know it the townsfolk are being drawn to it in increasingly strange ways. Lead by a sinister gypsy woman (Adrienne Corri) and he right hand man, Emil (Anthony Higgins), their macabre performances draw in the villagers. Who could resist a naked tiger lady, a midget (Skip Martin), a person turning into a bat and other feats of mystery? It doesn't take long before the survivors of the initial attack on Count Mitterhaus realize that their children are being taken from them by this circus and that maybe his curse was real after all.
Vampire Circus kicks off with a bang, it's opening sequence (which postpones the opening credits almost to the fifteen minute mark) drawing you in with sex and violence right off the bat and making no qualms about playing up its exploitative elements to the hilt. In an attempt to take advantage of loosening censorship restrictions and in turn attract a newer audience, it was around this time that Hammer started pushing the envelope a bit in terms of what it would show on screen. Vampire Circus is a good example of how far they'd go, and it lets director Young really get creative with set pieces, design, and tone.
Making the most of its circus location, the film has a truly perverse atmosphere throughout. All manner of odd cinematic tricks are used to help build tension, with all the oddities associated with a circus being used quite well. Odd mirrors stretch people out of proportion, dangerous animals leer at us out of their cages, a midget runs around causing mayhem and the colorful caravans contrasting with macabre flair against the darkness of the surrounding woods. There's an eeriness to the film that really works well in its favor, making this one of the more visually interesting pictures in all of Hammer's horror cycle.
The special effects aren't always top notch but the acting is solid and inspired and the movie never wants for atmosphere or tension. While the pace of the opening scene can't quite be match for the entire duration of the film, Young and company do a pretty remarkable job of keeping things moving with a nice rhythm. Hammer made better films than this one but few were as unique or flat out bizarre as Vampire Circus.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Synapse's 1.66.1 widescreen transfer of the uncut version of Vampire Circus is a true thing of beauty. The 1080p AVC encoded images shows very nice depth and beautiful color reproduction. The occasional speck pops up here and there and there's a noticeable bit of grain, but this just keeps it looking like film and doesn't come at the cost of detail. There are no authoring quirks to report nor are there any compression artifacts, edge enhancement or noise reduction to complain about. Skin tones look very lifelike and natural while black levels stay rich and deep throughout. Shadow detail is also quite good and texture is strong throughout playback, you'll notice all sorts of little details in the costumes and sets as the movie plays out. A quick comparison to the Carlton PAL format DVD release from a few years ago shows this newly remastered version as the obvious winner.
The DTS-HD Mono track on this disc is also quite impressive, and it's got a fair bit more depth to it than you might expect for an older mix. The score sounds very good and really helps to enhance the film's bizarre atmosphere, while the dialogue is properly balanced and perfectly audible throughout.
Synapse has also supplied a great selection of extra features starting with a featurette called Visiting The House of Hammer: Britain's Legendary Horror Magazine, which is a really interesting ten minute look at magazine that was spun off of the studio's success. Interviews with Philip Nutman and a few others explain why the magazine was important, it's publishing history, and why people are still interested in it today. There's a lot of great imagery and cover art used throughout to illustrate various points - it's definitely worth checking this one out even if you're not an avid comic fan.
Additionally, Synapse has also included The Bloodiest Show On Earth: The Making of Vampire Circus, a half hour documentary on the making of the picture that includes interviews and input from Hammer expert Ted Newsom, actor David Prowse, writers Philip Nutman and Tim Lucas and director/horror buff Joe Dante. The emphasis here is on the critical as the only one involved with the film appearing in the feautrette is Prowse, but this does a really good job of putting the film into context along with providing some interesting historical and analytical information about the picture and those involved with making it. Complimenting this featurette is Gallery of Grotesqueries: A Brief History of Circus Horrors, which is a fifteen minute piece in which Nutman puts Vampire Circus into context alongside a batch of other circus-based horror movies. It's quite an interesting look back at this odd sub genre and probably not something you'd immediately think to delve deeper into, but here it is and like the other supplements on the disc, it's completely worthwhile.
Rounding out the extras on the disc are the film's original theatrical trailer, a secondary audio track that offers up the film's score in DTS-HD, a motion comic version of the Vampire Circus comic adaptation that originally appeared in House Of Hammer magazine (featuring gorgeous black and white line art by Brian Bolland), a nice still gallery or promo material, animated menus and chapter selection. Each and every one of the extras on this disc is in high definition, which is a nice touch, and included inside the keepcase is a standard definition DVD that includes the same features.
The Final Word:
Proof positive of the old adage 'good things come to those who wait,' Synapse's Blu-ray debut with Vampire Circus is a pretty impressive one. The transfer and audio are top notch and the extra features both pertinent and interesting. Hammer fans have been patient for this one but the wait was completely worth it - a superb release all around.
Want more information? Check out the Synapse Films website by clicking here!
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