As the plague sweeps the countryside, a quarantined village is visited by a mysterious traveling circus. Soon, young children begin to disappear, and the locals suspect the circus troupe might be hiding a horrifying secret.
Take a look ahead at some of our most anticipated superhero movies coming in 2021 and beyond.
Related News
-
Star Wars Actor David Prowse, Who Played Darth Vader, Dead at 85
29 November 2020 | Den of Geek -
Drive-In Dust Offs: Vampire Circus (1972)
22 February 2020 | DailyDead -
Amicus Horror Classics "The House That Dripped Blood" & "Asylum" Released By Second Sight As Blu-ray Special Editions (UK)
31 January 2020 | CinemaRetro
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Vampire Circus (1972)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Adrienne Corri | ... | Gypsy Woman | |
| Thorley Walters | ... | Burgermeister | |
| Anthony Higgins | ... | Emil (as Anthony Corlan) | |
| John Moulder-Brown | ... | Anton | |
| Laurence Payne | ... | Mueller | |
| Richard Owens | ... | Dr. Kersh | |
| Lynne Frederick | ... | Dora | |
| Elizabeth Seal | ... | Gerta | |
 |
Robin Hunter | ... | Hauser |
| Domini Blythe | ... | Anna | |
|
|
Robert Tayman | ... | Count Mitterhaus |
|
|
John Bown | ... | Schilt |
| Mary Wimbush | ... | Elvira | |
| Christine Paul | ... | Rosa (as Christina Paul) | |
| Robin Sachs | ... | Heinrich | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
A village in Nineteenth Century Europe is at first relieved when a circus breaks through the quarantine to take the local's minds off the plague. But their troubles are only beginning as children begin to disappear and the legacy of a long-ago massacre is brought to light. Written by David Carroll <davidc@atom.ansto.gov.au>
Taglines:
The greatest blood-show on earth! See more »Genres:
HorrorParents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
Laurence Payne was an 11th hour casting choice replacing Anton Rodgers, who dropped out because of illness. See more »Goofs
[All goofs for this title are spoilers.] See more »Alternate Versions
The original US release removed all scenes featuring Milovan Vesnitch and Serena. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
11 October 1972 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Vampire Circus See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Title: Vampire Circus
Director: Robert Young
Cast: Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Anthony Higgins
Review:
Vampire Circus is one of those hard to find, elusive Hammer Vampire flicks. I had been looking for it for the longest time having heard nothing but good things about this uncommon vampire movie. I finally got my hands on it and I feel that I have somehow found the holy grail or something.
It starts out like many vampire flicks. The towns people storming the castle of a vampire who has been feeding on the towns young women and children. They decide to take justice into their own hands and rid the world of Count Mitterhouse.
When I say that this movie starts out like many other vampire flicks, I don't mean that in a bad way. This opening is a very fast paced one, filled with lots of confrontations...somehow you get the feeling that you are walking in on the ending of the film. Count Mitterhouse is a very vicious vampire, he seems almost more fierce then Lee's Dracula in many scenes. Great way to open a movie! In the first 12 minutes you get a couple of towns folk slaughtered full frontal nudity and a little girl killed by Mitterhouse. But when the towns people finally do get to kill him, he says he will one day come to life again and just before he dies he curses the town with a plague.
Fast forward fifteen years later...and people are dying from a horrible curse, the town is quarantined and no one is allowed to leave. If you do try to leave the town...you get shot down! Anyhows in comes the "Circus of Night" a circus that the towns people welcome with open arms...something to take their minds away from all the death that the plague has brought upon them. The "circus of night" has their own little plan under their sleeves but that is for you to find out when you see the movie.
Well people thats the set up for what was surely one of the strangest vampire flicks I have ever seen. I mean...come on....vampires and a weird circus in the same movie, how can you go wrong with a mix like that? Does the movie manage to be interesting after a fast paced action packed opening sequence like that? It sure does.
Like many films with the circus/carnival setting one of the main attractions on this movie were the circus performers. This "circus of night" is filled with your usual circus folk. The Strong Man, The Twins Who turn into bats, The Midget Clown and The Panther who turns into a man, The Body Paint Dancers, Um...OK, maybe they are not your usual circus folk, but they sure do make for an interesting and freaky film. All the characters in the circus are very intriguing simply because of their freakishness, they are certainly more likable then the towns folk.
This Hammer production has more boob shots then usual. The nudity was very abundant in Vampire Circus. Another really cool thing about the flick: the vampires have huuuge fangs. I mean when they open their mouths you get to wondering how they are ever going to close them again with fangs that big. Cool image.
The movie is accompanied by a feeling of surrealism. Be on the lookout for some really freaky performances during the show. Specially those scenes involving "The Mirror of Life". Also those scenes with the naked/body paint/dancing lady. Add to this that the ring master is a midget clown and you have a night of weird bizarro cinema assured. Oh, and it also has one of the coolest and most original vampire death scenes I have seen! Not gonna spoil it for you guys but be on the look out for that.
As you can see, I don't have a great many bad things to say about this one. Maybe they screwed around with the vampire mythos a little too much, I mean a were-panther/vampire dude? Maybe that was a little too much. But I guess it just adds to the bizarre feeling this movie has.
Also some of the acting wasn't so good, mainly from the young guy who plays the son of the doctor in the film. He delivers his lines with a lot of overacting. But thats just a minor flaw, it was an all around good Hammer flick.
So, in conclusion. I'm glad I finally got to see Vampire Circus its a film that was fun because its weird freaky carnival feel and its likable villains. Too bad this film is often times ignored and doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Why release films like "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" which are just plain hurtful to look at, and then just completely ignore a gem like this? Sadly this film isn't even available in the United States.
It certainly is one of the most unique vampire films to come out of Hammers House of Horror, and one that any Vampire/Hammer lover should not miss.
Rating: 4 out of 5