Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Kaelan Mccaffrey
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
gorepump
aka. "The Barn of the Naked Dead". There were quite a few interesting ideas at play in "The Barn of the Naked Dead", only their execution seemed a bit too clumsy and misdirected to completely "grab" me. That said, considering it's mean, misogynistic and just plain weird content, I can't chalk it up to a total loss.Three young showgirls are on their way to Vegas. They make the mistake of turning off onto a dirt road "shortcut" where their car breaks down in the middle of the desert. The next morning, a seemingly helpful guy shows up to take them to his isolated place to use his phone. It doesn't take long before the gals notice that his barn is full of chained women that he ends up using as the "animals" in his deranged circus act, for which he plays the sadistic ringmaster. While this is going on, the girls' agent is trying his damnedest to track them down...There's some back story involving the guy's mommy issues and there's some kind of Anthropophagus-looking freak tucked away - a result of the military's H-bomb testing years ago. That part - while making for a reasonably gruesome ending - seemed kind of awkwardly wedged into the film, while I thought the whole circus angle was an amusing concept. Andrew Prine (from "The Town That Dreaded Sundown") pulls off his role very well and the movie doesn't shy away from astringent cruelty towards women. That f*cker LOVED his bull whip! It's an entertaining enough 'exploit'/B-horror flick, but, like I said, it could have used a little more direction and 'flow' with some of it's elements. Still giving it a rec.More of my horror/exploitation reviews @ http://swinesewage.blogspot.com/
Scott LeBrun
Veteran cult favourite Andrew Prine excels here in one of his wonderfully warped 70's leading roles. He plays Andre, a sick, twisted freak living in seclusion in the desert, who comes upon a trio of aspiring showgirls trying to make their way to Vegas and who have had car trouble. He seems to be benevolent, but in reality is about to add them to his captives - a group of women he keeps chained up in his barn. The misogynistic Andre views these women as no more than (performing) animals, yet to add to his quirks he has a Norman Bates style mother fixation (he comes to believe that one of these girls actually *is* his long dead mother) and keeps his dear old dad, who mutated as a result of H bomb testing, confined on his large amount of property. Meanwhile, there's a concurrent story of the girls' agent (Chuck Niles) desperately trying to find them. Some exploitation fans can certainly take issue with a movie that they may feel really doesn't go far *enough*; for one thing, the nekkid-ness promised by the DVD cover is in actuality quite fleeting! That's not to say there isn't some fun to be had from the premise and some of the scenes. Our macabre ringmaster is fond of whipping the girls, will sometimes drench them in blood and sic his big cat on them, and in one deliciously creepy scene, introduces one of the girls to his pet snake. And when we finally get a look at the deformed dad (makeup effects by Byrd Holland, who also plays a small role, and Douglas White), he's a hoot to behold. The girls are all pleasing to look at (there's also a small role for busy 70's era exploitation actress Jennifer Ashley, as the flower child), but the one to watch here is clearly Prine, who, as can be expected, acts the Hell out of his role; even if he does indeed regret making this movie, one wouldn't know it from the performance he gives, the mark of a true professional. The movie is admittedly quite a gritty and rough little production - perhaps the single most fascinating aspect is realizing that it's an early directorial effort for Robert Altman protégée and independent auteur Alan Rudolph, one that it's all too easy to believe he would want left off his resume. But it's reasonably enjoyable for exploitation buffs, right down to the downbeat ending typical of so many other A *and* B movies of the 1970's. Somewhat disappointing but not too bad. Seven out of 10.
HumanoidOfFlesh
Three young dancers Simone,Corine and Lisa are stranded in the Nevada desert after their car breaks down.A young man named Andre drives them to his ramshackle farm in the middle of nowhere.Unfortunately Andre is a dangerous psychopath and misogynist,who keeps women chained in a barn.He quickly becomes convinced that Simone is his long dead mother..."Barn of the Naked Dead" aka "Terror Circus" is a neglected classic of 70's horror.I can't believe the low rating this film has-it certainly deserves more positive reviews.It's sleazy and grimy horror film with several truly terrifying moments.The desert setting is completely barren and moody.The female victims of Andre are weak and utterly broken.The central performance of Andrew Prine is genuinely unsettling.There is also Prine's father,a repulsive freak deformed by atomic radiation.9 out of 10.A cult classic.
rathatchet
BARN OF THE NAKED DEADI just got finished watching this new release by Legend House and to say I was more than pleased would be an understatement. I was always fascinated by this title when I was a kid but never got a chance to see the film, but when it ran at the New Beverly a few years back as part of Eric Cadien & Brian Quinn's "Grindhouse" monthly exploitation festival in Hollywood, I was blown away. The print they had that night was okay, the print the Legend House got a hold of is great. The film looks fantastic and it sounds great. This is a fun movie, just read the title again, "Barn of the Naked Dead", if you are looking to fill your cinematic cravings with dry boring art house fodder, you will go hungry. But if you really want to have a good time you can feast on this celluloid sampler on good old fashion tasting pulp and menace. Andrew Prine gives a great performance as Andre, who has a strange but strong lineage to another alienated outcast that runs a motel and goes by the name Norman. The extras are a blast. Johnny Legend, the white bearded namesake of Legend House, has fun talking with Prine and also there is complimentary segment where Legend talks with filmmakers John Landis (who no matter what he says is enjoying being there) and other fun cult movie directors. I don't know what other reviewers are talking about when they say that this copy is not of good quality, I may not be an anal retentive cineaste like some, but I can tell you the print looks great, it is NOT a cheap VHS dupe or knock off (maybe these cinefile experts really don't know what they are talking about) and if you want to have a fun time watching something that isn't going to tax your brain and something that will tickle and entice those dark little corners of your mind, pick up Legend House release of this film.
