BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

moonspinner55 Hammer Films and the Rank Organisation bottomed out with this bloody awful vampire flick peddling death and disease in the 19th century. Residents of a plague-ridden town in Serbia, perhaps under the curse of a slain vampire speared 15 years ago, welcomes a caravan of kinky gypsy performers and their animals who have mysteriously pierced the blockade. Turns out these entertainers are relatives of the dead Count, and have arrived to exact his revenge on those who killed him as well as their children. Ugly-looking picture has acquired a following in the last few years, perhaps due to the casting of Dave (David) Prowse--Darth Vader from "Star Wars"--as a silent strongman. It has an unusual ambiance, but one that doesn't translate to either suspense or scares. * from ****

brefane Poorly paced and edited horror film lacks any genuine terror or suspense though it's suitably atmospheric and downbeat with erotic overtones, including some nudity which may have been cut from the PG version. There's not too much originality on display, and the film doesn't live up to the expectations set in the rather lengthy pre-title sequence. The direction and most of the performances are seldom more than barely adequate, and the vampire fangs which might do for a Halloween costume are distractingly fake and cheap looking. The characters are not compelling though John Moulder Brown of The House that Screamed and Deep End and Lynn Frederick display youthful charm as the ostensible hero and his fair lady. However, all of the the characters take so long to figure out the obvious that they test both patience and credulity. With so many variations on the vampire legend around it's hard to recommend Vampire Circus; it's occasionally diverting, but ultimately weak and not worthwhile.

Prichards12345 Rumour has it that filming was shut down on Vampire Circus with several important sequences still to be shot. The director had gone over schedule and Hammer simply assembled the film from what footage had already been taken. And to be frank, it shows.The film is full of illogical ideas. A plague which turns out to be rabies carried by bats can be cured by "Medicine" from the capital, although the film never shows bats attacking people, and the villages occasionally are to be seen with bubonic-style pustules over their faces. A small plot point but the film is full of such silliness.The main story concerns the revenge of Count Mitterhouse upon said village - he's a vampire staked 15 years earlier in a prologue which allows for nudity, gore, and sadism (the vampire's willing female accomplice is whipped and birched.)Enter the circus, mysteriously dodging road blocks set up by the surrounding villages to keep the plague contained, which turns out to be full of vampires who use their powers to put on a circus act! These scenes are nicely staged but quickly become repetitive as the villages seem to go there every single night, despite mysterious deaths galore and the plague spreading panic.I could point out many other inconsistencies in the plot but I'm trying to keep it short. Unaccountably this film has gained a decent reputation over the years, but in all honesty it's not very good, and not a patch on earlier Hammers such as Dracula, Plague of The Zombies and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.Historical note: this was the last of Hammer's period vampire movies to be shot.

cjh668908 Vampire Circus (1972) is an excellent Hammer horror film that mixes vampires and a circus. It stars Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Anthony Higgins, and David Prowse (Darth Vader in Star Wars episodes IV, V, and VI).Basically, the movie takes place in an Austrian village in the 19th century. A little girl is killed by a vampire, Count Mitterhaus. The villagers kill this vampire in revenge for killing the girl. Years later this village suffers from the ravages of the plague. Some fifteen years later, a circus comes to town which actually consists of vampires. That's all I want to say about the plot so I don't spoil everything for you. Watch to find out what happens.This movie has lots of blood and gore, some full nudity, and some decent special effects for a low budget Hammer movie. The circus atmosphere and props are pretty decent, as are the costumes. The circus animals are amazing and appear to be well trained. Watch for the dancing tiger woman. She's a sight to see. This movie possesses a sort of dark fairy tale atmosphere mixed with pure circus horror. The movie has that classic low budget Hammer look and feel to it - somewhat cheaply made, but the cheapness is made up for with the story, attitude, and scariness.I recommend this movie because it's one of the better Hammer films and is a film that ranks pretty high on the all-time list of best vampire flicks in movie history, according to many fans.