Vampire Circus – Blu-ray Review

The Film:

Where would Hammer Films be without the vampire film? A struggling studio back in the 1950s emerged as a heir to Universal’s throne when they released the first color Dracula film in 1958′s The Horror of Dracula starring the immortal Christopher Lee. Yes, the studio would go on to other creatures of the night, including my personal favorite Curse of the Werewolf, but the kept coming back to the vampire film, even in their recent resurrection in last year’s Let Me In. Obviously, the studio was fading in the 1970s and their need to keep the old creatures fresh was apparent in funky films like Dracula AD 1972. But the oddest of the bunch was this lesser known vampire film in Vampire Circus.

Hypnotically directed by a documentary film maker Robert Young, the film was a mixture of the classic horror Hammer was known for and new seductive nature of the 1970s in general. Of course, it was met with harsh reactions from the studio and fans, quickly fading from memory. It opens up with a good old fashion vampire hunt as the villagers are coming after Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman) who his lustful ways. This opening sequence is of special note, for a few reasons that are still shocking to this day. The Count lures in a victim, a child, and the on-screen death and seduction of the child proves equally creepy and disturbing, an effect that preludes how dangerous and odd Vampire Circus would be.

The film is rather bumpy, as it gets a little lost after the opening sequence, as it follows this circus that has come to town to resurrect that old Count. Half the time, the bizarre nature of the colors, antics, and nudity leaves the viewer increasingly curious for more, yet the finale dumps some good will as it’s rather rushed. And yet, Vampire Circus is far more entertaining than the Christopher Lee Dracula films of the time for Hammer. Once you know the film’s production history, it’s a rather nice achievement and proves to be a fun film.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Synapse Films’ foray into HD is as good as their DVD efforts. Any issues with the transfer is due to the nature of the film’s stock and storage, but don’t be alarmed. While it isn’t as robust and vivid as newer films, the HD picture still is nicely detailed and colorful. DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack is modest, obviously, and is quite satisfactory.

The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus: This 33-minute documentary should easily please Hammer fans. Starting off as a look back at the company in the 1970s, the doc covers the changing times, prior to recanting the production history of the film, including the woes of completing it on time. This is great stuff; a must-watch. In HD.

Gallery of Grotesqueries: A Brief History of Circus Horrors: Here’s another great documentary, but shorter, on the bizarre history of horror and the circus. In HD.

Visiting the House of Hammer: Britain’s Legendary Horror Magazine: Here’s a quick look at Hammer’s comics from the 1970s. In HD.

An Isolated Score, a Digital Comic Book, Art Gallery, Trailers, and the DVD copy of the film round out the extras.

The Film: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating: