By Melissa Antoinette Garza
VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972) open with Anna (Domini Blythe) bringing Jenny (Jane Derby), a very young blonde girl to the castle of child-killing vampire Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman). Anna is already married to schoolmaster Albert Mueller (Laurence Payne). She even has a child with him. Still, she’s been taken in by the vamp and isn’t looking back! She offers the girl as a sacrifice and he accepts.
The Count kills Jenny. Anna, rather than feel any remorse, enjoys watching him. Immediately after, Anna and Mitterhaus make passionate love. Only in the ‘70s could this score a PG rating with an opener like that!
Albert sees Anna go into the castle and alerts the townspeople. They’ve long suspected the Count and Albert’s info solidifies their belief. With torches in hand, they storm the castle. Albert along with Jenny’s father (John Bown), Burgermeister (Thorley Walters) and many more easily outnumber The Count. Despite him being totally badass, there are just too many. Eventually, the gorgeous villainous gent is stabbed thru the heart with a wooden stake. He swears that he shall return by taking the lives of their future children.
Anna is nearly whipped to death, but Albert stops them. He has a kid with her. It’s complicated, even more than your chemistry homework. She spits in his face and runs to her ailing lover. She helps the Count into his crypt. He gives her the instruction to track down his cousin Emil (Anthony Higgins) and she does as told. She escapes the villagers wrath and disappears into the night.
Fifteen years later, The Count’s omen seems to be coming true. The village is under quarantine as a deadly plague makes its so no one can leave. Roadblocks prevent anyone from coming in or out. Dr. Kersh (Richard Owens), relatively new to town, insists that the illness is not related to any curse. He believes vampire are simply a myth yet still has no cure or reason for the disease.
Kersh is desperate to help but needs to get out of town to do it. His grown son Anton (John Moulder-Brown) helps him escape and both men nearly die by a firing squad that is determined to keep everyone in town. Anton tells Kersh to inform his love interest Dora (Lynne Frederick) what is going on and to stay out away. Dora is Anna and Albert’s grown daughter and sneaks back in to be by her father much to Anton’s chagrin. They are the innocents in this and the ones the film wants you to root for. I don’t. I’m #TeamFreaks! I’m a freak. I like freaks. I’ll always be Team Freaks. I wanted to join a carnival when I was a kid, sadly none ever came by.
One day, a travelling circus comes travelling down the streets. None of the carnies answer when asked how they were able to get beyond the blockade. Still, the town celebrates The Circus of Night, but are unaware of the true motive behind its arrival. They are there to fulfill the Count’s curse. Emil, who arrives appearing as a black panther and his gypsy woman (Adrienne Corri) go to the castle to put the plan onto motion.
Among the travelling show is a sexy strong man (David Prowse), a clown with dwarfism (Skip Martin), and acrobatic, incestuous, twin, vampires Heinrich (Robin Sachs) and Helga (Lalla Ward). They put on magnificent shows including married couple The Webers (Milovan Vesnitch and Serena). The woman is a tigress in full-makeup and the man a tamer with a whip. It’s a very sexy little number and one of the most recognizable scenes in the flick.
The town sits around enjoying it and cheering the group on. Some cheer more than others. The Burgermeister’s daughter Rosa (Christine Paul) find’s Emil’s routine particularly alluring. The gypsy woman pushes Emil to take her home when she notices Rosa has taken a liking to him.
He does take her home…in a manner of speaking and gets down with his vampish ways in the process, much to her approval and delight.
Soon as the bodies begin to pile and blood from the villagers are drained, the town-people find out the truth. As that occurs, Dr. Kersh returns to town now understanding the full scope of what he’s dealing with.
Being a fan of both vampire flicks and horror fun-house movies, this is a particular favorite of mine.
There are so many spectacular performances in this and so many recognizable faces from other horror classics. It’s a fantastic film that is a favorite among 70s cult classic fanatics.
Adrienne Corri kills it as the gypsy. She owns every moment she is on and is absolutely fantastic. She’s a dominatrix hiding behind the guise of tamer. She’s a Goddess of the Night and embraces the title. I love her.
This is currently on Amazon so grab it Primers though this is one that is worth the purchase. It’s creepy, it’s weird and it’s a wonderfully told story with a great cast.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
