Circus of the Vampires
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Circus of the Vampires |
| Original title | Vampire Circus |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1972 |
| length | 87 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 (formerly 18) |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Young |
| script | Judson Kinberg |
| music | David Whitaker |
| camera | Moray Grant |
| cut | Peter Musgrave |
| occupation | |
| |
Circus der Vampire (Original title: Vampire Circus ) is a British horror film directed by Robert Young from 1972 . It was produced by the Hammer film company .
action
In an 18th century Austrian village, children disappear into Count Mitterhaus's castle. When the residents gain access under the leadership of the mayor and the village teacher Albert Müller, the count turns out to be a vampire who has just bitten a kidnapped child to death and Anna Müller, Albert's wife, who lured the child into the castle, for the Sex seduces. A fight ensues, which Mitterhaus threatens to win for himself with superhuman strength, until Albert succeeds in ramming a wooden stake into Mitterhaus' back. As he dies, the count curses the villagers and swears vengeance. When Anna, the count's playmate, is to be called to account for running the gauntlet , her husband Albert throws himself in front of her to protect her, whereupon she can flee to the castle, which is set on fire by the residents. The dying count tells her to see his cousin at the night's circus . She escapes through a secret tunnel before the castle is blown up with gunpowder.
Fifteen years later, the inhabitants of the village are suffering from a mysterious plague that puzzles the local doctor, Doctor Kersch. For fear of infection, the neighboring villages have set up a blockade, cutting off the residents from the outside world. At the risk of his life, Kersch managed to break through the blockade in order to get help in the next bigger city. Meanwhile, a traveling circus led by a gypsy woman managed to penetrate the village. After initially providing a welcome distraction, the circus soon spreads sheer horror. The showman Emil, who traveled with the circus, turns out to be the count's cousin and powerful vampire who can turn into a black panther . Emil swears by the count's resting place to kill all who were involved in his death and their children.
As more and more residents fell victim to Emil and other supernatural figures, Kersch's son Anton and his fiancée Dora, Albert Müller's daughter, flee to a chapel, where some of the attackers were able to be killed. In the meantime, Doctor Kersch has returned with soldiers and the news that circus people have also committed murders in other places. Together with Anton, Dora and other residents, they burn down the circus camp. In the ruins of the castle there is a showdown with Emil. When the latter threatens to kill Dora, the gypsy throws herself in between and dies. Her shape changes through her death and she turns out to be Anna Müller, who wanted to avenge Mitterhaus' death together with Emil, but at the last moment could not bear the imminent death of her daughter Dora. Albert manages to kill Emil, but he pays for this with his own life. When the count suddenly awakens to new life, Anton finally hunts him down. The remains of the count and his cousin Emil are burned, which defeats the curse.
background
Circus der Vampire opened in British cinemas on April 30, 1972 and in German cinemas on June 23 of the same year .
Reviews
“Although the film is not as well known as Hammer's Dracula and Frankenstein film series, it is one of the more respectable and intelligent productions of the studio […] It is less a conventional monster melodrama than a surreal trip through dark fantasy worlds with reminiscences of Jean Rollins' erotic Vampire films. "
"Confused, stylistically inconsistent horror film with some successful, but also a number of bloodthirsty scenes."
Vampire Circus holds 80% positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website .
Web links
- Vampire Circus in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Circus of the Vampires in the Internet Movie Database .
- ↑ a b Circus of the Vampires in the Lexicon of International Films .
- ↑ Circus of the Vampires on All Movie Guide.
- ↑ Vampire Circus - Rotten Tomatoes . In: Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 17, 2012.