Vampire Circus (Synapse Blu-ray) - One of the most genuinely haunting Hammer horror films, this deranged vampire movie from 1971 is set in a small Austrian village in the 19th century, and is scary enough to make you ignore acting that’s both stiff and overripe, and plotting that’s threadbare. Director Robert Young is no slouch when it comes to pushing the right dramatic buttons, and dead children, the plague, and a traveling circus combine for what could be called the anti-Twilight. These are not heroic monsters, and with beauties like Adrienne Couri and Lynne Frederick in their prime, Vampire Circus has all the elements of an oddly enjoyable B movie. Synapse Films’ new release contains both a DVD and Blu-ray disc of the film; the Blu-ray version looks superb; fun if unessential extras include the Making Vampire Circus documentary and two retrospective featurettes.
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