Blu-ray Review: VAMPIRE CIRCUS

When I first posted about Synapse Films' Blu-ray debut, I was pretty excited about it.  Synapse has a stellar record of releasing wonderful films in excellent condition.  They are well represented in my own collection, and as many as I own, there are even more in my wish list.  However, all of these editions were DVDs, and we've seen many companies make great DVDs and mediocre Blu-ray discs.  So how does Synapse fare upon their entry into the world of high-definition.  I'd say they've hit a home run with this one, and I can't wait to check out their future efforts!

Vampire Circus is one of the stranger of Hammer's large catalog of horror films.  The film features neither Christopher Lee nor Peter Cushing.  There is no mummy, no Frankenstein's monster, and no Dracula, though there are vampires.  This film is far-out even by Hammer's standards, and it is this outside the box writing and execution that has made Vampire Circus one of the more sought after films for the last many years when it has been unavailable on DVD in the US.

The film begins typically enough, a woman, a vampire's concubine, abducts a young girl, the daughter of a town father, and takes the girl her to her undead lover, Count Mitterhaus.  Of course, everyone is dressed the way men and women do in Hammer's period pieces, decolletage on display for the ladies and vampire swingers with large chains and blouses cut down to their navels.  Mitterhaus dispatches the young girl and proceeds to make love to the woman, all while the town's father gather a posse to dispose of the plague of the undead.   The posse succeeds, but in his dying breaths, Mitterhaus promises a plague that will take the town's children and bring back his own life.  The posse then blows up his castle, goes back to town, and life resumes as normal a pace as it can, or does it...

We then cut to fifteen years later, The Plague has struck, and the town is losing every third person to this horrendous disease.  The town fathers again gather to discuss it, some blame the vampire's curse, others more sensibly say they simply need medicine from outside towns, which have blocked the roads to stop the Plague's spread.  Just as they are coming to a decision, they hear the sound of circus barkers from the street.  A strange caravan of cages and wagons is driving through the center of town, led by a jolly dwarf clown inviting the townsfolk to the Circus of Night.  Well, in a town full of despair, a circus sounds like a wonderful retreat, until we discover its connection to Count Mitterhouse, and the town once again has to be saved, but this time, the town fathers are useless, so who will stand up?

Roger Ebert says "A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it."  That sentiment certainly applies to many films, but Hammer films in particular.  The vampire and the vampire's revenge were not new stories, certainly not even in 1972 when Vampire Circus was made, but somehow this story feels different.  It could very well be the carnival atmosphere that gives us a new point of entry into the undead genre, it could be the overwhelming sinister vibe given out by every single member of the Circus of Night at all times, it could be the tiger lady's boobs that mesmerize us.  It could be anyone of these things that allows us to enjoy this film that has many familiar trappings. 

Personally, I love some of the individual performances. Thorley Walters as the mayor of the wavers from serious man of import to ridiculous man of giggles when he is confronted by the Hall of Mirrors at the circus.  His waltz through that attraction is one of the most bizarrely entertaining bits of this film, and certainly one of my favorites.  Also mesmerizing in his role is Anthony Higgins as Emil, an acrobat and shape-shifter who lives as a lion during the day.  It is Emil and the ringleader, played by Adrienne Corri, who carry the bulk of the story, conspicuously explaining things for the audience every few minutes.  Also getting a lot of screen time is David Prowse (Darth Vader) as the circus strongman, and the strong silent type.

In typical Hammer fashion, there is a lot of blood, a lot of boobs, and a lot of fancy period dialogue, but this film transcends the usual vampire stories and offers something different. I highly recommend giving it a spin.

Synapse's Blu-ray release is awesome.  A ton of effort has gone into making this film, the first Hammer film available on Blu-ray in North America, look as good as it possibly can.  The image is sharp, detail is intact, and there is little to no trace of digital tinkering.  Grain is present where grain should be, and the colors pop like they probably haven't in almost 40 years.  Synapse provides a DTS-HD 2.0 stereo track that is clean of pops and hisses, and brings Vampire Circus's wonderfully eerie score to life.  Speaking of which, the disc also sports an isolated score and sound effects audio track, for those looking to explore the score further, that is a real treat.

On the extras front, Synapse provides a number of brand new enlightening featurettes that add depth the the presentation and are in no way fluff.  First is the behind the scenes documentary "The Bloodiest Show on Earth", which gathers mostly Hammer films aficionados to talk about the production of the film, with the occasional sound bite from the late David Prowse, who speak more in this featurette than he did in the film.  This half-hour featurette is very interesting and provides background on the producers, stars, and others involved and I really enjoyed it. 

Also included are a few other featurettes, including the interesting look at circus horrors, "GALLERY OF GROTESQUERIES: A Brief History of Circus Horrors" which I enjoyed.  This short piece looks at the history of circus horrors going back to the dawn of the moving picture.  There is also a look at the House of Hammer magazine's brief run in the late 70's featuring author Philip Nutman.  This is an interesting watch for anyone, like myself, unfamiliar with the seminal British horror comic/magazine.  Also included are an original Vampire Circus motion comic, a photo and poster gallery, and the theatrical trailer.  All extras are presented in high definition.

Synapse really pulled out all the stops for this, their first Blu-ray release.  They've got a couple more Hammer Films selection lined up in Twins of Evil and Hands of the Ripper, and several non-Hammer horrors underway as we speak, and after seeing this one, I can't wait!  Vampire Circus is an outstanding release of a highly entertaining film, and I strongly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in Hammer Films, vampire films, or films in general!

Synapse Films release of Vampire Circus includes both a Blu-ray and DVD of the film and all extras.  The Blu-ray disc is coded for Region A, so outside of North America and East Asia, you'll need a region free Blu-ray player to watch it.