marcusbrainard There is a song I liked in the movie, Garry Miles' song, "Look for a Star" and I have other versions of the song from other groups. The poster once said it was for Adults Only and it's tame compared to Elm Street Movies. The song, "Look for a Star" is a good slow dance tune and can be used to end a disaster or an end of the world movie and have a mismatched couple dancing to the song as the credit roles are on the screen. However the main player gets it in the end. I like the posters where it reads, "He turned the greatest show on earth into a Circus of Horrors". This was a drive-in & Theatre classic & I have a copy of the movie in DVD form. It's scary but not as scary being taken away in an ancient hearse by some strange girl. To Be Continued, Marcus Brainard. So you end a movie in a great way, play "Look for a Star" as the credits roll.

MartinHafer This horror film stars Anton Diffring, a name you probably won't recognize though it's very likely you'll recognize his chiseled Nordic face. He was a prolific actor in supporting roles but was most often cast as German soldiers in such films as WHERE EAGLES DARE, THE BLUE MAX, OPERATION CROSSBOW, THE HEROES OF TELEMARK and ZEPPELIN (among others). You also might remember him as Montag's boss in FAHRENHEIT 451. He one of those familiar and reliable actors that you had to have seen if you saw many films made in the 1960s.The film begins with Diffring and his two friends traveling throughout Europe. He is obviously on the run--but from who and what we don't know. On a lark, the three hide out by taking over a small circus and casting disfigured women in the leading roles. It seems that Diffring is a plastic surgeon and once made beautiful, the ladies learn the trade and stay with the circus. However, oddly, when any of these women try to leave the show, an 'accident' occurs to them--killing them. The first they show is particularly nasty and vivid for 1960. We can see that one of Diffring's friends is behind the murders but whether he (Diffring) knew this was the case is uncertain. While the idea of the murders at the circus is interesting, why Diffring and his friends invest so much energy in the scheme is odd--I mean, why do this?! And, after several of these murders, how could the black-haired lady been so insane as to make threats against the circus?! You'd think she'd tread lightly in light of the killings--there's already been 11 before this one!! And, for that matter, why didn't they just close that horrible circus?! And, the guy in the cheesy gorilla suit was not one of the film's better moments. And, when the doctor was trying to stab the hero, why did the young lady just stand there and watch?!? Sloppy--especially near the end, though the speeding car was kind of cool.While I wanted to really like this film, there was a problem that I began to notice after a while. There really were not that many killings--they talk about there having been some but only show a couple. This is quite unlike excellent horror films like THEATRE OF BLOOD or the Dr. Phibes films or the similar plotted CIRCUS OF TERROR (which, actually isn't all that excellent). Plus, there was lots and lots of talking--a bad thing for a film in the genre. I was aching for more action--more action and less inconsistencies in the script. Still, despite these problems, it is interesting enough to merit watching.

dbdumonteil Anton Diffring is the reason why you would like to watch this average horror movie.Plus a bevy of beautiful women.Diffring was a character actor and he succeeds in portraying a circus manager as well as a scientist even with his aristocratic looks.The story is implausible from start to finish ,but in this kind of flick,does it really matter?As soon as they are in France ,the threesome runs into a disfigured young girl (there are plenty of them there,as anybody past infancy knows) .The surgeon (plastic surgery) suggest father Donald Pleasance he give her a beautiful face in return for an occupation in his circus.Dr Schuler (=Schoolboy)soon owns the circus where he takes on disfigured shady persons he "cures" and puts on the bill of the show.It's not difficult:the first time the surgeon has taken a walk through the dark city ,he finds a disfigured whore (there are plenty of them in France ,as everybody knows).What is downright disturbing is that we never see the thespian operate. The circus background is smartly used: snakes,bears,lions,acrobats ,moving targets,and clowns who are very useful when an "accident" happens.A lovely song ,very very early sixties/late fifties ("look for a star" ) adds to the acrobatics scenes.Like this?try these...."Berserk" (O'Connolly ,1967)"Les Yeux Sans Visage" (Georges Franju,1960)

Paul Andrews Circus of Horrors starts in England during 1947 where Evelyn Morley (Colette Wilde) sees the mess that demented plastic surgeon Dr. Rossiter (Anton Diffring) has left her face in after an unsuccessful operation, Rossiter manages to escape the country & ends up somewhere in France with two allies Angela (Jane Hylton) & Martin (Kenneth Griffith). They try to make their way across France & meet up with Vanet (Donald Pleasance) who runs a circus & has a young daughter named Nicole (Yvonne Monlaur) who has scars on her face, Rossiter who now goes by the name of Dr. Schueler senses an opportunity & offers to perform an operation on Nicole to repair the damage. The operation is a success but Schueler thinks he's on to a good thing & after he lets Vanet be killed by a bear he takes control of the circus as a front to hide behind while he continues his experiments on various criminals who he then turns into performers in his circus...This English production was directed by Sidney Hayers & I'm amazed at how many people seem to like it, I don't really care that I have a different opinion of it but it didn't do anything for me at all & it took me two attempts to sit through it. The script by George Baxt doesn't seem to know what it wants to be, is it a horror or a thriller? I think the film doesn't manage to balance the two that well. I'd say it's more of a thriller than a horror as it's not scary, it focuses more on the investigations surrounding Schueler's plastic surgery rather than any more traditional horror elements. What it boils down to is that I simply didn't like the film & it's as simple & straight forward as that. The character's & dialogue seem stiff & very dated much like the rest of the film, it plods along at a reasonable pace but it's not what one would call quick & it just failed to engage or entertain me in any way. I was also thinking why did Schueler carry on with his experiments? I mean judging by the film the circus was doing rather well & must have been making decent money so why not just stick with that & not try to attract any unwanted attention while on the other hand if he did want to be a plastic surgeon why didn't he just reveal his 'groundbreaking' findings & get a grant & of course he'd become famous within the medical profession which is what he seems to want anyway.Director Hayers does OK I suppose, another problem with Circus of Horrors is that I can't relate to circus' as an attraction & the constant clips of the performances & crowd reactions bored to to death. I've never wanted to go to a circus & after watching Circus of Horrors I still don't. There's virtually no gore despite what anyone says, there's a shot of a woman with a knife in her neck but nothing else & there's a hilarious bit where a woman is attacked by a snake but this snake looks so uninterested, slow & nonthreatening that the scene falls flat on it's face & the best it can do is wrap itself around her feet.Technically the film is alright, it has a nice bright colour scheme & is quite garish, the production values are good although some of the sets are a bit fake looking & as a whole the film has dated quite badly. The special effects are poor & the man in a fury bear suit looks terrible. The acting is OK although I thought Diffring's accent was annoying.Circus of Horrors was a disappointment to me, as far as I'm concerned there's nothing here that I particularly enjoyed. A lot of people seem to like it so maybe it's me but overall I didn't think much of it.