Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Circus of Fear [Psycho Circus[ Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 10, 2016

John Moxey's "Circus of Fear" a.k.a. "Psycho-Circus" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; large collection of promotional materials; and archival audio commentary with director John Moxey, moderated by David Gregory. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The man with the disfigured face

The prologue looks like something Peter Yates would have shot. (A year after this film was released, Yates directed the terrific crime thriller Robbery which literally borrows the exact tempo and atmosphere that are present in this prologue). On the London Bridge, masked men rob an armored truck transporting a large amount of money, but before they disappear one of the guards is accidentally killed. Later on, the leader of the robbers dispatches the man with the twitchy finger to deliver a portion of the loot to their boss in the countryside.

The action now moves to a large circus where the cold body of the courier is discovered without the money. Disguised as a professional photographer, police inspector Elliot (Leo Genn) begins gathering information and quickly realizes that a lot of the people working for the owner of the circus, Mr. Barberini (Anthony Newlands), have secrets that make their words and actions very suspicious. In the meantime, the killer strikes again and the performers panic.

It immediately becomes clear that John Moxey intended to shoot a big film but did not have the proper funding and the right material to deliver one. After the fantastic prologue the film quickly switches gears and bets everything on a single card – a spooky atmosphere that would make inspector Elliot’s investigation a lot more intriguing than it actually can be. There are a few segments that look appropriately intense, but the rest comes off as disappointingly amateurish.

The main reason why is the fractured narrative. Indeed, the big actors are forced to play characters that move all over the place and routinely look lost. For example, Klaus Kinski plays one of the robbers who secretly arrives at the circus and then quietly begins observing the drama because there is nothing else for him to do. Christopher Lee is a lion tamer who wears a black hood because years ago his face was disfigured and his presence is essentially used to expand relationships that turn out to be totally meaningless. Then there is Suzy Kendall who appears to have been asked to join the cast only because she looks terrific in front of the camera.

Circus of Fear reminds of Sydney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express. Both films bring together some terrific actors and place them in a closed environment where they must impress (train vs. circus). Both then begin playing with one’s expectations while rearranging different pieces of their narratives. In Moxey’s film, however, the rearranging fails to accomplish the desired effect, which is why the atmosphere becomes so crucial for its success. Unfortunately, the reasons for the switch become so obvious and so early into the film that the buildup towards the climax where the killer is revealed never really functions as intended.

The intense prologue looks great and the raw footage with the lions is rather impressive, but elsewhere it certainly shows that cinematographer Ernest Steward wasn’t allowed to do multiple takes.

Blue Underground’s new Blu-ray release is sourced from a new 2K restoration of the film which reintroduces previously cut footage. (It is approximately 22 minutes of material which was also included on the initial DVD release of the film).

Circus of Fear [Psycho Circus[ Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Moxey's Circus of Fear arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.

The release is sourced from a new 2K restoration of the film which is quite impressive, but the technical presentation is underwhelming. Indeed, it appears that after the original negative was scanned and some previously cut footage reinstated various denoising adjustments were applied. I do not wish to speculate why, but there are segments from different parts of the film where the effects can easily be spotted. Sometimes they impact depth, but elsewhere it is fluidity that isn't as convincing as it should be. During select close-ups the flatness that is associated with these types of adjustments also emerges and causes anomalies (see screencapture #13). The good news here is that colors are healthy and properly saturated. Overall image stability is also outstanding. Contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. There are no debris, scratches, cuts, damage marks, or any other serious age-related imperfections. Ultimately, I would prefer to have these new 2K restorations that emerge via Blue Underground free of denoising adjustments. This film and the recent restorations of the Jess Franco The Girl From Rio and Eugenie would have looked a lot more impressive without them. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Circus of Fear [Psycho Circus[ Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional yellow English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Despite being shot with a fairly small budget, the film has a surprisingly active sound design. For example, Johnny Douglas' intense score energizes the film very well and in some areas actually makes it look like a lot more ambitious project (see the long opening sequence). During the action footage intensity and balance are also managed well. The dialog is very crisp, clear, and easy to follow.

Circus of Fear [Psycho Circus[ Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director John Moxey discusses his career (his first job was for BBC Television), the production history of Circus of Fear, where and how various sequences were shot, his interaction with different cast members during the shooting process, the editing of the film (as well as the German version that was credited to Werner Jacobs), etc. The commentary is moderated by David Gregory from Blue Underground.

• International Color Trailer - in English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• International B&W Trailer - in English, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).

• U.S. Color Trailer - in English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• U.S. B&W Trailer - in English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Poster & Still Gallery - a large collection of promotional and archival materials. (1080p).

Circus of Fear [Psycho Circus[ Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Moxey's Circus of Fear is one of two films produced by Harry Alan Towers that are included in this new Blu-ray release from Blue Underground. I much prefer the second film, Jeremy Summers' Five Golden Dragons, as it is a lot more outlandish and colorful. Circus of Fear has its moments, but it is instantly forgettable.