Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Vampire Circus Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 14, 2021

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films.

Chances are if you mention the phrase "classic Hammer horror" to the casual film fan, and perhaps especially to the genre aficionado, the immediate response might be focused on some of Hammer's now legendary output beginning in 1957 with The Curse of Frankenstein, and continuing at least through both some of the subsequent Frankenstein offerings, as well as 1958's Horror of Dracula, and its follow-ups, not to mention other properties Hammer either "updated" (The Mummy) or invented (Maniac ). Those follow-ups by themselves of course continued apace for several years, and that fact, when combined with the general perception among some that Hammer's overall quality not necessarily confined to so-called "franchises" declined as the sixties wore on, is where things may start to differ among respondents in terms of when Hammer's "classic" period ended, if in fact it ended at all. In that regard, it can be interesting to watch this collection of productions from the seventies when, as one of the supplements included in this set overtly mentions, "Hammer wasn't Hammer anymore", at least in terms of some of the erstwhile resident talent who had moved on to other places. It's also interesting to note that at the same time the back cover of the slip box housing the discs in this set itself overtly mentions a perceived "classic early '70s period", which may be a bit of PR hyperbole, but which may also invite approval from those who don't feel Hammer's output in the seventies is automatically dismissable, even if the studio had become manifestly different from what it had been in prior decades. Within that overall context, then, the four films offered in this collection are often quite interesting in their own regard, and Imprint has supplied each of them with a really bounteous collection of bonus features.

Vampire Circus has had a previous release on Blu-ray for the Region A market courtesy of Synapse Films. Those wanting a plot recap are encouraged to read Martin Liebman's Vampire Circus Blu-ray review of that release. Marty's review is also a good resource for screenshot comparisons and lining up supplements between the two releases. Score keepers will note that I'm evidently a bit more of a fan of the overall film than Marty is.

Vampire Circus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Vampire Circus is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint and Via Vision Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. Judging solely by screenshots, this appears to be one of the more substantially different looking presentations when compared to the previous Synapse Films Blu-ray releases for the Region A market. Compare, for example, the first screenshot in this review with screenshot 3 in Marty's review and it's easy to notice the differences in both general color timing as well as brightness. I personally prefer the look of this Imprint release, which looks a bit less dowdy (for want of a better term), and less suffused with a kind of green-yellow undertone. The palette here pops very well for the most part, though it looked to me like there is some slight fading so that reds can skew slightly toward orange territory. There is some damage to be spotted here, and a few odd moments that may be due to either problematic elements or some glitches in compression, where what almost look like tiny vertical lines can briefly afflict the image, almost like you're looking through a scrim. My score is 3.75.

Vampire Circus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Marty wasn't especially impressed with the track on the Synapse Films Blu-ray release for the Region A market, and while I have a hunch that this disc's LPCM 2.0 Mono track is at least similar if not outright identical to the track on the previously released Blu-ray, I'm perhaps a bit easier to please, as I found the track to offer more than capable support for the film's dialogue, effects and sometimes rambunctious score by David Whitaker. There is a somewhat flat ambience throughout the presentation that keeps dynamic range kind of muted, but I noticed no real problems with fidelity, and no major damage of any kind. Optional English subtitles are available.

Vampire Circus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One: Vampire Circus

• Audio Commentary by critics Kim Newman & Stephen Jones (2021)


• Audio Commentary by Hammer historians Jonathan Rigby & Kevin Lyons (2021)


• The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus (HD; 32:29) is a fun overview from Ballyhoo Motion Picture and Synapse Films, with some good interviews and background information. This bears a 2010 copyright date.


• Gallery of Grotesqueries: A Brief History of Circus Horrors (HD; 15:17) is another Ballyhoo production from 2010 giving some background on various characters in so-called "freak shows".


• Revisiting The House of Hammer: Britain's Legendary Horror Magazine (HD; 9:47) continues the Ballyhoo tradition with an appealing look at the venerable publication. Like several other featurettes on this disc, this bears a 2010 copyright date.


• Behind the Mirror: The Secret History of Vampire Circus (HD; 23:14) is newly produced (based on its 2021 copyright date) and delves into some of the background of the production.


• Blood and Circuses (HD; 40:20) is a 2021 interview with director Robert Young.


• Vampire Victim (HD; 4:15) is a 2014 interview with actress Sibylla Kay.


• Cutting Hammer Horror (HD; 9:08) is a 2014 interview with editor Peter Musgrave.


• Animated Stills and Poster Gallery (HD; 1:58)


• Vampire Circus Motion Comic Book (HD; 3:15)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:29)


• Isolated Music and Effects Track is presented in LPCM 2.0 and can be accessed under the Setup Menu.

Disc Two: Bonus

• Flesh & Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror (HD; 2:26:34) is an absolutely first rate history of the studio, with a ton of insightful interviews with any number of people who were involved with the studio, including members of the Carreras family. This traces the entire back story of the venerable Hammer institution, delving into some of the personalities involved, and offering a virtual nonstop array of fun film clips. My hunch is most any Hammer fan is going to find this a real pleasure to watch.

Vampire Circus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vampire Circus is, along with Hands of the Ripper in particular, a fine example of how Hammer may in fact not have been "Hammer anymore", but was still able to craft rather intriguing offerings that touched on some of Hammer's longstanding horror traditions while trying to find some new ways to offer those traditions. Technical merits are generally solid, and both the supplements on the disc containing the feature film as well as the bonus disc are really well done. Recommended.