Circus of Horrors

This is a 1960 horror film directed by Sidney Hayers, and stars includes Anton Diffring, Erika Remberg, Yvonne Monlaur and Donald Pleasance. 

A plastic surgeon Dr Rossiter, is on the run from police with two accomplices, a brother and sister who end up hiding in a shabby part of town with a small circus. It's run by a poor man with his child whose face is scarred, then the doctor treats her with facial beauty and becomes happy. Later the circus transforms into a popular show with glamour and full of beautiful looking people, whose lives were turned around by Dr Rossiter. However it's got a sinister reputation and the police investigate why there are so many deaths. 

This is a glitzy circus with some magic and beauty, although underneath it all, not really. The circus travels across Europe getting a bad reputation. This was filmed at Billy Smart's circus, a very popular travelling fairground in the early to mid 20th century. The same circus was also used in the 1967 horror film "Bersek". This film contains some violent gruesome scenes. 

Rating this 7/10 for madness. Spoiler below!

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Spoiler: Not only can the doctor make beautiful faces but he can also somehow transform ordinary people into terrific acrobats as well.          

The Mad Magician

 

This is a 1954 horror film directed by John Brahm. It stars Vincent Price, Mary Murphy, Eva Gabor and John Emery. 

A magician has a very stunning performance played on a set but his arch enemy has blackmailed him, threatening to expose his magic tricks and taking his work, as this same man also took his wife. So the magician kills him and tries to cover this up, avoiding any issues when police are searching for the missing man. When the magician's former wife appears looking for her husband, she becomes suspicious. 

A very twisty atmospheric film, set during the 19th century when police started to use fingerprints as evidence in their investigations. There are some incredible and gruesome scenes of disposing of a body, such as on a huge party bonfire that no one ever suspected. It was only after the fire went out that police were able to find human bones. The crematorium is also a scary magic trick that seems to be difficult to fool as it was in a visible glass container. I rate this hot magic film 7/10. 

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Spoilers: A crime novelist character might be a foreshadowing of the TV series "Murder She Wrote". 

Beyond Atlantis

This is a 1973 fantasy adventure film by Dimension Pictures. It was directed by Eddie Romero. It stars Patrick Wayne, John Ashley, Leigh Christian and Sig Haig. It was mostly filmed in the Philippines. It's also called "Sea Creatures". 

A strange woman able to breathe underwater gives precious pearls to a regular visitor to her sacred island, which is cut away from the rest of the world and is uncharted. He becomes greedy and invites a bunch of friends of criminal intentions to the island. Meanwhile, the island itself has a sacred statue, a number of treasures and a curious race of fish people with large eyes. All of them can breathe underwater. A possible romance could happen, although things become darker.

Often scenic and an interesting story, it's my view that there's elements of the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" here. There were plans to make this film feature topless women but actor Patrick Wayne wanted this to be a PG rated film. While somewhat weird, that might've been an even scarier film if they had gone ahead with making something with nude fish people. The Atlantis princess Syrene is roughly treated by the islanders and her father the king allows it. I rate this a watchable 5/10 but the music score is awful, as it's the same theme tune to the British "News at ten" show. If you want to see a spoiler then look below if you dare.

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Spoiler: In the traditional story "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, the mermaid is spurned by her prince who falls in love with a human woman. In this film, magical Syrene is spurned by the handsome Vic played by Patrick Wayne, as he falls for the scientist woman instead. 

The Boy who Cried Werewolf

 

This is a 1973 horror film directed by Nathan Juran. The stars includes Kerwin Matthews, Elaine Devry and Scott Sealey.

A man with his son drive out into an isolated mountain cabin near the forest. They both decide to go out fishing until a werewolf appears and bites the father. Afterwards, the man experiences a horrible transformation every full moon and kills innocent people travelling by. Only his son is aware of what's truly going on although nobody believes him, not even his own mother. 

This film should be called "My dad is a werewolf" instead but it's other name is "Varulvens Son". Located in Redwood City, California, a small budget film that is the last Nathan Juran, also called Nathan Hertz,  ever directed. The film is quite silly in places with a few laughs. I couldn't resist mentioning that! The hippie commune camped nearby the boy's dad's cabin was a nail in the coffin for this. I rate this a mediocre 3/10. Spoiler below if you want to risk it!

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Spoiler: Really big hairstyle werewolf dad!

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism

This is a 1967 German horror film made by Constantin Production. It was directed by Harald Reinl and stars Christopher Lee, Lex Barker and Karin Dor. 

A strange gruesome story that begins with the execution of an evil Count Regula who murdered twelve virgins in order to become an immortal. His thirteenth victim survived and many years later her pretty daughter grew up and then travelled with her friend through a dark sinister landscape of highwaymen and ghouls. The son of the judge who sentenced the count to death finds himself caught in a dark curse and becomes the blonde hero. The coach driver is terrified but has to ride them all through a sinister forest with distant howling wolves and creepiness.

This film is also called "The Snakepit and the Pendulum." Released in the USA under the title "Blood Demon" that was dubbed in English in 1969. In this film are the well known mystical Teutoburg Forest and Extern Stones. Located in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. One notices the castle paintings in the film look similar to "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch. A slight wink to Edgar Alan Poe's "Pit and the Pendulum". This is a well made spooky film, heavily atmospheric and fairy-tale-ish.

I rate this an awesome scary 8/10. Spoiler below my signature if you dare to read it!

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The two ruins along the same path should've been a warning