Notable!
Controversial!
Carnival
& Circus Movies!
Films
set in carnivals or circuses are legion, perhaps because of showbiz’s own
narcissism. Here are some of the most
notorious.
The
Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)—This triumph of
expressionism tells the creepy story of a puppetmaster who sets up at the town
fair. He uses his hypnotic powers of
control, forcing a somnambulist to kill at his bidding. The silent film remains disturbing
today. Its off-kilter sets, inhabited by
title character Werner Krauss and the sneaky Conrad Veidt, conspire to draw the
viewer into a dreamy Neverland of queasiness and murder.
Freaks
(1932)—After helming Universal’s surprise-smash horror film Dracula
(released on Valentine’s Day, 1931), director Tod Browning was given a virtual carte blanche for his next film, to be
shot for MGM. Launched from the 1923
story “Spurs,” Freaks is a pre-Code film that’s now infamous for its
unflinching depiction of human oddities, as they live their everyday lives as
circus freaks. The film was withdrawn
from release after only three weeks by MGM, and denied release in England for
30 years. Freaks outraged filmgoers
and critics with its storyline too: A
sexy “normal” trapeze artist and her strongman lover lay a plot for her to
marry and murder a midget for his inheritance.
However, the pair doesn’t make allowances for the way midget Han’s
circus associates stick up for him. The
banquet scene in which the freaks welcome Cleopatra into “the family” is a
well-known scene of showcase and spectacle.
But most disturbing of all to 1930s audiences was the revenge of the
freaks on Cleopatra, after they uncover her scheme: The Human Torso inching through the rain with
a knife between his teeth; legless Johnny Eck scuttling on his hands. The result of their vengeance, though marred
by 1930s makeup, is still a triumph of tit-for-tat, as the freaks turn the
“normal” Olga into … watch for yourself!
The
1960 low-budget film Carnival of Souls is just weird,
telling the story of a gal who wakes up after a car wreck to find herself in an
uncertain reality, including wandering an abandoned carnival pavilion.
What
do you get when the world’s biggest rock supergroup decides to pile into a bus
and make a movie about wherever they end up?
The 1967 trainwreck-of-a-tale Magical Mystery Tour, presented by
the Beatles originally on BBC-TV. While
redeemed by the title song and others like “The Fool on the Hill,” “Blue Jay
Way,” and many more, the film itself is an example of what happens when
creative geniuses dive into projects with no preparation or concept of their
final goal. Among the scenes are a strip
show and a final song by the Fab Four, in tuxedoes strutting before a
night-club crowd. Roll up!
The
Day the Clown Cried (1972)—This unreleased Jerry Lewis film tells the
WWII story of a clown who accidentally insults the Reich and is arrested. Eventually the clown finds himself leading
children to the gas chambers, the ultimate evil clown. The controversy surrounding this film led to
Lewis’s donating its print to the Library of Congress, with a stipulation that
it not be released until 2025.
Vampire
Circus (1972) tells of a
travelling circus and a lot of vampires, as they arrive at a small Austrian
town. Highlights include animal acts and
erotic gyrations on the stage between a “tiger woman” and her handler. Well, that and dismembered bodies, Gypsy
fortunetellers, and a vampire battle in an underground crypt.
The
1980 historical drama The Elephant Man was set in Victorian England. Its title character: Joseph Merrick, a man horribly afflicted with
Proteus syndrome, which caused out-of-control growth of some body parts. He was a freak-show exhibit when discovered
by surgeon Frederick Teves, who attempted to research the man under the
deformity. In 1983 English rocker Bruce
Foxton released a song “Freak,” based on this movie.
Funhouse (1981) tells the sad story of a bunch
of weeded-out teens who decide to spend the night in a funhouse, never
imagining that they’re trespassing in the realm of a deranged murderer who
wears a Frankenstein mask.
Something
Wicked This Way Comes (1983) was released by Disney after much surgery
both before and after production. Disney
spent $5 million after the original wrap, including a new score by James
Horner. The film starred two
12-year-olds who aappear noticeably older in some scenes than others, due to
reshoots. Based on the American prose
classic by Ray Bradbury, the story originated as a screenplay written in the
early 1960s to star Gene Kelly. The
novel spins a moving tale of friendship and father-son love, both of which come
under attack from the denizens of an evil carnival. The eventual ending is an all-too-common case
of too many Disney cooks spoiling the broth.
Nevertheless, the oily, sinister Mr Dark is the role Jonathan Pryce was
born to play.
Killer
Klowns from Outer Space
(1988) actually features aliens from space masquerading
as clowns. Still, but they do transform their spaceship into a
carnival tent to lure their victims.
Beware Jojo the
Klownzilla!
Clownhouse
(1989) is controversial because its director was convicted of the sexual abuse
of the 12-year-old star, Nathan
Forrest Winters. In this twisted tale of
threes, three escaped mental patients kill three clowns and replace them. The psychos then lay siege to three boys who
are stuck at home alone.
See
you in the movies, kids!
