As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
It's fascinating how some films hit you one way and other, similar films, can hit you in a completely different way. 'Circus of the Dead' was one of those films that has left me puzzled, ever since the final post credits scene ended. I can't legitimately decide how I feel about it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's unusual to walk away from a movie without having any concrete impressions of it. This one, in particular, took me on a bizarre roller coaster ride of emotions. At some points, I was wide eyed at the performance of Bill Oberst Jr (the patron saint of The Creepercast) and others, I was disgusted by his characters motivations and actions. He created something, with Papa Corn, that proves he's an under utilized talent in the larger film making community. Not too say that the man doesn't work, because if you look at his IMDB credits, it's a wonder he finds time to sleep. There were times where I feel disgusted at the actions of the main characters of the clowns. They were truly sadistic and completely un redeeming people. However, you can't take away from them, the charisma and iconic sensibilities that they possessed. It was like you couldn't help but love to hate them. Meanwhile, feeling like you needed to take a shower during most of their screen time. All of it punctuated like the claw end of a hammer, by the ring leader himself, Papa Corn. Our main 'hero' in the story, Donald, was merely a means to an end. A pawn in a violent game of destruction and violence. Sadly, despite all of the efforts of the clowns, there were so many cringe worthy performances from everyone else, that it tended to take away from the overall movie going experience. All in all, 'Circus of the Dead' was something that defies a recommendation to others to view. Rather, it garners a warning that only true deviants and horror fanatics should delve into the world of pain and suffering that director, Billy Pon, has created. Perhaps that's the greatest compliment that a film maker could hope for, but it limits your audience to a very small niche society of horror lovers that can stomach the underbelly of evil itself.
At the beginning of 'Circus of the Dead', were confronted with the thoughts of another killer clown, John Wayne Gacy. He's quoted as saying, “You know.... clowns can get away with murder.”. I didn't understand the meaning of this at first, but throughout the course of the films run time, we learn that this is the entire premise that it's based on. Time and time again, we see that this is true, as our cavalcade of circus killers just waltz their way through one murder after another. No one ever even looking twice in their direction or suspecting them of the atrocities that they are committing. Co-written and directed by Billy Pon, he quickly sets the stage for what's to come, as the film opens with the clowns already in progress. Torturing and murdering people, right before going into the center ring, to delight and entertain a tent full of unaware onlookers. During this time, we're introduced to Donald, a family man with 2 daughters and a beautiful wife. It's made apparent that maybe his life isn't perfect, but he loves his family anyway. They decide to go out and spend a night at the circus, where Papa Corn takes a liking to them and selects them as his next victims. He soon, kills Donald's wife, kidnaps his children and forces Donald to do whatever they want in order to see his daughters again. Over the course of the rest of the film, we see murder after murder occur as the clowns continually leave evidence, framing Donald for all of their horrific acts. I don't want to spoil the ending or too much of what occurs during the remaining film, as it detracts from the the finale. I'd rather you experience it, just as I did. Completely unaware of what was coming next. Not unlike Donald, himself. Also, stay throughout the entire credits.
'Circus of the Dead' is full of things you can pick apart and complain about. Poor acting, some sound editing issues and the weird transitions from one scene to the next, that feel like a commercial break is warranted. However, this shouldn't take away from the craftsmanship and firm grasp on storytelling that Billy Pon possesses. If he's capable of something on this scale, with (what I'm guessing) he had for a budget, then he's a man to keep your eye on. Granted, I have a feeling that his films won't be for everyone, but that shouldn't take away from his obvious love of the genre and desire to tell stories. He even tied in an earlier film that he made, 'Doll Boy'. However, I can't say that I enjoyed this film, but I can't say that I didn't, either. It's a unique situation where I hated what I was seeing, a lot of the time, but couldn't take my eyes away from it. Imagine a hybrid of Fred Vogel's 'August Underground' trilogy mashed up with Rob Zombie's '31' and a little Quentin Tarantino thrown in for flavor. It's something that you might not have never seen before, but feels all too familiar. I know that it feels like I'm constantly flip flopping with my feelings on this film, but that's because I am. It's like a train wreck. You want to see what's actually happened, but all the while, feeling that gut sensation that you need to look away. Perhaps, because it's all too real, in it's presentation, but yet it still has a surrealistic quality to it. My belief is that this unique sensation is partially due to the unique characterizations of each clown and the scene stealing powers of Bill Oberst Jr. No matter how much you want to hate them for the things they are doing, you can't take your eyes off of them when they're on the screen. Everything else in between feels like filler, compared to the antics of our protagonists.
At the end of the day, I'm curious to see where Billy Pon takes us next, in his already announced sequel to 'Circus of the Dead' It feels like there are many more stories to tell or nightmares to live through. Either way, this movie has already proven to have a solid base of fans and deservedly so. For me, it's a 3 out of 5 star rating. Something that I don't regret seeing, but I don't know that I ever need to live through it again. It's proof that there are still new ideas out there and iconic characters to be born. In a world of remakes and reboots, it's nice to see something we've never seen before. Not everything in 'Circus of the Dead' is an original thought, but it doesn't have to be. You're getting what you pay for and it pays off every promise that it makes. If you're blood lust lies on the more gritty and realistic side, with a dash of insanity, then maybe you should buy a ticket and take the ride, but be warned, you must be at lease this tall to ride.
If you enjoyed 'Circus of the Dead', check out: the 'August Underground' trilogy, '31' and anything featuring Bill Oberst Jr
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