10 Best Horror Movies Set In Amusement Parks
5. Berserk (1967)
This charming little circus-set picture stars Hollywood legend Joan Crawford in her penultimate film role and has the distinction of being one of the earliest proto-slashers.
Berserk follows ringmaster Monica Rivers and her circus of employees as they travel England performing. Soon someone begins picking off the fleet of performers in various nasty ways that at first seem to be all part of the show.
When Berserk premiered in 1967 it was considered schlock, dismissed as another exploitative attempt by a fading star to remain current. However, looking at the film now, that assessment seems more than a little unfair.
Berserk has an undeniable sense of grandeur, it is beautifully photographed with impressive, vibrant spectacles showing actual circus performers risking their lives as Joan Crawford narrates. Quite impressive for a film with next to no budget, really.
Berserk also has the honor of being one of the first post-Psycho movies to adopt that slasher or whodunit formula as performers are hunted down and killed in various gruesome but restrained ways. A highlight of the carnage is undoubtedly blonde bombshell Diana Dors getting cut in half as the audience cheers.
Seeming much classier by today's standards, Berserk may not succeed entirely in making a circus seem sinister, but is undoubtedly a fun proto-slasher, it's a fine way to "kill" 90 minutes.