3. Vampire Circus (1972)
A vampire Count is killing children and the villagers attack him and drive a wooden stake through his heart. With his dying breath he curses the villagers, vowing that their children will die for his resurrection. The villagers burn the castle. 15 years later the village is ravaged by plague and is put under quarantine. Is this the Count's revenge? A travelling circus led by a gypsy woman and a dwarf busts through the barricade to the village's delight. However, Emil, one of the performers is the Count's cousin and is a vampire. With the gypsy he goes to the ruined castle, finds the Count's corpse and again vows that his curse will be fulfilled. Soon vampires are popping up all over the village and young people are dying. Can the villagers rid themselves of both pestilence and vampires as well as reversing the curse of the Count? An intriguing film from Hammer in which they deviated from their usual vampire formula and achieved a chilling masterpiece. The film is incredibly good fun to watch. Critics back in the 1970s were not too fond of it, but Vampire Circus has gained in critical stature over the years to become one of Hammer's most interesting and pioneering vampire movies, although for years it was virtually impossible to find it. I would rank it as one of Hammer's best films because it creates a perfect morbid atmosphere and its originality and frights will make you fall in love with horror films all over again.