Review: Circus Kane
By William Pattison
For Horror Bob’s Blog
Gore and scares everyone! For my review this time I
have the torture porn style fun house from hell film Circus Kane.
Circus Kane tells the story of a group of people from various parts of the horror community, a memorabilia collector, a scream queen a blogger, a movie reviewer, a website owner, and an everyday horror geek, who get sent messages to meet in a certain place for a chance to win $250,000. When they get to the meeting place they are all roughly put in an old S.W.A.T. van by men wearing clown masks. In the van they find that the wall are covered with old posters that promoted a traveling horror circus called Circus Kane. Big Ed, the collector (played by young Al Pacino look a like Ted Monte) remembers and is a fan of The Circus Kane and it’s circus master Bathazar Kane. He also reminds the others that Kane is infamous for burning a man to death in his act, so famous that he inspired a song all of them know. It is then that a monitor lights up and the shadowy image of Bathazar Kane (played masterfully by Tim Abell) appears. Kane informs them that they are in route to take part in the revival of the Circus Kane and the chance for one of them to win the money if they can face their fears. After this, knock out gas is released in the back of the van. The group is woken up when they arrive at their destination, a huge mansion decked out in plastic gargoyles and other horror decorations. After the guys in the clown masks let them all out they all head up to the house and are greeted at the door by a tall pale man in a bowler hat (played by former Night Court star Richard Moll). Inside the house Kane appears again on another monitor and informs them that in order to win the money they must make their way through his house of horrors and his “friends” that they will meet along the way. He tells them that some of them will die during this journey through terror and pain. He also tells them all they have to do to give up is say the magic words “Bathazar Kane, you win.” and they will lose out on the money and will be set free. What these unfortunate people find is a hell full of horrifying rooms full of traps, a demonic killer clown, a sadistic court jester swinging chains with hooks on them, a cannibalistic Nazi zombie, and the burned and scared master of this house of terror Kane himself.
I have to say I really enjoyed this film. It has been quite a while since I saw a really good film of this type. The pace of this film is perfection. There is no filler in this film and it keeps your interest from the beginning to the end.
I also loved the makeup work as well. All the
characters were well designed without being so over the top as to distract you
from the story.
And I have to say I was completely caught by surprise by the twist at the end, which is a rare thing for me.
All in all I can highly recommend Circus Kane if you want a slick well craft horrorfest. This is a horror pleasure you will enjoy…
Keep on Creepin’, Horror Bob’s Blog….!
