The 1970’s pushed out a whole lot of interesting horror and science fiction movies, and a lot of real stinkers. Nightmare Circus aka Barn of the Naked Dead aka Terror Circus is a 1974 movie that falls flat, even thought the idea behind it is an interesting one. From the IMDb website the synopsis is as follows: Three showgirls on their way to Las Vegas have car trouble and are stuck all night out in the desert. The next morning cheerful Andre offers them help in fixing their car. However, Andre is really a maniac with a lot of family problems; his mother ran out on him when he was a child so now he keeps kidnapped women chained up in his barn and trains them to perform circus tricks. Andre's father is still around of course, but because the old homestead is next to a nuclear test site he has been transformed into a raving homicidal mutant that Andre keeps locked up in a shed.
I thought this movie had an interesting idea, as the idea behind imprisoning women to force them to perform in a sick, twisted circus is fascinating. However, there were so many holes and things I didn’t quite understand, or believe. For example, Andre has over ten women chained in a barn, yet none of them, when chained together and walking around, think to fight and attack him. He is the only one there, and if they had thought to attack him, and take his gun, then they might have freed themselves. Instead they cry and whine in the barn, they listen to him as he says they are his now, and they belong to him.
When they have the chance to escape, they realize the full extent of Andre’s abuse and anger. Even then, I believe that some of them would fight, or at least try to work together to escape.
A huge problem with this movie was that for a horror movie, it wasn’t frightening, just a little uncomfortable at times. It is kind of a mix of Psycho and The Hills have Eyes. Not a good movie, not a bad movie, more a fun 1970’s campy film. Some might enjoy it and some might become annoyed over and over by it (like me).
I thought this movie had an interesting idea, as the idea behind imprisoning women to force them to perform in a sick, twisted circus is fascinating. However, there were so many holes and things I didn’t quite understand, or believe. For example, Andre has over ten women chained in a barn, yet none of them, when chained together and walking around, think to fight and attack him. He is the only one there, and if they had thought to attack him, and take his gun, then they might have freed themselves. Instead they cry and whine in the barn, they listen to him as he says they are his now, and they belong to him.
When they have the chance to escape, they realize the full extent of Andre’s abuse and anger. Even then, I believe that some of them would fight, or at least try to work together to escape.
A huge problem with this movie was that for a horror movie, it wasn’t frightening, just a little uncomfortable at times. It is kind of a mix of Psycho and The Hills have Eyes. Not a good movie, not a bad movie, more a fun 1970’s campy film. Some might enjoy it and some might become annoyed over and over by it (like me).
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