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Circus of Horrors

Play trailer Poster for Circus of Horrors 1960 1h 29m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 6 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
When one of his operations results in disfigurement, plastic surgeon Dr. Schuler (Anton Diffring) flees to France. After he successfully operates on young Nicole (Carla Challoner), her father, Vanet (Donald Pleasence), lets him join the circus he owns. Vanet dies and Schuler takes over, expanding his roster of performers with female criminals he operates on. If the girls try to flee, Schuler arranges for their seemingly accidental deaths during performances, drawing large, morbid crowds.
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Circus of Horrors

Critics Reviews

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Sharai Bohannon A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast Dec 30
3/5
'Circus of Horrors' had a lot of interesting ingredients, but never figured out how to make them work together. This leads to a movie that is "fun" to watch for the wrong reasons. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 11/30/2024
2.5/4
A mostly effective horror yarn. Go to Full Review Chris Alexander Alexander On Film 09/22/2018
The movie really works primarily because of Diffring's truly magnetic performance, a complicated turn that sees his Rossiter/Schuler veer between sympathetic and sociopathic. Go to Full Review MFB Critics Monthly Film Bulletin 01/26/2018
A plot that only a very simple-minded sadist would take seriously sustains an anthology of gory killings and maimings. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 09/06/2015
B
Has some brilliant gory Grand Guignol moments during its circus sequences. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 07/03/2011
.5/4
...a tedious and downright worthless endeavor... Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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02/24/2020 Joel and the Bots riffed this turkey about a Nazi plastic surgeon for the MST3K Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour in Austin, and I think all involved would prefer to be crushed by a man in a bear costume than hear the dull dulcet tune of "Look for a Star" again. Cannonical score: 4.5/5 — "Twas the Temple of Beauty that killed the beast." See more bill t @Spuzz 03/23/2017 Deliciously perverse film about a quack plastic surgeon who finds a cover in an old circus.. and hires deformed women, makes them beautiful, and forces them to work for him! It's ridiculous, bizarre, very colorful, and oh so much fun. See more 06/02/2014 Ladies and gentleman, enjoy the horror show.. A Strange Undercurrent Of Sex And Grotesque Mutilation--Anton Diffring at his nastiest!! See more 09/30/2012 Ah Circus movies. Did you know one won best picture in 1953? That one was about The Greatest Show on Earth. This one is about the Jinx Circus, where fallen women, given a second chance, thanks to plastic surgery and blackmail, are murdered when the become engaged. Its weird that the ape really hates Dr. Schuler. Really strange. A lot of pre-Twiggy English ladies prance about in their panties. Which is nice.But I could not shake the uncanny resemblance btwn Anton Diffring and Wm. S. Buckley. See more 09/10/2012 a plastic surgeon at a circus!??! See more 08/31/2012 This Movie Is Awesome See more Read all reviews
Circus of Horrors

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Cast & Crew

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Sidney Hayers

Director

Anton Diffring

Dr. Schuler

Erika Remberg

Elissa Caro

Yvonne Monlaur

Nicole Vanet

Donald Pleasence

Vanet

Jane Hylton

Angela
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Circus of Horrors

Circus of Horrors (1960) Circus of Horrors (1960) Circus of Horrors (1960) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When one of his operations results in disfigurement, plastic surgeon Dr. Schuler (Anton Diffring) flees to France. After he successfully operates on young Nicole (Carla Challoner), her father, Vanet (Donald Pleasence), lets him join the circus he owns. Vanet dies and Schuler takes over, expanding his roster of performers with female criminals he operates on. If the girls try to flee, Schuler arranges for their seemingly accidental deaths during performances, drawing large, morbid crowds.
Director
Sidney Hayers
Producer
Samuel Z. Arkoff
Screenwriter
George Baxt
Production Co
Lynx Films
Genre
Horror
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2018
Runtime
1h 29m
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