Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Joan Crawford's Second To Last British "Horror", Film, December 10, 2003
"Berserk!", always comes in for a great deal of flak along with Joan Crawford's last film made two years later "Trog". Long considered embarrassments to a long and brilliant career it is true that these two efforts couldn't even begin to compare to the films from Joan's glory days at MGM, and Warner Bros. When titles such as "Grand Hotel", "The Women", "Mildred Pierce", "Possessed", and "Sudden Fear", come to mind these later British thriller/horror efforts from the late 1960's do indeed look very poor in comparison. However I always believe that "Berserk!" is far from the worst film ever made and is an enjoyable outing to watch with Joan Crawford, being the real pro that she always was giving this little effort her absolute all like she still was starring at MGM.
In "Berserk!" also known by its English title "Circus of Blood", Crawford plays Monica Rivers the owner and mistress of ceremonies of a travelling circus. She is a woman hardened by the school of hard knocks common in circus life where beneath the fun and the bright costumes there exists a hard and cold existence. Monica rules the circus with a firm hand and always with an eye on increasing her profit margin on the acts she has perform at the circus. When a series of fatal accidents begin occuring during the performances Monica sees that behind these tragedies is a way to increase publicity for the circus. The rest of the circus performers become very scared with what is going on among them when it is revealed that the fall suffered by Gasper the Great from the tightrope was no accident and that his line had actually been cut. Monica comes into direct conflict with her business manager/sometime lover Dorando (Michael Gough) over how to handle the investigation into the "accidents". When he wants out from the circus Monica refuses and Dorando also finds himself jealous of Monica's attraction to much younger replacement Trapeze artist Frank Hawkins (Ty Hardin) who has turned up at the circus looking for work, replaces the deceased Gasper in the show and worms his way into Monica's affections. Shortly Dorando is also found murdered in the Big Top further scaring the circus performers, in particular the brassy Matilda (Diana Dors), who is one half of an act where she is sawn in half. She blames Monica for the murders but before she can prove anything she too dies while performing. To complicate matters for Monica her unruly young daughter Angela suddenly turns up at the circus having dropped out of her school. She joins the knife throwing act. Monica's romance with Frank however runs into rough seas when he begins blackmailing her for a share of the circus profits and then he too finds a stray knife in his back while he is performing on the high wire. After an investigation by Scotland Yards Superintendant Brooks (Robert Hardy) gets under way the surprise murderer is suddenly revealed in the middle of a performance and in a fiery climax where Monica faces the murderer single handed during a severe electrical storm, tragedy strikes down the guilty party outside the Big Top at the not so happy conclusion of the story.
Vintage melodrama perhaps but "Berserk!", has a whole series of talented British performers to create interest in a fairly ordinary story. Michael Gough as Monica's tired business associate has a wonderful rapport with Joan Crawford and his few scenes in the first part of the story are very well acted. Diana Dors who in the late 1960's was starting to move out of her earlier glamour girl roles into character parts that finally began revealing her as a very fine actress is excellent as the cheap, tarty circus performer who meets a grisly end under a cutting saw. Her scenes opposite Joan Crawford are of particular note and the two have a great time in their cat fight scenes together which amazingly hide the fact that the two actresses became close friends during production of this film. Judy Geeson in her first film role is effective as the young daughter who as the story progresses is revealed to be not all she makes herself out to be. Her sweet and innocent playing of her part is well enough done to create the right suspense when all is revealed at the end. Of course Joan Crawford, Grande Dame of Hollywood is the focal point of "Berserk!" from beginning to end. In the first of her two Herman Cohen British based movies, Joan has often been accused of having no judgement in excepting this low budget feature. However as she said in a number of interviews, she quote, "wanted to remain a working actress, not just an ex performer plugging softdrinks (Pepsi)" unquote. In the absense of any better roles being offered to her "Berserk!" at least kept her in the limelight as a working actress. The rich colour and great circus atmosphere of the film is well done and although not totally exciting there were far worse films made in that decade both before and after "Berserk!". Joan certainly looks the part of a glamourous ringmistress. Even in such a low budget production long after her great years of stardom Joan still showed that she was a true star in the old meaning of the word by insisting that famed costume designer Edith Head be especially hired to create her sensational two piece leotard outfit that she wears throughout the picture.
While far from the best horror circus thriller you will see "Berserk!" is not the total mess that alot of people make it out to be. I enjoy it for the lively later day Joan Crawford performance is contains but also because of the fact that no matter how cheap the production was Joan tackled it with the same commitment and seriousness that she did her great productions from earlier decades. "Berserk!", is a good little mystery to spend 90 minutes with. Enjoy
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Joan rules the screen once more!, October 4, 1999
Joan did not like talking about her later films, they were in a way not the Crawford style. I like Berserk, which I believe was also called "Circus of Horrors" because it is another low budget masterpiece. The bearded lady, the midget, the strong man, and everyone else were all great. Joan was great in Mildred Pierce, Rain, and Flamingo Road, but this side of Joan you must see. The ending will surpise you, when I saw Berserk the first time I thought Joan was the murderer. After seeing this movie go out there and buy or rent Baby Jane, Strait Jacket, I saw what you did, and Trog. Also be sure to get the Night Gallery episode with Joan in it.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Underrated Horror Cult Classic, October 25, 2000
Narcissistic Joan Crawford in an overlooked role runs a circus that can only be described as psychopathically appealing. You see, so many of her employees end up dead! Director, Jim O'Connolly shows great flair for the genre. It's all just a matter of who gets killed next. British veteran Michael Gough, British cutie Judy Geeson in her film debut and the handsome and heroic Ty Hardin are all on hand. It's a great film for Halloween season. Joan Crawford seems to have always had problems managing her business concerns ever since "Mildred Pierce." "Berserk!" is aptly titled!
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![Berserk ( Berserk! ) ( Circus of Terror ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Y55oT7ZTL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
