Malatesta's Carnival of Blood

Director - Christopher Speeth
Starring - Janine Carazo, Jerome Dempsey (The Hudsucker Proxy), and Daniel Dietrich (Dawn of the Dead)
Release Date - 1973
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "You'll shriek with horror...as you watch his victims take a diabolical roller-coaster ride to bloody death"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (American Horror Project Volume 1) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     After watching Cut Her Out, an exceptional modern horror film that captures some great atmosphere and imagery, I wanted to visit some horror films from years long forgotten.  I then remembered that I had The American Horror Project Volume 1 bluray set.  This set was put together to give horror fans an alternate American horror history with three films that you never hear fans talk about.  The set includes Malatesta's Carnival of Blood, The Witch Who Came from the Sea, and The Premonition.  This set was sent to me from MVD and Arrow Video.  I want to thank a minute to thank both MVD and Arrow Video for sending this amazing set my way!

     The film follows a family who work for an old carnival.  Their son went missing after visiting the carnival and now they work there in hopes of finding out what happened to their beloved offspring.  However, things turn bleak for the family when they find out that the carnival is actually run by a vampire who controls a group of zombies that live under the carnival.  Now they have to fight for their lives with only an idea of what happened to their son.  

     I love the look of 70s horror films.  Some really lacked story and rehashed what films released just months before did but I really enjoy the way they look.  I had never heard of Malatesta's Carnival of Blood before but I was very surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it.  I could easily see this film being released by Troma under the Retro label.  The film was cheesy, late night drive-in cheesy, but was still able to hold my attention fully.  The acting in this one is a little goofy and clumsy at times but it was still fun to watch with this kind of story.  No one cast member stands out over the other and that is the way I like it.  The story for this one is a real roller-coaster ride of a film.  When you think you know where this one is going something else gets thrown your way.  I loved that aspect of it.  With that being said, some of the scenes went on for way too long while others made no sense.  The film needed to be re-written and edited before it was first released.  Finally, those of you looking for blood and guts will not find them here.  Instead, the film offers up a fun story that will hold your attention.  Overall, Malatesta's Carnival of Blood was a very entertaining film.  It was far, very far, from being perfect but still very much worth your time.  I recommend checking this one out in the American Horror Project Volume 1 set.