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aka. "The Barn of the Naked Dead". There were quite a few interesting ideas at play in "The Barn of the Naked Dead", only their execution seemed a bit too clumsy and misdirected to completely "grab" me. That said, considering it's mean, misogynistic and just plain weird content, I can't chalk it up to a total loss.

Three young showgirls are on their way to Vegas. They make the mistake of turning off onto a dirt road "shortcut" where their car breaks down in the middle of the desert. The next morning, a seemingly helpful guy shows up to take them to his isolated place to use his phone. It doesn't take long before the gals notice that his barn is full of chained women that he ends up using as the "animals" in his deranged circus act, for which he plays the sadistic ringmaster. While this is going on, the girls' agent is trying his damnedest to track them down...

There's some back story involving the guy's mommy issues and there's some kind of Anthropophagus-looking freak tucked away - a result of the military's H-bomb testing years ago. That part - while making for a reasonably gruesome ending - seemed kind of awkwardly wedged into the film, while I thought the whole circus angle was an amusing concept. Andrew Prine (from "The Town That Dreaded Sundown") pulls off his role very well and the movie doesn't shy away from astringent cruelty towards women. That f*cker LOVED his bull whip! It's an entertaining enough 'exploit'/B-horror flick, but, like I said, it could have used a little more direction and 'flow' with some of it's elements. Still giving it a rec.

More of my horror/exploitation reviews @ http://swinesewage.blogspot.com/

Well, I actually thought that this film would be about zombies, but instead the lacklustre plot follows a deranged young man who keeps women locked up in his barn in order to use them for some kind of circus trick. The film is yet another entry in the already full to the brim seventies exploitation cannon, and while a lot of these sorts of films are very good - this one has very little going for it. The film is, frankly, boring, and since the plot has very little in the way of originality; this film makes for very miserable viewing because you know that nothing is going to come of it. There's another sub-plot involving the young man's father who has been mutated by radiation. This is potentially interesting, but it's not handled well at all and not even that manages to change the tedium of the rest of the film. The acting is horrible as well, and director Alan Rudolph isn't able to get anything out of his cast. Films like this really need to be rather 'nasty' to succeed, and that's one of the most annoying things about this film; it all feels very tame, and therefore its pointless watching. Overall, Barn of the Naked Dead is a film that fully deserves its terrible reputation, and I recommend not watching it.

From the acclaimed director of "The Moderns" and "Choose Me" we have a timeless, heartwarming tale of a deranged man living in rural Nevada who kidnaps stranded female motorists (which there seem to be an inordinate amount of for rural Nevada) and, bullwhip in hand, trains them to perform in his private circus, all the while his father who has been turned into deformed monster by radiation from nuclear tests runs amuck.

As other reviewers have noted there is a definite lack of nakedness in this movie alternatively titled "Barn of the Naked Dead", but a lot of bare breasts and female buttocks would only distract from the real (and perhaps only) reason to see this movie--Andrew Prine. Andrew Prine was second only to David Hess when it came to portraying sick psychopaths in 70's drive-in movies, but where Hess's psychos were just flat-out creeps, Prine's could be hilariously funny (even though it wasn't always clear whether the actor himself was in on the joke as he always seemed to take these roles VERY seriously). While this is far from his best work, Prine is always fun to watch.

This movie might also have a bit of "car wreck" appeal considering that it is loudly rattling skeleton in the closet of esteemed director Alan Rudolph. It has an incredibly ridiculous ending that can perhaps only be explained by Prine and the three female leads all walking off the set before the final scene leaving Rudolph to completely pull something out of his. . .well, see it and tell me where it came from. It's hard to believe that anybody would make a movie like this, let alone the otherwise respectable Rudolph.

Addendum: this movie was recently re-releaesed on DVD by Johnny Legend with brief nude scenes of overweight actresses that (partially) justify the alternate title.

I honestly see no reason why this movie should exist, it does not benefit anybody in any way. You can see a summary in the other reviews, but I will just say that I agree with what everyone else has said...this movie is truly awful. The cougar is amusing because it is more than likely just stock footage of a cougar that is poorly edited in. I saw this movie under the title "Barn of the Naked Dead" which is quite misleading. There is a barn, but I don't recall any naked dead people at all. This movie did teach me a valuable lesson, never rent a video that has an index card with an amusing title in a plastic case instead of an actual box, nothing good can come of it.

This movie. Wow. This movie.

"Worst Movie of All Time" is a pretty tough thing to decide. Do you give it to the greatest of all "worst" movies? ("Plan 9 From Outer Space") Do you give it to the most poorly put-together movie ever? ("Red Zone Cuba") Or do you control for budget differences and give it to the artistically worst movie ever? ("Batman and Robin")At the end of the day, I think you have to give it to the most unwatchable movie ever, for what are movies if not...um...things for watching? Anyway, this is it.

I remember a barn and some girls. I remember a tool with a whip saying "raise them, lower them." I remember an outhouse with a jacked-up wookie living in it, and maybe something about a cougar, but I might be making that up. The rest of the movie is basically unintelligible because the dialogue was recorded by a microphone buried 30 miles into the earth's crust. Even if you could hear it, there are no words that could soothe this awful pain as it emanates from the bleak landscape of Midwestern scrub-brush. Here's a fun game: have a competition with your friends to see how long you can go without looking at the clock. The longest we got was about five minutes, and that was only through concentrated willpower. Okay, I lied, it's not a fun game at all, but it's a way to help get through the movie. Other possible solutions: heroin, suicide, blindness or a lobotomy.

I normally love bad movies and recommend them to my friends, but this is an exception. I am not kidding here. To you bad-movie amateurs out there, take it from someone who has been to film hell and back more than once: this is not "so bad it's funny," it's just bad. In fact, it's the worst. DO NOT SEE THIS.

Weird, Disturbing Garbage

One axiom is true about any given art form: It did not exist before a person made it. One of my primary interests in evaluating art forms in a critical manner is to contemplate the motivation behind the decision to execute the work. I have no idea why anyone would have made a movie like BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD, though after seeing it I can understand why folks want to see it: Great title.

Existing these days as scummy old rental tapes [including a preposterous version called NIGHTMARE CIRCUS, that is worse if possible] and the occaisional underground re-record, I managed to snag one of the original rental tapes by Ariel Entertainment, whoever they were, and was able to assess an "uncut" 87 minute print of the film. I was not prepared for what it had to offer.

I love low rent "B" grade horror, especially European 1970's stuff, and have just begun delving into some of the American made examples beyond DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT or COUNT YORGA. I was enticed by the name Andrew Prine, a magnetic veteran actor of many a B exploitation movie romp -- his role in SIMON KING OF THE WITCHES might be one of the great overlooked performances of the 1970's. His role in BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD is one that I hope he eventually got over, because films like this can wreck a career especially when an actor throws himself into the role, something that he was not apparently able to resist. I wonder if he got to view his daily rushes, or even if there were any daily rushes -- My thought is that the entire film was shot in about a week & a half, and exposed/edited only afterwards when nobody could stop the cinematic car wreck that unfolds onscreen.

THE PLOT: Man has lived in near isolation on former Army nuclear testing grounds in Nevada [interesting premise], family having long since deserted or otherwise been rendered ioperable. Prine compensates his lack of company by sitting up in a duck tower with a rifle and putting a bullet through unsuspecting car engines.

These cars are all driven by skanky looking 70's B supporting actresses, whom he cons into coming back to his farm. There they are taken prisoner and chained inside of a large barn. The majority of the film consists of footage of the girls chained up to these little posts and cowering with fear, trembling with cold, and discussing their situation. Between conversations Prine lurches in [sometimes dressed as a big top circus M.C.] and drags one of them off to be abused -- verbally, psychologically, physically, and in the movies sole moment of true interest [though the outcome was cut], by a snake. Ahem. He also talks to himself and plays with a toy windup bigtop. He is not a person but a mannerism -- weird behavior for a movie plot with legs attached. I doubt if he was allowed a single 2nd take.

At the end of the film a not too secret horrifying secret is revealed, and everyone dies except the two girls that went crazy during their ordeal, which I guess is to make you think, "Gee ...". The End. How they all die I will leave to be a discovery for those stupid enough to seek it out: Don't let my description of a thirty second clip of Snake Sleaze tempt you: BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD just plain sucks.

The "cinemetography", on all levels of considerations, sucks. The script sucks, apparently an attempt to adapt the Ed Gein story to a contemporary "issue", though just what that issue would be remains undefined ... Be angry at the Army for atmospheric atom testing, maybe. Don't take the long scenic route when you can fly, perhaps. Watch out for maniacs that have been exposed to nuclear fallout? Nahh -- too easy. Maybe it will come to me at some point, but like I said this film seems to have been made without any real intent, unless that intention is to disturb.

And rest assured, BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD is disturbing. Folks may have some bondage romp in mind but BE WARNED: this film lacks even the slightest touch of erotic charm. There is sleaze, but it is not arousing sleaze, unless wondering how the girls go to the bathroom when chained up gives you a rise -- that was the only thing that the film made me wonder about. Then again I guess they didn't need to, since all of the barn scenes could have been shot in one afternoon, so maybe nobody had to go before they were finished.

Avoid this film. Avoid it like you would a burning car at a gas pump.

Avoid it like you would avoid an open cesspit. Avoid it like you would avoid someone with a bad case of bubonic plague. Don't be suckered in by a kinky box cover or descriptions of unspeakable horrors. They are unspeakable, allright -- so awful that I can't manage one more word.

"Nightmare Circus" (1973) starts with an intriguing premise: a group of travelers becomes trapped in a sinister circus run by a sadistic ringmaster and his troupe of deformed performers. However, the film fails to capitalize on this promising setup, delivering a disjointed and underwhelming horror experience that never quite lives up to its potential.

The film's biggest flaw lies in its incoherent storytelling and weak character development. The narrative jumps haphazardly between various subplots and set pieces, leaving little room for the audience to connect with the protagonists or invest in their plight. The characters themselves are thinly sketched and largely forgettable, serving more as fodder for the circus's sadistic acts than as fully realized individuals.

"Nightmare Circus" also struggles to find a consistent tone, veering erratically between campy humor and graphic violence. This tonal inconsistency, coupled with the film's dated and often unconvincing special effects, further undermines its ability to generate genuine scares or tension.

While "Nightmare Circus" had the potential to be a unique and unsettling entry in the horror genre, it ultimately falls short due to its disjointed narrative, weak characters, and uneven execution. Fans of cult or exploitation cinema may find some enjoyment in its more outrageous moments, but for most viewers, the film is likely to be a disappointing and forgettable experience.

The woefully underrated Andrew Prine struts through this lousy but shamefully likable mess with a casual and unaffected "yeah, but at least I'm working" charisma. In BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD aka NIGHTMARE CIRCUS, he portrays a mother-fixated psychotic who keeps a private zoo of captive women at an off-road Nevada desert property...a ruinous, weather-beaten old ranch in precarious proximity to a government nuclear testing site . The girls are a stock of resistant performers used in Prine's sadistic circus-themed psychodramas, and if that's not weird enough to win you over, there's also a radioactive mutant and a hungry black panther added to the cuckoo mix.

As addle-brained 70s shockers go, this can be pretty enjoyable if expressly accepted as the unrefined trash that it is. The overwhelming dearth of professionalism will likely be met with disapproval from a mainstream viewership, but trash-curious types and those of lax standards should find it quite embraceable.

5.5/10

Three young dancers Simone,Corine and Lisa are stranded in the Nevada desert after their car breaks down.A young man named Andre drives them to his ramshackle farm in the middle of nowhere.Unfortunately Andre is a dangerous psychopath and misogynist,who keeps women chained in a barn.He quickly becomes convinced that Simone is his long dead mother..."Barn of the Naked Dead" aka "Terror Circus" is a neglected classic of 70's horror.I can't believe the low rating this film has-it certainly deserves more positive reviews.It's sleazy and grimy horror film with several truly terrifying moments.The desert setting is completely barren and moody.The female victims of Andre are weak and utterly broken.The central performance of Andrew Prine is genuinely unsettling.There is also Prine's father,a repulsive freak deformed by atomic radiation.9 out of 10.A cult classic.

Barn of the Nekkid Dead - or Nightmare Circus - is a film about a demented young man named Andre who captures women and keeps them chained in the barn. He believes that he is the ringleader of a circus and that they are the trained animals in his act. Andre is a psychopath, but it's not all his fault - his mother left him when he was very young and his father has turned into a murderous radioactive mutant. Andre crushes rebellion among his animals by feeding would-be rebels to his pet mountain lion or to his father.

The obvious moral of the story would be that men treat women horribly, be it is more likely that the pretense of the moral is an excuse to show attractive young women chained and whipped. The best part of this movie is the ending. Help is on the way in the background from the beginning but by the time it arrives at the barn, Andre's father has killed almost everyone. It's refreshing to watch a film without a morally happy ending.

BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD

I just got finished watching this new release by Legend House and to say I was more than pleased would be an understatement. I was always fascinated by this title when I was a kid but never got a chance to see the film, but when it ran at the New Beverly a few years back as part of Eric Cadien & Brian Quinn's "Grindhouse" monthly exploitation festival in Hollywood, I was blown away. The print they had that night was okay, the print the Legend House got a hold of is great. The film looks fantastic and it sounds great. This is a fun movie, just read the title again, "Barn of the Naked Dead", if you are looking to fill your cinematic cravings with dry boring art house fodder, you will go hungry. But if you really want to have a good time you can feast on this celluloid sampler on good old fashion tasting pulp and menace. Andrew Prine gives a great performance as Andre, who has a strange but strong lineage to another alienated outcast that runs a motel and goes by the name Norman. The extras are a blast. Johnny Legend, the white bearded namesake of Legend House, has fun talking with Prine and also there is complimentary segment where Legend talks with filmmakers John Landis (who no matter what he says is enjoying being there) and other fun cult movie directors. I don't know what other reviewers are talking about when they say that this copy is not of good quality, I may not be an anal retentive cineaste like some, but I can tell you the print looks great, it is NOT a cheap VHS dupe or knock off (maybe these cinefile experts really don't know what they are talking about) and if you want to have a fun time watching something that isn't going to tax your brain and something that will tickle and entice those dark little corners of your mind, pick up Legend House release of this film.

Andrew Prine has commented that this is the one film he regrets having made. It is a straightforward exploitation piece and unsavory on several levels, yet being a pro, he manned up and earned his money, giving the character of Andre - seriously conflicted and Oedipal - a strange charisma. The son of a small time circus owner, he lives in a world of faded memorabilia and nostalgic photographs. His goal, however, is to collect, tame and train animals to perform under his schizophrenic big top, thus bringing back the magic of three-ring entertainment, with himself as ringmaster. The problem? His "animals" are women he has kidnapped and holds prisoner in a large, drafty barn on his crumbling farm. Hitch hikers, loners, stranded motorists, he has a dozen or so in his menagerie, always chained, and occasionally whipped if they perform poorly or exhibit rebelliousness. It should be noted that, although one of this film's titles is Barn of the Naked Dead, there is only a single scene with partial nudity and no sexual activity at all. One brief shot might portray an instant of lust, but it is probably an outtake. Andre seems to genuinely believe he is training animals and bestialities isn't one of his issues. A radiation-disfigured character lurks around the perimeter of the action and finally sets in motion the grand guignol plot turn which leads to an unexpected conclusion. If the film is in poor taste (and it is) what keeps it watchable is excellent photography by "E. Lynn", atmospheric backgrounds and Prine's uncanny gift for improvisation, giving even Andre a sympathetic edge. A cult classic.

Played in Seattle as TERROR CIRCUS in 1980 (!) as a bottom half of a double billing with MOTEL HELL. This film is just sick and boring at the same time. A car full of girls takes a short cut to Vegas and get stranded in the desert, only to be prisoners to a madman (Andrew Prine, who is really good in this film). The film has a bad theme song, sloppy editing, a creature who lives in a shack, and whipping girls like animals. The film is made by Alan Rudolph, who now makes art house films. Many of you might see this film and say, it can't be the same guy who made this, but it is. He also made ROADIE with meatloaf! The video print NIGHTMARE CIRCUS is grainy, and the title is video tacked in. I hear it played in most cities in the early 70's as BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD.