Circus Kane (2017)
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Clowns scare me.
Clowns, snakes, possessed dolls and tomatoes. They all frighten the crap out of me. So of course, when presented with a screener for Circus Kane, I squealed with delight! Why turn down the next opportunity of being scared out of my wits by killer clowns (NOT from outer space)?
In the same style as Rob Zombie’s 31, or James Wan’s SAW, we are invited on a ride into the most extreme haunted house since McKamey Manor. Make it through, and win $250k. Simple enough, huh?
CIRCUS KANE is the brainchild of Magician/Zombie-Doppelganger/Clown-Maven, Balthazar Kane. With his long dreadlocks and piercing white eyes, he has been apparently scaring and exciting his audiences for decades, and now…just like Willie Wonka…he has sent out golden tickets to bring a random group of horror fans into the ultimate freakshow: Kane’s home.
The motley assembly of horror buffs include a thief (Lipnicki), a club-kid, a gamer (Lawrence), a collection hoarder (the hilarious Monte) and a yuppie to mention a few. All together, they venture onto a journey into nowhere. Seriously…they are nowhere…Kane’s blood-bath residence is miles away from any form of human interaction. And help.
But so what? It’s ¼ of a million dollars!
The gang of willing participants are greeted by a “Lurch” butler (Bull, doing his thing) and locked into their first room, with video to greet them (AKA: jigsaw-style). Through multiple clues, keys and puzzles involving swinging axes, acid-heated walls and lots of barbed wire, the crew ventures into each new chamber, slowly realizing the murders are real and the blood is well, abundant! And all the while, the creepiest, and most menacing clowns are stalking throughout their adventure.
Remember child star, Jonathan Lipnicki? If unclear, then wait for the funny and fitting homage to his one-liner from Jerry Maguire…HYSTERICAL! And do NOT miss the early cameo by James Cullen Bressack – always fun to watch him appear in his films. Nice job!
Host and Ringmaster, Balthazar Kane (Abell) is fabulous! He demands the spotlight, enriching the descent into darkness to guide this group, while never wavering from the impending doom that awaits them through the gates of hell he has built. Motive stands to reason, but the snappy twist at the end (again – SAW?) is refreshing and doesn’t deter away from the pure fun of CIRCUS KANE.