Berserk

A string of murders besets a ringmaster’s (Joan Crawford) traveling circus.

Berserk is a campy thriller buoyed by some entertaining performances and circus acts.

Joan Crawford and Michael Gough seem to take their roles with just the right amount of salt. Granted, the proposed attraction between Ty Hardin and Crawford is laughable (Crawford was 25 years his senior), but she plays it well, and is just bitchy enough to be entertaining.

Another plus is the circus scenes. Unlike say, Circus World, Berserk actually conveys some of the wonder and entertainment that drew audiences to the traveling shows in years past (love those poodles!).

Sadly, the rest of the movie is pretty rough. There’s an ill-conceived musical number that features some awful lip-synching, and a finale that is so absurd you can’t help but laugh. Topping off these problems is an almost complete lack of gore, which is unfortunate because some over-the-top blood could have turned this into a wicked black comedy.

For Crawford fans, or fans of camp films, this might be an interesting curio, but others should stay away.