Synopsis: A family gets a job at a carnival to covertly look for their son who went missing. Before long they are deep in the sinister world of Malatesta and his army of underground ghouls.
Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood has a bit of lore behind it. This flick was the first and only film from the directing/writing duo of Christopher Speeth and Werner Liepolt. It was “allegedly”
screened once in 1973 before being pulled due to an extremely negative audience response. It didn’t surface again until the Arrow Video DVD/Blu-ray in 2017. Becoming a bit of an underground cult classic amongst hardcore horror fans.
The plot of Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood isn’t very complicated but the execution is a bit of an unorganized fever dream. The Norris family acquire a position at a dilapidated carnival in search of their missing son. One of the “perks” is living in a trailer on the premises. Allowing them to do their sleuthing under the cover of night. Slowly they begin to realize that the enigmatic owner, Malatesta Daniel Dietrich and his minion Blood Jerome Dempsey are a little more than just carnival owners. You see, in the limestone caverns below the amusement park, there are hordes of cannibalistic ghouls controlled by Malatesta.
These ghouls spend their time underground, watching silent horror movies projected on the wall. Waiting for Sticker William Preston, the zombie-like groundskeeper or Blood to deliver them fresh victims. That’s when shit gets weird. A trio of cannibals break into minstrel type songs while the rest devour flesh. Hey, who doesn’t like dinner and a show?
Before long, Malatesta’s little menagerie of goblins and demons run amok. Chasing down the Norris’. But not before we are treated to various other characters meeting their untimely demise. From rollercoaster beheadings to a relentless groundskeeper with a penchant for stabbing things with a pointy stick. You just can’t have an easy night being employed here.
This was definitely someone’s first attempt at a film. It’s evident in the scattered approach. However, I did enjoy it and I’m wondering how it never popped up on my radar before. I mean, it has elements that I enjoy and even a small (forgive the pun) part for Herve Villechaize prior to his stint on Fantasy Island in the late 70’s. I didn’t hate it and with a 75 minute runtime I can see myself revisiting it again.
This film felt like an art school project and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Yes I noticed questionable editing and even a cameraman’s shadow on the wall. But among the overtly fake looking blood and juvenile effects we are treated to some trippy, somewhat horrifying scenes. At least for us with Pediophobia (fear of dolls). I’m talking about a scene at about the 30 minute mark. Here we see the Norris’ daughter Vena Janine Carazo wandering through a “fun house” filled with some of the most disturbing looking wood carved dolls. Among the dreamlike, ethereal shots and offbeat sets there lurks an uneasy feeling. At least for me.
Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood isn’t one I would recommend to the casual viewer though. The value lies in those that like to dig deep and find those little cult classic gems. If that sounds like you, I found this one streaming on Tubi.
3 out of 5
Grab your popcorn, kill the lights and join me again tomorrow as we continue our journey on this strange little trip down the 31 Days of Horror rabbit hole. See you soon…
