(pb; 1935, 1964)
From the back cover:
"Do you dare enter the circus of Dr. Lau?
"Amazing!
"See the werewolf turn into a real flesh-and-blood woman right before your very eyes!
"Fantastic!
"See the bloody sacrifice of one live virgin to a pagan god (you yourself select the lucky lady)!
"Eerie! Terrifying! Stupendous!
"The most amazing circus the world has ever known!
"Spellbinding!
"See the famous Gorgon - one look and she can turn you to stone (just imagine the amazement of the three sailors who tried to rape her)!"
"Plus thousands more!
"Chimeras! Unicorns! Genuine Greek Satyrs!
"The Circus of Dr. Lau"
Review:
Circus is an excellent, vividly cinematic, unsettling and phantasmagorical novel, where the so-called freaks are not the freaks, but rather the small town braggarts and gawpers are, with their religious, societal judgmental attitudes and petty concerns. Dr. Lau's flowery-on-the-surface speeches to the all-Caucasian tourists are canny and subversive in their stinging, effective assessments: he knows the latent racism and other just-below-the-surface arrogance that underlies the "American Dream," and he's not afraid to rub his patrons' faces in it even as he takes their money.
Politically correct and other easily offended readers who like PG-rated writing should not read this, as many of the phrases and for-mature-readers-only scenes could be considered off-putting (remember Circus was published in 1935, when certain phrases and attitudes were deemed publicly acceptable).
Circus - a welcome, fantastical rebuttal to generic, stale writing - is not only worth owning, it's worth re-reading at a later date, perhaps in a few years. Own this, already.
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The resulting film, 7 Faces of Dr. Lau, premiered stateside on March 18, 1964 (in Denver, Colorado). It received a wide stateside release on July 22 of that year.
George Pal directed the film, from a script by Charles Beaumont and an uncredited Ben Hecht.
Tony Randall played a variety of roles in the film: Dr. Lau, The Abominable Snowman, Merlin the Magician, Apollonius of Tyana, Pan, The Giant Serpent and Medusa.
Barbara Eden played Angela Benedict. Arthur O'Connell played Clint Stark. John Ericson played Ed Cunningham, as well as the "Transformed Pan." Noah Beery Jr. played Tim Mitchell.
Lee Patrick played Mrs. Howard Cassin. Minerva Urecal played Kate Lindquist. Frank Kreig played Peter Ramsey. Peggy Rea played Mrs. Peter Ramsey. Royal Dano played Carey. Argentina Brunetti played Sarah Benedict.
John Doucette played Lucas. Dal McKennon played "Lean Cowboy." Frank Cady played Mayor James Sargent. Douglas Fowley played "Toothless Cowboy."
(pb; 1962)
From the back cover:
"What if someone knew your secret dream, that one great wish you would give anything for?
"And what if that person suddenly made your dream come true - before you learn the price you have to pay. . .
"Something Wicked This Way Comes. . . is the story of two boys who encounter the sinister wonders of Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show. They will soon discover the show's awful mystery - a mystery that will change the life of every person it touches."
Review:
The melancholy, affright and exuberance of youth (as embodied by tweens Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway) and being middle-aged, as embodied by Charles Halloway, Jim's father, skeleton, theme and suffuse this fantastic, yet focused novel about a late night carnival whose hidden, twisted rot can be sniffed amidst its otherwise sweet-scent promises. . . this was one of the first novels I read as a child that made my eyes go agog with wonder at the magic of the printed word - an ongoing frisson I continue to believe in, along with Something's PG-rated, sometimes whimsical, sometimes grim core: life itself.
Worth owning, and re-reading at varied annual intervals.
#
This novel has been filmed twice.
The first movie version, a UK production, was released in the UK in 1972. It starred Ben Clennell, Mark Ashman, Tony Collins, Jenny Glennell, and others actors. Who played what role is not listed by imdb.com. Collin Finbow directed.
#
The second, more widely known film version was released stateside on April 29, 1983.
Jason Robards played Charles Halloway. Jonathan Pryce played Mr. Dark. Vidal Peterson played Will Halloway. Shawn Carson played Jim Nightshade.
Royal Dano played Tom Fury. Pam Grier played Dust Witch. Mary Grace Canfield played Miss Foley. Ellen Geer played Mrs. Halloway. Diane Ladd played Mrs. Nightshade.
Bruce M. Fischer played Mr. Cooger. Scott De Roy played "Cooger as a Young Man". Brendan Klinger played "Cooger as a Child". Richard Davalos played Mr. Crosetti. Jake Dengel played Mr. Tetley. Jack Dodson played Dr. Douglas.
An uncredited Phil Fondacaro played "Demon Clown". Arthur Hill was the voice of the "Narrator".
Jack Clayton directed the film, from a screenplay by book author Ray Bradbury.
(pb; 1952)
From the back cover:
"Lou Ford is the deputy sheriff of a small town in Texas. The worst thing people can say against him is that he's a little slow and a little boring. But, then, most people don't know about the sickness -- the sickness that almost got Lou put away when he was younger. The sickness that is about to surface again."
Review:
Killer is a brisk paced, often chilling first-person account, seen from the point of view of the murder-minded Lou Ford. This account takes place during Ford's latest round of assault, robbery and killing. Harsh, gets-under-your-skin stuff that made this reader want to be a little less trusting than usual when dealing with someone who seems exceptionally kind or easy-going.
Check this out.
#
Two film versions resulted from this novel. Both versions kept the book's title.
The first version was released stateside in October 1976. Burt Kennedy directed the film, from a screenplay by Ed Mann and Robert Chamblee.
Stacy Keach played Lou Ford. Susan Tyrell played Joyce Lakeland. Tisha Sterling played Amy Stanton. Keenan Wynn played Chester Conway. Don Stroud played Elmer. Charles McGraw played Howard Hendricks. John Dehner played Bob Maples. John Carradine played Dr. Smith. Royal Dano played Father.
#
The second version was released stateside on June 8, 2010. Michael Winterbottom directed, from a script by he co-authored with John Curran.
Casey Affleck played Lou Ford. Kate Hudson played Amy Stanton. Jessica Alba played Joyce Lakeland. Ned Beatty played Chester Conway. Elias Koteas played Joe Rothman. Tom Bower played Sheriff Bob Maples. Simon Baker played Howard Hendricks. Bill Pullman played Billy Boy Walker. Matthew Maher played Deputy Jeff Plummer.
