The Devil’s Carnival (2012)

Number Rolled: 29

Movie Name/Year: The Devil’s Carnival (2012)

Genre: Horror

Length: 55 minutes

Rating: NR

Production Companies: Empire Film & Entertainment Group

Executive Producer: James Cotton, Thomas M. Kastelz, Steve Ruff

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Writer: Terrance Zdunich

Actors: Sean Patrick Flanery, Briana Evigan, Jessica Lowndes, Terrance Zdunich, Dayton Callie, Emilie Autumn, Ivan L. Moody, Marc Senter, Nivek Ogre, Alexa PenaVega, Bill Moseley, Mighty Mike Murga, Shawn Crahan, Maggie Rose Lally, Paul Sorvino, Tillman Norsworthy

John, Ms. Merrywood, and Tamara have all led sinful lives. On the eve of their destruction, they go to hell where they must endure the punishment for their crimes.

My very first thought while I was watching was, “what the fuck is happening on my screen?” After a little bit of plot and a couple of songs, I got sucked in.

It’s important to note that this is a musical. Not a musical the way Frozen is a musical. With movies like Frozen, you don’t necessarily have to be a hardcore fan of musicals. The story and plot are bolstered by the songs, but would be strong without them. The Devil’s Carnival is a hardcore musical. Only true fans of the genre will enjoy it. The music is an absolute necessity and takes up the majority of the film.

I happen to like musicals.

The plot is based around an interpretation of hell as a carnival. The lost souls are tortured through various staged versions of Aesop’s Fables. It’s an interesting take on some very familiar stories.

According to IMDB, Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Repo! The Genetic Opera, 11-11-11) and Terrance Zdunich (Repo! The Genetic Opera, Art Department: Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles, Art Department: What We Do Is Secret) have indicated that this is only part 1 of the story. In fact, part 2 already exists (The Devil’s Carnival: Alleluia!) and part 3 is rumored to have already been written.

I’d love to see the continuation of this story. It was amazing.

Surreal and very strange, but amazing.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 69%

Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 5/5

Trust-the-Dice Score – 4/5

The Random Rating: PG-13

P.S. An extra scene/song during the credits.

Movie Trailer: