The Theatre Bizarre (2012)

33% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
37% of users liked it
(755 ratings)

Down a seedy city street, a young woman is obsessed with what appears to be a long abandoned theatre. One night, she sees the front door slightly ajar and impulsively decides to sneak inside. But there in the vast, eerie auditorium, a show unlike any other unfolds before her eyes. Its host is an odd… More Down a seedy city street, a young woman is obsessed with what appears to be a long abandoned theatre. One night, she sees the front door slightly ajar and impulsively decides to sneak inside. But there in the vast, eerie auditorium, a show unlike any other unfolds before her eyes. Its host is an odd marionette-like man who will introduce her to six tales of the truly bizarre: A couple traveling in a remote part of the French Pyrenees crosses paths with a lustful witch; A paranoid lover faces the wrath of a partner who has been pushed to her limit; The Freudian dreams of an unfaithful husband blur the lines between fantasy and reality; The horrors of the real world are interpreted through the mind of a child; A woman addicted to other people's memories gets her fix through the fluid of her victims' eyeballs; And a perverse obsession with sweets turns sour for a couple in too deep. But as the stories unfold, something strange is happening to the woman. Something irreversible and horrific. -- (C) W2

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo
Written By: Zach Chassler, Richard Stanley
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: Jan 27, 2012 Limited
On DVD: Apr 24, 2012
Studio: W2 Media

Critic Reviews

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post
These elements may be shocking and even bizarre. But, like a lot of midnight-movie provocations, they soon turn predictable.
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org
The Theatre Bizarre is a delicious horror buffet with some gore-geous treats and gruesome confections.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
As with most anthology efforts, only a few of the segments truly shine, yet the production as a whole carries itself confidently and shares a few scattered pleasures.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Absent anything scary or even shocking, the only question is why Enola sticks around for all six shorts. Or why the filmmakers think we would.
Brent Simon, Shockya.com
A macabre horror anthology that suffers from a couple weak entries weighing it down, but still compares relatively favorably to the qualitative mean established by Anchor Bay's 'Masters of Horror' series a few years back.
John Hazelton, Screen International
Several of the segments make up for their lack of polish with a clear relish for their genre.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

August S

Grotesque, dark, creepy and (living up to its title) very bizarre indeed. Some stories felt vapid, yes, while some were interesting and bizarre enough to satisfy every horror fan as myself. The gores were over-the-top and very painful to watch that it felt uncomfortably good. The… More
Grotesque, dark, creepy and (living up to its title) very bizarre indeed. Some stories felt vapid, yes, while some were interesting and bizarre enough to satisfy every horror fan as myself. The gores were over-the-top and very painful to watch that it felt uncomfortably good. The Theater Bizarre has made me stand to my seat and scream for an encore.

Cast

            Udo Kier as Peg Poett  (Theatre Guignol)

            Virginia Newcomb as Enola Penny  (Theatre Guignol)

            Amanda Marquardt as Squalid Woman  (Theatre Guignol)

            Ameila Gotham as Gypsy  (Theatre Guignol)

            Jeremy Gladen as Naked Man  (Theatre Guignol)

            Liberty Larsen as Little Girl (Theatre Guignol)

            Brett Laudermilk as Naked Man  (Theatre Guignol)

            Christopher Sachs as Groom  (Theatre Guignol)

            Nicole Fabbri as Bride  (Theatre Guignol)

            Catriona MacColl as Mère Antoinette  (The Mother of Toads)

            Shane Woodward as Martin  (The Mother of Toads)

            Victoria Maurette as Karina  (The Mother of Toads)

            Lisa Crawford as The Naked Witch  (The Mother of Toads)

            Amélie Salomon as The Monster (The Mother of Toads)

            André Hennicke as Axel  (I Love You)

            Susan Anbeh as Mo  (I Love You)

            Harvey Friedman as George  (I Love You)

            Cynthia Barcomi as Mo's Sister (I Love You)

            Christian Maria Goebel as Mo's Brother-in-law  (I Love You)

            Debbie Rochon as Carla  (Wet Dreams)

            Tom Savini as Dr. Maurey  (Wet Dreams)

            James Gill as Donnie  (Wet Dreams)

            Jodii Christianson as Maxine  (Wet Dreams)

            Halfbreed Billy Gram as Dungeon Master  (Wet Dreams)

            Lena Kleine as Mother  (The Accident)

            Melodie Simmard as Daughter  (The Accident)

            Jean-Paul Rivière as Motorcycle Father  (The Accident)

            Bruno Décary as Motorcyle Son (The Accident)

            Kaniehtiio Horn as The Writer  (Vision Stains)

            Cynthia Wu-Maheux as Junkie Girl  (Vision Stains)

            Imogen Haworth as Pregnant Woman  (Vision Stains)

            Rachelle Glait as Older Homeless Woman (Vision Stains)

            Alex Ivanovici as Junkie Man (Vision Stains)

            Lindsay Goranson as Estelle  (Sweets)

            Guilford Adams as Greg (Sweets)

            Lynn Lowry as Mikela  (Sweets)

            Jessica Remmers as Antonia (Sweets)

            Elissa Dowling as Subs (Sweets)

            Erin Marie Hogan as Test Tube Baby (Sweets)

            Jeff Dylan Graham as Buzz (Sweets)

            Dave Grave as Old Punk (Sweets)

            Gregg Shore as Guitarist  (Sweets)

            Erica Rhodes as Cellist (Sweets)

            Tree Carr as Kissing Couple  (Sweets)

            Adam Carr as Kissing Couple (Sweets)

            Jeffrey Block as Chef  (Sweets)

            Damon Packard as Sous-Chef  (Sweets)

            Bobby Hacker as Restaurant Patron (Sweets)

            Adam Keese as Restaurant Patron  (Sweets)

            Andrew Schwartz as Restaurant Patron (Sweets)

            Jill Snyder as Restaurant Patron  (Sweets)

            Whitney Moore as Restaurant Patron (Sweets)

            Lorry O'Toole as Server (Sweets)

            Julietta Randall as Server (Sweets)

            Amelia M. Gotham
            
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