CIRQUE DU FREAK - THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT

CIRQUE DU FREAK – THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT is a fantasy adventure story, based on Darren Shan’s popular books, about a young boy who becomes half vampire and joins a travelling circus. The film was classified ‘12A’ for moderate violence and fantasy horror images.

There are several fight scenes in the film as various gangs of vampires battle it out. All of the characters involved are superhuman in some way and survive being beaten and thrown around without showing any sign of real injury. Often the violence is blurry and flurried as the characters move around at high speed so it is difficult to make out individual blows, and each scene is intercut with comic moments that undercut any sense of real threat. Even when weapons, such as knives, are used there is no sight of blood and, again, the characters being struck are fantasy creatures rather than humans who might suffer more severe injuries. In this fantasy context the moderate violence does not breach the BBFC Guidelines at ‘12A’ which state that ‘moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood’.

CIRQUE DU FREAK – THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT also contains some fantasy horror images when the circus performers are introduced. These are either fantasy creatures, such as a werewolf, or superhuman characters who have their magical powers such as being able to remove limbs and have them reform instantly. They are all presented as amiable, friendly characters who are not scary or threatening and their presence does not constitute the sort of sustained horror that would not be allowable at ‘12A’.

The film also contains some mild language, including uses of ‘jerk’, ‘crap’ and ‘shit’ as well as occasional mild sex references such as a boy commenting that a passing werewolf had ‘scratched his balls’.