History Main / CircusofFear

* This is the theme of two levels in ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry Donkey Kong Country 2]]''. Interestingly, these circus levels have [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic nice music]], and a fun MineCartMadness design. However, it's a tad [[FridgeLogic odd]] that levels in the same section of the game, including the boss fight, take place [[EverythingsWorseWithBees inside a giant beehive]].
** Possibly Krazy Kremland was intentionally built in a pantanous, bee-infested area to try and keep any apes away. Or, given how run-down it is (there's a bramble level ''inside'' the park area) it was a normal amusement park before, but it became abandoned in such a way the Zingers made their hives there.

* Appearing in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' spinoff game ''Mordheim'', and referenced in Warhammer too, is the Carnival of Chaos, a circus staffed by Chaos worshippers and daemons of Nurgle (who, despite being the Chaos God of despair, is a rather jovial fellow). The show itself probably isn't that bad, but it spreads deadly diseases wherever it performs.

* ''Series/AceLightning'''s appropriately named Carnival of [[strike:Dum]] Doom.

*** And the heartstring tugging [[spoiler: (for a parent, at least) "Is that really what I look like to you?" When [[PapaWolf Augustus Aquato]] finally sees himself through his son's eyes. ]]

* [[Wrestling/JohnTenta The]] [[Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}} Oddities]], in 1998 Wrestling/{{WWE}}, started as this, as a traveling carnival freak show complete with creepy music led by [[Characters/WWEManagers the Jackyl]]. The group [[HeelFaceTurn turned Face (Good)]], and the Jackyl was replaced by Wrestling/{{Sable}}, and the Music/InsaneClownPosse came on board and would rap their new theme song, "Oddities", as the group danced down to the ring. ICP later [[FaceHeelTurn turned heel]] on their way out of WWE in late 1998. The Oddities, by early 1999 down to Golga (John Tenta), Kurrgan, [[Characters/WWEAttitude the Giant Silva]] and [[Characters/WWERockNWrestling George "The Animal" Steele]], suffered through BadassDecay[=/=]RedemptionDemotion and were released in February 1999.

* [[Wrestling/JohnTenta The]] [[Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}} Oddities]], in 1998 Wrestling/{{WWE}}, started as this, as a traveling carnival freak show complete with creepy music led by [[BigBad the Jackyl]]. The group [[HeelFaceTurn turned Face (Good)]], and the Jackyl was replaced by Wrestling/{{Sable}}, and the Music/InsaneClownPosse came on board and would rap their new theme song, "Oddities", as the group danced down to the ring. ICP later [[FaceHeelTurn turned heel]] on their way out of WWE in late 1998. The Oddities, by early 1999 down to Golga (John Tenta), Kurrgan, the Giant Silva and [[Characters/WWERockNWrestling George "The Animal" Steele]], suffered through BadassDecay[=/=]RedemptionDemotion and were released in February 1999.

** 1st edition supplement ''Adventure Pack I'', adventure "The Circus of Gandolfo". The title circus is just a cover for a DoctorFrankenstein-like MadScientist who likes to kidnap people and perform bizarre experiments on them.

* The setting for the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}} novel ''Carnival of Fear''.

* "Circus of the Dead", a short e-book by Seth Blackburn, is about a circus that features a real zombie as it's main attraction. As is expected, [[GoneHorriblyWrong things don't end well]].
* The Goosebumps book "Welcome to Horrorland", which spawned a sequel (Return to Horrorland) and two spinoff series (Goosebumps: HorrorLand and Goosebumps: Hall of Horrors).

* According to the short story "A Boy and His Monster" in ''StarWars: TalesFromJabbasPalace'', Malakili the Rancor Keeper was previously employed by the Circus Horrificus, where Hutts paid to see weird creatures get tortured to death.

* The first ''ShiningForce'' game for the Genesis had a circus-based level, with a powerful marionette heading up the attacking forces ([[MonsterClown clowns]] included).

* The theme park from ''SilentHill3'' is the Dark Silent Hill version of a theme park. Come for the faceless fairytale characters, stay for the hooded, twitching carousel flesh-horses and dark echoes of previous lives!

* The first mission of Circus Park in ''BillyHatcherAndTheGiantEgg'' certainly fits the bill.

* The Nation of Fools from ''CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin''. Enemy types include demonic clowns and evil acrobats. The circus appears to be in some post apocalyptic world surrounding a black hole. [[spoiler:At the end of the level, the black hole turns out to be the level boss Legion.]]

*** Also ''ShadowTheHedgehog'' has Circus Park, which is also an AmusementParkOfDoom.

* Donbalon's stage from ''{{Nights}}: Journey of Dreams'' probably qualifies for this.
* {{Neopets}} has the flash game aptly named ''Carnival of Terror'' and has a world called The Deserted Fairground. Both are located in the Haunted Woods.
* ''{{KISS}} Psycho Circus'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin
* One of the levels in ''{{Painkiller}}: Overdose'' features a spooky circus of doom.

* The titular ''RobotCarnival'' is one of these. It used to be a normal circus, but years of wear turned it into this and it turns the citizens into the towns it visits into its new performers. Or just [[StuffBlowingUp makes them explode]].
* The season 1 finale of ''TeamGalaxy'' features this, where the circus clowns kidnap humans for their performances.

* In Tite Kubo's short lived ''ZombiePowder'', Balmunk has a Circus of Pain/Fear that just springs up from the ground.
* The third [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxcqoCjRPTE opening]] of ''(Goku) SayonaraZetsubouSensei''.
* ''CatSoup'' has one, featuring a woman getting dismembered and a giant bird that's swallowed clouds (that ends up causing a flood).

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker likes doing variations of this in the various ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' incarnations. Most famously, he buys an AmusementParkOfDoom in ''TheKillingJoke'' and crews it with circus freaks, using it to [[spoiler: attempt to drive Commissioner Gordon insane by showing him naked pictures he'd taken of Gordon's daughter after he shot her through the spine.]] And there was a song.
* Also from Batman, in GrantMorrison's ''Batman and Robin'', the first arc features an evil circus troupe lead by the Nightmare Fuel inducing Professor Pyg. In the second issue, the new Robin visits the actual circus and more Nightmare Fuel starts when he is attacked by Professor Pyg's masked henchmen.

* ''TheRealGhostbusters'' fought a ghost-circus in their comic-book incarnation. The zombie elephants were somewhat creepy.
* The second arc in the first volume of ''IHuntMonsters'' has the heroes dealing with a circus run by werewolves.

* The BigBad for the movie ''WereBackADinosaursStory'' runs a 'literal' Circus of Fear. Everything in it is geared towards horror. Except for the clown, ironically enough.
* The obscure film known as ''FelixTheCat: TheMovie'' takes place in one of these for most of the film, since the BigBad sends the DamselInDistress there to perform for his amusement.

* ''AIArtificialIntelligence'' and its "Flesh Fair".

* In several IncarnationsOfImmortality books, ghosts run an ethereal amusement park, where the ghosts try, and often succeed, in scaring the visitors. Amusingly, people kissing seems to scare the ghosts, in return. However, the rest of the amusement park is typical, if ghostly, fare such as a smoke ring toss.

* ''AceLightning'''s appropriately named Carnival of [[strike:Dum]] Doom.

* Papa Lazarou's circus in ''TheLeagueOfGentlemen'' might qualify as a subversion. While Papa Lazarou's appearance is pure Nightmare Fuel and he spends all his spare time kidnapping women ("You're my wife now!") Royston Vasey is already so full of freaks that the circus soon flees in terror, as the town is too weird even for them.
* ''{{Carnivale}}'' embodies this.

* An episode of ''MutantX'' dealt with a travelling circus led by a man whose power was to trap people inside funhouse mirrors.

* The artwork for Mr. Bungle's self-titled first album centers around this trope, as does the song Carousel (off the same album).

* Circus Apocalypse by the dark caberet act, Vermillion Lies.

* Wrestling/DoinkTheClown, naturally.

* The ''OldWorldOfDarkness'' has the Midnight Circus.
* The Swords & Sorcery ''ScarredLands'' setting has a Circus of Fear ''nation''. The Carnival of Tears in Blood Bayou.

** The titular organisation from {{Ravenloft}}'s Carnival box set seems like this at first, with the workers divided roughly between mutated freaks and [[EnemyMime spooky, utterly silent folks in bizarre face paint]], many of which work as [[MonsterClown rather disturbing clowns,]] but it actually subverts the trope. The Carnival is one of the most accepting and hospitable places in the Demiplane of Dread, and most of the workers are good people. Most of them... there are some members who are actually evil, though they've managed to hide this from their fellows. One of the options for the true nature of Isolde, their leader, (and which has more or less been adopted as the truth), is that [[spoiler: she's a rogue angel who came to Ravenloft to pursue the [[HornyDevils incubus]] known as the Gentleman Caller, with the Twisting resulting from the interaction between her nature and the sheer corrupt nature of Ravenloft]]. The original workers for Isolade's Carnival, however, are escapees from a now-dead Darklord called "The Puppetmaster", who ruled a domain (the Carnival l'Morai) that played this trope straight (''Carnival of Fear'', mentioned in Literature above, deals with the original domain, not the current Carnival).

** In the ''NewWorldOfDarkness'', ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'' gives us the vampiric bloodline called the Carnival. Every last vampire of the bloodline bears a circus-freak deformity (their founder suffered from sirenalia, and was billed as "the Andalusian Mermaid"), and they often act as traveling or static carnivals, the better to hide in plain sight.
* The {{Pathfinder}} module ''Carnival of Tears'' showcases a carnival where icy fey have taken over, and are slaughtering the attending townsfolk in gruesomely creative ways. No one notices, due to powerful illusion magic that replaces every event of horror with a completely normal, even enjoyable, carnival scene.

* The Pale Moon clan of CardfightVanguard is less grisly than most other examples on the page, appearing to all intents and purposes a regular circus run by FetishFuelStationAttendant performers, but these staff are monsters, the circus animals are chimera, and one stronger performer of note is a {{giant}} UncannyValleyGirl.

* The higher levels of play in the MMORPG ''CityOfHeroes'' include a "Circus of Fear"-style villain group called the Carnival of Shadows.

* This is the theme of two levels in ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry Donkey Kong Country 2]]''. Interestingly, these circus levels have [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome nice music]], and a fun MineCartMadness design. However, it's a tad [[FridgeLogic odd]] that levels in the same section of the game, including the boss fight, take place [[EverythingsWorseWithBees inside a giant beehive]].

** Furthermore, the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music]] fits the bill completely. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1BrVVFaF-Q Just listen to it.]]

* In the MarvelUniverse, the Circus of Crime was a front for criminal activity. It consisted of guys like Bruto the Strongman, Princess Python, the Human Cannonball, the Great Gambonnos, the Clown, Live Wire, and the variously threatening-and-not so much Ringmaster, whose [[NiceHat hypnotic hat]] was often the key to his schemes. Generally less overtly creepy and homicidal than other examples of this trope, the Circus of Crime is mostly in it for the money.

* A lot of TomWaits' stuff, especially the albums "Swordfishtrombones", "Frank's Wild Years", "Rain Dogs", "Alice" (which includes a song about Johnny Eck), "The Black Rider", and "Blood Money".

* Music/InsaneClownPosse's appearance and Dark Carnival mythos is based on this trope. Many of their songs, including "Murder Go Round", "House of Mirrors", "Halls of Illusion" and "Tilt-a-Whirl" relate to Circus, or rather, Carnival of Fear-based themes.
* The cover art, title track and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXrUKjTV7t0 its music video]], and associated merchandise (comic books, action figures and a CD-ROM game) of the 1998 {{KISS}} album ''Psycho Circus'' make use of this concept.

* NoxArcana's CD ''Carnival of Lost Souls'' is based on [[Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes ''Something Wicked This Way Comes'']], so features one of these.
* EmersonLakeAndPalmer and their "Karn Evil 9". ''Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...''
* BobDylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man," if the lyrics are taken literally, takes place at least partially in a Circus Of Fear.

* A lot of HannahFury's music evokes feelings of this, but [[http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858568453 "Carnival Justice (The Gloves Come Off)"]] especially makes use of some creepy carnival imagery.

* Pink's Funhouse Tour featured quite a few freakish clowns. The name comes from one of her songs: "This used to be a fun house/But now it's full of [[MonsterClown evil clowns]]".
* The song Greasepaint and Monkeybrains by [[Music/RobZombie White Zombie]]. It even starts with a circus calliope breaking down mid-song.
* PoetsOfTheFall has the awesome song/music video"[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRVrQsdWDds Carnival of Rust]]". It is run down. It is creepy. It has a girl in a gas mask. It. Is. Awesome.
* The ConceptAlbum ''The New World's Fair'' by MichaelMoorcock and his band Deep Fix (yes, [[HiddenDepths Michael Moorcock sang and wrote songs]]!) involves the denizens of a carnival in a post-apocalyptic world.

* The circus folk in Panic At The Disco's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc6vsl5dkc "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"]] are a subversion since, while definitely creepy, they're actually the good guys.

''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes'', a novella written by Creator/RayBradbury and published in 1962 and turned into a movie in 1983, is a big inspiration for this trope, although the 1919 movie ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari'' is probably the TropeMaker.

* ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari'' is probably the TropeMaker.

* Marvel villain Arcade's deadly amusement park, Murderworld, also has elements of the CircusOfFear, and so far hasn't fallen to VillainDecay. Probably because he has so many Murderworlds.

* The song Greasepaint and Monkeybrains by WhiteZombie. It even starts with a circus calliope breaking down mid-song.

* Take your average CircusOfFear, add in [[LethalLavaLand untold volumes of molten rock]] for all the geothermal power you'll ever need, have the whole thing built in a week due to harnessing the powers of a monster, and staff it with robots out the ass. [[SonicTheHedgehog Welcome to Eggmanland.]] Enjoy your stay.

** The reboot gives us Sweet Tooth's Carnival of Carnage, built by his worshipers [[spoiler: in remembrance of his death at the hands of Calypso's wish granting]]. Not only is it a mobile carnival, its a CircusOfFear HumongousMecha BaseOnWheels MilitaryMashUpMachine flanked by many [[MonsterClown psychotic clowns]] carrying [[ChainsawGood chainsaws]], [[ActionBomb suicide bombs]] and/or piloting [[TransformingMecha transforming]] [[BadHumorTruck ice cream trucks]]. And the ''entire thing'' is the FinalBoss. Just friggin' look at it [[http://cghub.com/files/Image/200001-201000/200758/520_large.jpg]]

* The yearly summer sideshow event in KillingFloor turns all the specimens into circus-themed versions of themselves. For instance, the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast flesh pound]] becomes the flesh clown, and the patriarch becomes a ringmaster. There is also a map made for said event called "Abusement Park."

''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes'', a novella written by RayBradbury and published in 1962 and turned into a movie in 1983, is a big inspiration for this trope, although the 1919 movie ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari'' is probably the TropeMaker.

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker likes doing variations of this in the various ''Comicbook/{{Batman}}'' incarnations. Most famously, he buys an AmusementParkOfDoom in ''TheKillingJoke'' and crews it with circus freaks, using it to [[spoiler: attempt to drive Commissioner Gordon insane by showing him naked pictures he'd taken of Gordon's daughter after he shot her through the spine.]] And there was a song.

* One of the levels in ''{{Painkiller}}: Overdose'' features a spooky circus OfDoom.

** ScoobyDoo uses this trope ''a lot''. Circuses, carnivals, [[AmusementParkOfDoom amusement parks]], or anything similar.

* One episode of ''SoWeird''.

* ''DungeonsAndDragons''

* In the 2013 Broadway revival of ''Pippin'', the ShowWithinAShow "Pippin, His Life and Times" is specifically being performed by a circus troupe (with performers from the RealLife Canadian troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main). The reason it's this trope is that over the course of the production, particularly in the second act, matters become increasingly disturbing until the GrandFinale - [[spoiler:where the players try to convince Pippin to commit a dramatic suicide in order to be "Extraordinary". When he refuses, the Lead Player becomes hostile and takes away the "magical illusions" of the show and he and the company encourage members of the audience to come and take Pippin's place. Because "we're right inside in your heads!"]].

* In the 2013 Broadway revival of ''Pippin'', the ShowWithinAShow "Pippin, His Life and Times" is specifically being performed by a circus troupe (with performers from the RealLife Canadian troupe Les 7 Doights de la Main). The reason it's this trope is that over the course of the production, particularly in the second act, matters become increasingly disturbing until the GrandFinale - [[spoiler:where the players try to convince Pippin to commit a dramatic suicide in order to be "Extraordinary". When he refuses, the Lead Player becomes hostile and takes away the "magical illusions" of the show and he and the company encourage members of the audience to come and take Pippin's place. Because "we're right inside in your heads!"]].

* In the 2013 revival of ''Pippin'', the ShowWithinAShow "Pippin, His Life and Times" is being performed by a circus troupe. Over the course of the production, particularly in the second act, the production becomes increasingly disturbing until the GrandFinale- [[spoiler:where the players try to convince Pippin to commit a dramatic suicide in order to make an impressive impact. When he refuses, the Lead Player becomes hostile and takes away the "magical illusions" of the show, while at the same time encouraging members of the audience to come an take Pippin's place. Because apparently, the players are already in our heads.]]