Vampire Circus

Late period Hammer films (like late period Shaw Brothers films) were in a strange state: Sometimes desperately trying to get away from their old gothic style, but seemingly unable to make completely contemporary looking or feeling movies. Most of them ramped up the sex, gore and weirdness, some, like Vampire Circus reached the much coveted (by me) unreality of a dream. Very much like continental European movies had done for years.
Some of the most competent villagers I have seen in this kind of film destroy the local child-killing, wife-seducing vampire count (every village and small town had one once, if gothic horror is to be believed) and his castle, the latter surprisingly not by throwing their torches at stone walls, but with gunpowder. Of course the count curses the villagers.
Fifteen years later the town/village/who knows is stricken by a mysterious disease and quarantined by their charming neighbors. The blockade notwithstanding "The Circus of Night" arrives in town, and even more people begin to die.

This is probably the most surreal Hammer film. It plays fast and loose with concepts like logic and plot, replacing them with strangeness and pretty colors, which almost always is the way to go in horror movies.
Only the finale is a letdown. It hinges too much on non-stupid people acting like complete idiots - even for my tastes. Still very much recommended.