**_Direct-to-video carnival horror is worth checking out_** Five teens visit a traveling carnival full of freaks in greater Los Angeles, but make the mistake of offending the ringmaster (Phil Fondacaro). Will any of them make it out? “SideShow” (2000) comes in the tradition of "The Funhouse" from 19 years earlier, as well as the long amusement park sequence in the contemporaneous "Urban Legends: Final Cut." The future “Hell Fest” (from 2018) also comes to mind. This had a much lower budget, however, being a direct-to-video production that only cost $120,000 (which would be equivalent to almost $220,000 as of this writing). Despite the micro-budget, it delivers the goods as an entertaining freakshow type flick. The make-up is fairly impressive and grotesque. There’s also a little top nudity concerning Digestina, played by Shyra Deland (just a heads up). Petite brunette Jessi Keenan stands out on the feminine front as Melanie; but Brinke Stevens as Madame Volosca and Curran Sympson as Aelita are worth a mention. It’s short ‘n’ sweet at 1 hour, 14 minutes, and was shot at Ray Corrigan Ranch, which is a 45-minute drive northwest of Los Angeles (just before Semi Valley). GRADE: B-

There are certainly some tropes on display in this movie, but tropes are tropes because they work, and they work in this movie too. The characters are relatable enough to be engaging, and the tension is therefore a bit more interesting than if they were just random strangers subjected to scary things. The ringmaster is of course the highlight of this show, and he pulls this off magnificently.