The Atrocity Circle

Weep for the state of low budget horror movies. Zombies, comedies that aren't funny, zombie comedies, poorly shot, atrociously written excrement, zombies, parodies and zombies.

Did I mention the current glut of Romero ripoffs?

Thankfully, there are exceptions to every rule. Dig deep and there are always gems waiting to be unearthed. One such movie that stands above the majority of the rest is Andrew Copp's (hereafter referred to as simply Andy) The Atrocity Circle.

Andy Copp's movies deal with, among other things, scars. The devastating remnants of physical and other forms of abuse. The long range affects of child abuse, destructive relationships and rape. But fear not...his movies are not anything like a Lifetime Channel movie. They are as hard-hitting as horror can be and all but the staunchest gore fanatic will flinch from some of the footage from The Atrocity Circle.

Andy had a few productions prior to The Atrocity Circle. The first is a personal favorite: The Mutilation Man. Laboriously shot on film, The Mutilation Man concerns the long range trail of destruction that stems from brutal child abuse. I heard about this film back in 2000, I believe. The director's name, Andy Copp, meant nothing to me at the time. But the stars of The Mutilation Man did. Jim Van Bebber was the star and director of Deadbeat at Dawn and the astonishing horror short, My Sweet Satan. The pivotal role of The Mutilation Man himself was played by Terek Pucket, Van Bebber's dope-smoking, devil-worshiping, heavy metal-loving, acid-dropping, skull crushing pal from My Sweet Satan. I needed no more persuasion than that. I ordered a copy direct from Andy.

The Mutilation Man arrived in true 20th Century fashion: On VHS. The accompanying letter Andy wrote said that he knew me from my message board postings about horror movies and thus began a long-term friendship. But friendship and loyalty has nothing to do with my admiration for Andy's filmmaking. The Mutilation Man blew me away. Sure, its low budget roots were in evidence, but the photography, performances and editing were far superior to most movies I had seen. Not only was it well made, but it was boldly original, both in concept and execution. The Mutilation Man is a classic example of non-linear storytelling and that is off-putting to many viewers. Me, I like it all. Conventional narratives as well as experimentation. The Mutilation Man drew comparisons to Bunuel and Jodorowski from myself and from others and it proved without a doubt that Andy Copp was an important figure in the faltering world of underground horror.

Some will undoubtedly call me to task for calling no-budget horror a faltering industry, but the relative ease of digital photography and computer editing had its good and bad points. It has gotten to the point where just about anyone could make a film. Utopia for low budget horror freaks and potential filmmakers? Maybe. But the results I've seen have been uneven at best and the sheer amount of product out there makes it difficult to impossible to have a comprehensive opinion on the state of the art.

As I said above, there are always and there always will be exceptions. The exceptions that make the hunt worthwhile. Works by talented individuals like Robin Garrels and John Specht, Eric Stanze and Scooter McCrae. And of course, Andy Copp.

The Atrocity Circle begins with a brutally horrifying rape. Several men (Copp himself is among the actors) rape a woman. Meanwhile a young man wants to try to help victims of abuse. As the movies goes on, it becomes increasingly apparent that the man does not just want to help victims for purely altruistic motives. No, there is a nagging incident from his past that is triggering guilt in his conscience. An incident that he may not have 100% recollection about. A close friend of his was raped by the group of guys he used to hang around with. The young lady later committed suicide. As his memories of the atrocity reform in his mind, the man seeks out the perpetrators of the act for the goal of revenge. Yet two of the rapists are not living mundane 9-5 existences. They have taken the act of cruelty and assault and turned it into a diabolically lucrative business. These men are enormously dangerous and aware that they are being pursued. The inevitable meeting comes and it brings horror, violence and ghastly revelation with it.


I believe that Andy's original title to The Atrocity Circle was Her Name Was Samantha. I like that name better, but The Atrocity Circle might be a better commercial decision. One that might get the movie into its proper audience's hands.

The Atrocity Circle is clearly influenced by classic rape/revenge movies like I Spit on Your Grave and Thriller: A Cruel Picture, but Andy Copp's screenplay gives this formulaic plot device more depth and more to think about than the average exploitation picture. It's an outstanding movie, regardless of budget or genre.