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September 25, 2025 33 mins

The Machine delivers a vampire movie that doesn’t suck… it punches.

In this Mini-Transmission, Truman and Landen unpack Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant with confusion, frustration, and a deep dive into a freak show that left them feeling personally attacked.

 

What You’ll Hear:

  • Is Darren Shan fanfiction or middle school fiction?

  • The untapped greatness of Ray Stevenson and a villain with actor energy

  • The Trailer Game: how many freaks fit in two minutes?

  • Logistics of Mr. Tiny’s limo, vampire punch physics, and auto maintenance in the dark carnival

  • A clue from the Machine: “Fearing is believing…”

 

Want more weird cinema and Machine-fueled chaos? Follow us here:

– Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod

– Season watchlist on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

– Visit our website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com

 

Tags: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, John C. Reilly, Ray Stevenson, YA Vampire Movies, Book Adaptations

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