Nightmare Alley [Criterion Collection]

"Nightmare Alley is the sordid tale of a conniving young man who, in the words of one of the film's supporting characters, ends up low because he aimed so high. Drifter Tyrone Power sweet-talks his way into a job as barker for a rundown carnival. He is fascinated by an illegal side-show attraction called ""The Geek,"" a near-lunatic who bites the heads off live chickens and then is ""paid off"" with a cheap bottle of rotgut and a warm place to sleep it off. Otherwise, Power's attention is f...