Customer Reviews

Clownhouse

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

From writer/director Victor Salva, who brought us Jeepers Creepers (2001) and Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) comes Clownhouse (1988), his big screen directorial debut. The film features a cast of relatively unknown actors, with the exception of a young Sam Rockwell, appearing in his first silver screen role.

The film begins by introducing us to three brothers Casey (Nathan Forrest Winters), Goeffrey (Brian McHugh, and Randy (Rockwell). It seems Casey, the youngest, suffers from a deep-seated fear of clowns, apparently due to a previous visit to the circus a year ago. This fear manifests itself in the form of reoccurring nightmares. We soon learn the boys are going to be alone on this particular night as their father is away on business and their mother will be visiting a distant relative. The boys plan on going to the circus, with a reluctant Casey in tow. We also learn three homicidal inmates from a local insane asylum have escaped. Will the inmates find their way to the circus and assume the roles of clowns, follow the boys and terrorize them in their big, dark, empty house? You betcha...on hearing about some of the elements of the film, it would seem this to be your very run-of-the-mill type 80's horror film, but once you settle in, it becomes much more than that. Salva quickly displays his talent for creating suspense and tension on screen, while avoiding the more visceral elements so prevalent in the genre during that time period. The use of light, shadows, and creepy music really combine well to create an atmospheric chiller that almost leaves you breathless at times. Sure, there's the occasional `pop out' scare, a scene where something jumps out of the dark to frighten and shock the audience, quite a cheap effect in my opinion, especially when overused, but Salva doesn't rely on this technique throughout. I felt he more or less used it sparingly, priming the fear pump to bring on better, more intricate scares developed by turning things the experienced viewer would expect to see in a film like this around and presenting them in a different way. And this was done in a very subtle manner, as not to really call attention to the subversion of the normal techniques, allowing the audience to experience a squirming sensation as the film progresses.

The pacing seems quite slow through the beginning and well into the middle, and I think there's a good twenty minutes between when the clowns enter the dark and creepy house until their presence is actually known by the boys. This seems very deliberate on the director's part, allowing for him to let the pot simmer, letting the viewer get unnerved with the knowledge of the intruders well before the boys know it. The clowns seem intent on playing a game of cat and mouse for whatever reason, but given that they're psychotics recently escaped from a mental hospital, who knows what their methods or motives are? I thought the three actors playing the brothers did quite well, presenting a fairly realistic portrayal of typical siblings, including all the meaningless fighting and rivalries many would be familiar with within their own relationships with their brothers and/or sisters. The house itself was quite odd and maze-like, being so very large yet it felt like so little of the seemingly huge interior was actually utilized within the film. I did feel a few scenes the actions of the characters or dialog didn't seem to fit as well as it should have, but these were minor gripes on my part, and didn't really lessen the overall effect of the film, which was to scare. There is an underlying plot thread throughout the film, one that focuses on the dealing with of one's own fears (actually, it's more of the core of the movie), but it didn't get in the way of this film providing some generally excellent scares.

Okay, as some may know or not, there is a much darker side to this film than what's presented on this disc. It's hard to provide a review and not mention it, so here it goes. The director, Salva, got into trouble after some very inappropriate actions with one of the young stars of the film. I'm not going to go into details, but he was convicted of his crimes, and served his time (you can look up the details on the web easily enough if you wish). Do I support what he did? Certainly not...there is a taint on this film, and those who are familiar with the history behind may decide to avoid this based on the actions of the director, and I wouldn't blame them, but I cannot change what happened. Hopefully all parties involved got the help they needed as it's hard to ignore the talent involved. I can't help but think it was this situation that caused me such difficulty in finding an affordable copy of the film.

The film is presented in a wide screen format here, and it looks pretty good. Some scenes were a bit dark, and the audio seemed a bit soft at times, but if you are looking for a seriously creepy horror film from the 80's that avoids many of the clichés of the time, then this one is a real gem. The disc is extremely sparse on special features, allowing only for a theatrical trailer and English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Some may find the film hard to find, but I did hear of a possible re-release on DVD, so I would suggest avoiding the high priced versions. I actually found my copy on another website, new, for a very reasonable price.

Cookieman108

I heard all about Victor Salva and the young boy who plays the lead in Clownhouse. And I have to say, it's a shame Clownhouse gets smeared with the scandal. Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are considered great director's, and everyone seems to forget about thier history? Clownhouse is a fantastic little creepy movie. And unlike most of the other 80's slasher flicks, it doesn't play on the same old formula of hapless teens out to have sex getting butchered by a maniac. Clownhouse has real character development. You genuinely care for the three brothers, and anyone who feels the oldest brother is too mean to his younger siblings, never grew up in a household full of boys! I believe the characters are very believable and endearing. This group of no-name kid actors make the movie. The suspense is pretty tight, and there are a few genuine scares sprinkled here and there. Look beyond the scandal associated with Clownhouse and you will find a gem of a horror film.

From the new MGM Vault releases, I decided to watch CLOWN HOUSE first. I was quite impressed with it.

The plot: A young boy has been frightened by circus clowns since he was three years old. His older brother, 14, is understanding; another brother, 17, is a mean jerk who constantly ridicules the boy about his fears.

The circus is in town, of course, and guess who doesn't want to go, but is bullied into it by his oldest brother. As fate would have it, three escaped mental patients kill three clowns, take their clothes and break into the home of the three boys when mom and dad are away.

It takes half the picture for the youngest kid to convince his two older brothers that the clowns aren't just in his imagination. Even the police won't believe him.

This is one of the best-choreographed horror films I've seen and reminds me of a darker version of HOME ALONE. The amount of times the two older brothers just miss seeing the clowns is amazing and done with extraordinary skill by the filmmakers. I wonder why this film isn't better known? I've seen worse become big hits at the box office. I'm not saying it's a forgotten masterpiece, but I don't think many will be disappointed if they give it a look.

Plot: Three brothers -- Casey (Nathan Forrest Winters), Geoffrey (Brian McHugh), and Randy (Sam Rockwell) -- are left on their own when their parents leave town for the weekend. They decide to visit the local carnival/circus, even though Casey is terrified of clowns. And boy is this a bad night to choose! Three anonymous mental patients (Michael Jerome West, who is credited as "Tree", Bryan Weible, and David Reinecker) have escaped and run away...to the circus! After the show is over, the real clowns -- known as Cheezo (Timothy Enos), Bippo (Frank Damiani), and Dippo (Karl Heinz Deuber) -- are slaughtered by the inmates, who steal their clothes and makeup for a creepy disguise (then again, they do seem quite delightfully mad, so maybe they actually think they ARE clowns). They eventually find their way to the house of the three brothers. And, once they realize the residents are home, they decide to have a little fun. Of course, to the brothers, this will be nothing less than a night of terror! The inmates, for reasons unknown, seem to love a good kill, and tonight they're gonna give these boys a whole house full of horrific surprises!

Clowns have always been an interest of mine, and lately I've become even more interested. So, as a horror buff, I figured Clownhouse had to be the perfect flick for my evilly kooky taste. Well, while there are a few parts of the film that are certainly less than genius, I was quite impressed. Most B-movies have to take themselves lightly, or they will be a wreck. But there are a few of them that try to be full-on horror and suspense and accomplish their goal. Clownhouse wasn't particularly scary to me, but I thought -- for it's lack of comedic approach -- that it was executed very well. The acting isn't all that great, but it's not too distracting either. Once the psycho clowns start doing their business, you forget all about any underlying flaws. I think the atmosphere was what this was all about. Not to mention the fact that it was mostly believable. Almost every scene took a fairly realistic approach to the story. This sometimes causes a little boredom here and there, but for the most part makes the movie much more entertaining. The score (often an eerie big-top-ish tune, calliope style or with a music box) was definitely a pleasant surprise -- especially the theme, which can be heard in its entirety at the end credits. And, whether you're rooting for the clowns or the brothers, there are plenty of good scenes and a few creepy moments to satisfy the viewer. The concept alone is a good enough reason to see this, but I think Salva pushed it to the limit and came out with an enjoyable film for any horror fan to own. Overall, I don't really think I have any complaints. For a blockbuster hit, this would've been a bit of a disappointment. But for a rarely known B flick, I've got to give it two thumbs way up. There aren't any special features besides the theatrical trailer, but who needs 'em?

Young Casey (Nathan Forrest Winters) has an acute case of coulrophobia (fear of clowns), so when his two older brothers suggest a trip to the visiting circus, Casey is understandably reluctant. Being aware of the young boy's fears, his brothers--especially the oldest, Randy (a young Sam Rockwell in one of his earliest film roles)--tease him a bit, and Casey eventually relents to prove to his bros that he's not a wimp.

But at the circus, one of the clowns singles out Casey and tries to get him to come into the center ring to participate in a skit. Casey freaks, of course, and bolts out the nearest opening in the Big Top. "Their faces are fake," he later tells his brothers, trying to justify his behavior. "Big happy eyes; big painted smiles. They're not real. You never know what they really are." As the boys walk home, Randy, who has been put in charge of his brothers Geoffrey (Brian McHugh) and Casey while their parents are away, is hardly sympathetic and harasses Casey relentlessly about such "sissy" fears.

After the circus closes for the day, three patients who recently escaped from a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane--what other kind is there in a horror flick?--murder the clowns and assume the harlequins' identities by donning the makeup and costumes themselves. Then they demonically frolic into the night and wind up at the home of--you guessed it!--Casey and his brothers, and the young coulrophobic is forced to not only face his fears, but to defeat them.

Thus runs the plot of 1989's CLOWNHOUSE. And while it takes a wee bit of effort to suspend disbelief and accept the coincidence of the evil clowns winding up at the home of young Casey, the skills of auteur Victor Salva turn this simple story with its somewhat cliche setup into a polished, well-paced horror flick that is actually quite scary. As a screenwriter, Salva has a knack for creating frightening situations and making them believable, and as a director, he is very adept at milking all the emotion he can get from a scenario without pushing it too far over the top and into parody.

With the exception of the performance from a young Sam Rockwell--genre fans have seen Rockwell most recently in SF hits like GALAXY QUEST (1999) and the remake of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (2005)--the acting in the film is pretty average fare for a 1980's low-budget thriller. But the characters do have a comfortable family dynamic, mainly due to Salva's masterfully realistic, believable dialogue. (Indeed, Salva seems to have a genuine talent for writing dialogue for youngsters, as is evidenced again in his later films like 1995's critically acclaimed POWDER and 2001's boxoffice megahit JEEPERS CREEPERS.)

Overall, CLOWNHOUSE is a well-done horror movie basted in slasher overtones, one of the few of the post-HALLOWEEN (1978) horror flicks of the 1980s that is able to generate scares via the threat of violence rather than through the relentless depiction of gory murders. (There is, in fact, very little by way of graphic violence or blood-and-guts gore in this flick.) And CLOWNHOUSE is actually more than just a spook show. It is also a rather interesting comment on childhood fears, the psychological legitimacy of some of those fears, and how a child's life can be negatively affected by such fears if they're not dealt with effectively.

Ironically, the public perception of CLOWNHOUSE has been the victim of real-life childhood horror that took place behind the scenes during the film's production. This horror came out of the darkness and into the light in 1995, soon after the release of Salva's film POWDER, when it was revealed that the writer/director had served time for the molestation of Nathan Forrest Winters, the young star of CLOWNHOUSE. Not only did this hinder the boxoffice success of the critically revered POWDER, but it understandably placed a stigma on CLOWNHOUSE that has caused some critics and viewers to read into the film's plot and visual imagery innuendo that really isn't there.

Fortunately for Salva (and for filmgoers), he was able to remove the dark cloud from over himself--if not from over his previous films--with the release of his very successful (both critically and commercially) non-genre drama RITES OF PASSAGE (1999), and he later redeemed his reputation in the horror genre with the very financially successful JEEPERS CREEPERS in 2001.

But reviews should be impartial and examine the merit of the film in question ONLY, not taking into account any personal problems that the filmmakers may be struggling with. With that in mind, CLOWNHOUSE is an excellent little '80s horror flick that transcends much of the HALLOWEEN rip-offs that deluged the theaters during the decade. The DVD from MGM is a no-frills disc that contains only the theatrical trailer as an extra, but it does offer a good digital transfer of the flick at its original aspect ratio. And while the disc may be hard to get these days, it is well worth the search. Fans of horror or 1980s slasher flicks will certainly want to add this disc to their collections.

I really related to this movie in one main way, the fear of clowns. Why, to me, is there so much fear of clowns? The same reason the little guy in this movie gave, or the reason the movie gave. You always see the outer shell of a clown: the costume, the paint, the brightly colored wig. But you never see what's on the inside. In Clownhouse's case, it was three psycho lunatics that escaped from a mental ward and managed to kill three clowns from a town circus. They then take the costumes, and face paint and apply it to theirselves. Meanwhile, three brothers are at the circus, and the youngest has a great fear of clowns. The brothers leave the circus, thinking everything is great, but the mental patients follow them home. This movie used the usual horror methods. Like the killer following closely behind it's victim without the victim knowing it. Although this has been used many times, it was cleverly pulled off here, and made for some tense and creepy moments. Another method used was the silent killer type. This could be creepy in any other movie, but try looking at a painted on smiling face who's expression never changes, and sound never escapes it's mouth. People with great of fear of clowns will relate to this movie, but those who don't have a fear, will enjoy it non-the-least.

I was once madly in love with Nathan Winters, the actor who plays Casey, so my opinion of the movie is probably biased. Nathan's acting abilities at such a young age are so incredible that he makes this movie scary and believable, despite the others' bad acting, the bad dialogue and the bad direction. If Nate had continued acting, I am certain he would be very famous today, as his talents at THAT age have remained unmatched by any child actor I have seen to date. It is extremely unfortunate that Nate was "black-balled" by Hollywood following the scandal surrounding the director, Victor Salva.

Salva, a pedophile, was brought up on charges of molesting Nathan (and was eventually convicted and served a few paltry years for it). Because of this, someone (the studio? the production company?) decided not to relase the film in theaters, opting instead to go straight to video. The other actors in the film were upset with Nathan, and blamed him for the lack of exposure.

All the controversy aside, it is overall a great movie. If you can ignore where your money is actually going (Salva has been out of jail for over 10 years now), then I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed, especially if you love horror flicks and hate clowns.

I have been trying for YEARS to find this "Clownhouse" movie. It is such a hoot to watch, but also has some really creepy scenes that make your hair stand on end. Clowns have always given me the creeps, my entire life, and this movie can really scare someone like me! I watched it with a group of people, and all of us would jump at parts here and there. No sci fi or special effects in this movie, just a good "really could happen" horror movie. What fun!!! This is one of those old movies that you know you will watch over and over for years.

This movie is so strange and creepy. The killer clowns are escape mental patients! YIKES! This is the urban legend you always heard, or never heard. It beats the hell out of modern day "horror" films. I was so scared for Casey, the main character, when I fisrt saw this movie. This is a must have.

Above-average thriller from acclaimed director Victor Salva who also worked on Jeepers Creepers. It's the story of three mental patients who kill three clowns at the local town circus, and then invade the privacy of the home of three brothers, one of which is extremely frightened of clowns. I have always had a great fear of mysterious clowns and this movie reinforced my fear. The three clowns are directed and photographed so well that they almost felt like they were with me in my living room. The script is good, although it falls apart towards the climax, and the photography and action makes this a terrifying film to watch. Although the Victor Salva/Nathan Winters incident overshadows this film (and even appears to have related to the first waking-up scene where Casey's bare bottom is shown), this thriller is truthfully one of the eeriest films from the 80's - and 90's for that matter- and even if I'm knowing the film's dreary side events, this nearly bloodless horror movie still deserves a place in the heart of every horror fan out there.