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An old opera house is donated to a high school theater program and teacher Margot Kidder brings a group of students there to help clean up the joint. Sarah Lassez has volunteered because her mother's murder by her co-star (in the titular clown outfit) was the incident that closed the theater years ago. She's been suffering from terrible nightmares since finding out and thinks spending a lot of time in the theater will sort things out in her head. (Yeah ... sure it will)

I'm sure you know what happens. The clown killer, or someone pretending to be him, is in the theater and kids die one by one. It's a pretty standard body count slasher film that makes very little sense (the personal belongings of the murder victim are still sitting in her dressing room over a decade later) and is fairly dull and bloodless. Besides Kidder, Christopher Plummer shows up as the owner of the theater, and Tatyana Ali and James Duval are among the kids. All acquit themselves pretty well ... Plummer is actually pretty great.

I'd probably be completely dismissive of the film if it weren't for the fact that it was shot in the Walker Theatre (now the Burton Cummings Theatre) here in Winnipeg. It was an opera house in the early 20th century and became a movie theater in the 1940's. It's been a music venue since the 1990's, and was when this was shot there. I know this place very well, so it was kind of interesting seeing it on film. Even better, there's some exterior shooting that shows the surrounding neighborhood. It's kind of fun to watch for people who live here.

There's one pretty great thing involving costuming near the end that I can't describe without spoiling the ending. I'll just say, the identity of the killer leads to an amusing clown related sequence.

Those who have followed Margot Kidder's career know that she got her start in low-budget horror flicks(BLACK CHRISTMAS, SISTERS, AMITYVILLE HORROR)and have undoubtably been pining for her return to the genre. Well, wait no more! Ms. Kidder returns in this flick, a rather undistinguished slasher flick concerning a group of college students conscripted by drama teacher Kidder to clean up a previously long-closed theater, owned by Christopher Plummer. The kids are the usual stock cliches(jock, tramp, gay guy, plain fat girl, loner), and their presence angers a pyscho in a clown costume who lives in the theater. Lots of killings in creative ways, which is about all you can say about this movie, except that Margot Kidder and Chris Plummer are in it.

Some teens work to clean up an old theater that has been closed for about fourteen years, ever since an opera star was killed there. Suspicion for the murder fell on her co-star, who played Pagliacci, a clown character I guess. I must admit, I'm not familiar with the opera, and the movie doesn't fill us in about it. That actor has been missing since the murder, presumably a fugitive, perhaps in Europe.

One of the teens found out six months ago that the murdered actress was her biological mother. I'm not sure whether she just found out that she was adopted as well, or if she knew that, but just not who her biological mother was. Somehow, everyone else in the school also knows. She's also having nightmares and visions of the murder.

The students are all pretty much stereotypes. They also exhibit bad taste, as when they insist on seeing the room the murder occurred in, dress up in the clown costume, etc. all with the victim's daughter present.

There are a lot of things that don't make any sense in the movie. There are lots of things they look at that the police presumably would have taken away at the time of the murder. Jewelry, letters, etc. Unless they had been hidden at the time of the murder, and then placed there later by someone, I suppose. There's also some fresh blood in the murder room that's never really explained.

There's really no secret who the murderer is. Ebert's Law of Economy of Characters will lead you to the killer, as will an early scene in the movie. What isn't explained is why two characters who are not the murderer are wearing the clown costume in the final events of the film, and why one of them is there at all. That was pretty darn absurd.

I had some hope that this might be a giallo - not quite. I had some hope it might at least be a decent slasher, but it's not. The clown is creepy looking, the setting fair, the ladies pretty cute. The acting is so-so, but the movie itself is just stupid, stupid, stupid. It is at times quite boring as well. There's a silly cleaning-up the theater montage to music. There are clichés aplenty. One character comes across one of the people dressed as the clown, who runs at her, and she runs away screaming. When they unmask him, and then ask him why he ran at her, he says he was coming to tell her it was OK, it was just him. Well, why didn't he just say so? Dumb.

A group of kids are methodically stalked by a killer in clown makeup while they are cleaning up an old opera house. Who lives? Who dies? Who cares?

Say what you will, but clowns are just inherently frightening for some reason. Furthermore, it takes some serious talent to make a killer clown that's not scary in any way, sense, or from. Not one iota. This robs the viewer of even silently cheering while the group of stereotypical, asinine, unlikable characters get slashed. A real chore to sit through.

Eye Candy: Liz Crawford as Ashley gets briefly topless

I am shocked to see all the positive comments on this movie. What i saw was predictable direct to video crap. There are about a hundred other movies just like it. It fails as both a slasher movie (the deaths are unimaginative) and a mystery (what a stupid ending). To the person who said all horror buffs like characters who are cliched is sadly mistaken. The gore wasn't excessive either. Guess you are not a true horror buff after all.

This is a sophisticated slasher film. Christopher Plummer is fantastic! If your idea of horror is teenagers being chopped up while reciting urban legends, then this may not be for you. But, if you are a fan of "The Phantom of the Opera" or "Theater of Blood", then you will enjoy this slight but entertaining thriller. All the performances are exceptional for a made for video film and the directing is just plain creepy; especially on the dream sequences. Although some may find this slow, I liked it for what it was. Yes, there are plot holes. Yes, there is excessive gore. Yes, most of the characters are cliched. This is what horror film buffs like. Not innovation, not recreating the genre, not satirizing popular films. Just good old fashioned scares, gore, and campy performances.

For Fangoria readers, a 10.

"The Clown At Midnight" is an absolute Gem from the huge wave of 90's Slashers that came from the success of Wes Craven's Scream, i saw this great low-budget Slasher late one night on t.v, the Horror channel i think? Anyway i was hooked straight away from the Creepy old theatre opening & i remember thinking this is creepy & Awesome. "The Clown At Midnight" is a cheap B-movie straight to video film but it's made very well & has a dark sinister Atmosphere to it & a fantastic old abandoned theatre setting, a fantastic setting for a stalk'n'slash flick. The cast is low-key B-movie with the likes of Tatyana Ali best known as Ashley Banks from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" & Margot Kidder from the old "Superman" & "Black Christmas" both 70's Classic films & the great veteran actor Christopher Plummer who is still going great in movies & there's some other in the small cast that are all fine like Sarah Lassez & James Duvall. The music is done well & the look & cinematography is gorgeous actually & the cold snowy winter setting outside makes everything feel more darker,rugged & grittier as this is a Canadian Slasher & not a usual Sunny American slasher, this entry in the Horror Slasher genre feels abit different due to it's Canadian winter setting & big old theatre house & i have always loved but it's a rare gem to find on dvd!!! Although the usual stalk & slash a young hot cast style is the same as every other slasher flick those other elements mentioned & atmosphere & mood make this stand out as different & exciting. Also the actual killer Clown is very scary looking & is very sinister as he appears out of the darkness!!! The characters are all fine if typical but hey it's just some fun late night entertainment & a solid well made entry in the Horror genre.

All in all "The Clown At Midnight" is a fun & entertaining late night Horror with a really nice creepy mood.

The opening to this film is exceptional...It delivers a very creepy atmosphere, that continues through the first death scene...The thought of a film set in an old theater, of course, gives this the Phantom of the Opera feel, but It really doesn't feel that way when watching it. The stalking scenes, are at times, silly and predictable...and should be able to be avoided by the character, but nonetheless, people got to die in horror movies.

Written by Kenneth J. Hall (Puppet Master, Blonde Heaven, Dr. Alien), it is not wonder there is some flaw to this. However, it really delivers more than one would expect from a DTV (direct to video) horror film.

My big Gripe! The use of the standard Horror movie characters: The Jock, The bitchy Princess, The black girl, The gay Guy, the creepy guy no one can figure out, the weird lesbo-type girl into the paranormal, and a dim-witted teacher....and of course the basket-case main character...They follow all the stereotypes for their characters, and it tends to sway from the story, and make utter nonesense.

Tatayan Ali, in my opinion is best performer in the film...Her death scene, however, leaves much to be desired (the girl just didn't Die well).

Corny, predicatable Dialouge, slow, but creepy paced...the film really isn't that bad...but I disagree with one review saying this is a HOrror film for true horror fans...It is a decent slasher, but nothing we haven't seen before....The end, was no big surprise...but I didn't quite figure out everything until almost the very end....

Enjoyable watch....I plan on watching it again...

7 out of 10

Slasher films tended to go downhill after their popular run in the 80's. Occasionally, in the 90's, a worthy horror film would pop up, but with the release of 1996's blockbuster "SCREAM", the genre got the well deserved regain in popularity that it needed. However, with the late 90's horror film explosion, something was missing. The charm and effect of the 80's slasher was lost in the huge Hollywood budgets and hip young casts that have become fixtures of recent horror films.

"The Clown at Midnight" is an exception to this rule. With a relatively unknown cast of teens (the exception is "French Prince of Bel-Air) actress Tatayani Ali) and a foreboding setup, it manages to develop into a well crafted, well acted, creepy horror film that evokes the atmosphere and effectiveness of some of the best slashers of the 80's.

The plot centers around young Kate Williams (Sara Lassez), whose mother was brutally murdered in an opera house years before. Her and some of her classmates volunteer to clean up the same opera house to prepare it for their college music department. Well, needless to say, an unpleasant time awaits each of them as a killer dressed as a clown locks them in the downright creepy building and kills them in very grim ways.

The Good: The film looks great. The direction is sharp, the lighting perfect, and the film stock high quality. In fact, it looks better than some of the films that have made it into the theaters recently. The plot is interesting enough, and though each character is a cliché (the jock, the bitch, the brain) the actors pull them off quite well and make us connect to them. Better yet, they are actually teenagers and not thirty year olds trying to act like teenagers. Margot Kidder and Christopher Plummer also put in strong cameos and give the film a sense of credibility. What is interesting is that the most likable characters are disposed of in the most gruesome ways which does provide some slight emotional impact. As mentioned, the setting is creepy and very effective and the killer clown lurking around is unsettling. But what I liked most about the film is the atmosphere and the fact that it doesn't try to be anything other than a slasher film. There are no comedic undertones, no over-the-top characters, just pure stalk and slash very reminiscent of the 80's. It really is one of the better post-"Scream" slasher films that actually is extremely competent and enjoyable.

The Bad: Very little, actually. Clichés do abound and it really isn't THAT hard to figure out who the killer really is. We also know from the first frame who the surviving girl will be, so any early stalk scenes with her are ineffective because we know she won't die. The ending leaves a lot to be desired and seems rushed. There really could have been a longer chase sequence and the whole "Popcorn" inspired final minute were unnecessary because, again, we know how who will live. The are some gruesome deaths, but most of them are very tame. This probably won't please gore hounds.

It seems this film has become quite rare. As of now, it is only available on VHS and I don't think a DVD release is planned for anytime soon. But I highly recommend this film to you lovers of the 80's stalk and slash films because overall it is an well-made and enjoyable film.

My Grade: B+

Last horror films Don´t scary me but this it do it.I watch the film after the midnight with my friends and when the film finish we have fright.This strange but films like SCREAM or I KNOW WHAT... don´t make fright and others like the clown at midnight produce it. SENTENCE FOR THE CLOWN AT MIDNIGHT:Excellent Horror Film

A group of students are reopening a theater soon, so during Christmas vacation they volunteer to stay and get it into shape, but the theather was plagued with the horrible murder of its star attraction. And one of the students is that star's daughter. Will history repeat itself?

Creepy and eerie from start to finish with a nice setting for the action to take place and featuring compenent direction and good performances. What makes it work so well though is the strong characterization of its central character and the appealing supporting characters.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

Christopher Plummer and Margot Kidder were somehow talked into doing this tame, but entertaining 90's slasher flick that takes place in a creepy opera house. The killer, in certain lights, does look appropriately threatening and the killer reveal did take me by surprise, but it's not the most memorable slasher film from this (or any) era.

So, ok. In lieu of the completely dumb title, this movie is actually kind of good- do not be deceived! It kind of lost me at the end, because I had no idea who was who. Like all horror movies it did include a pointless sex scene, but who's complaining? The flashbacks of the mother were great, and the setting of this movie was very innovative- an old theater is a great place to stage a horror movie. The scenery rocked my world three times over. I can't quite put my finger on it but this movie was different that all the other teen slasher flicks. The lead character looked startlingly like one of my friends, who coincidentally, is named Sarah. While watching The Clown At Midnight, I was thinking Phantom of the Opera meets Scream. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes horror movies a lot and would like to view a good, modern one. Enjoy!

Well, actually, I can say a bit. Ok, we all know this is direct-to-video, but it is actually pretty good considering. Actually, the late 90s produced a few direct-to-video flicks worth viewing. At times I even think that the direct-to-video flicks are better than some horror films that manage to go to theaters. I mean, at least these know they're bad and don't pull us in with good marketing.

But that's enough about horror movies in general. "The Clown At Midnight" is a slasher film that brings you back to the 80s, when horror movies were trying to be fun, and occasionally scary. That is what this movie is like.

First off, unlike some direct-to-video slasher films, this movie has some potential. The cast is surprisingly pretty talented. We are actually given actors that we might have heard of somewhere out of the horror realm: Margot Kidder (well...), Christopher Plummer, Tatyana Ali, James Duvall, etc.

Second, the story is reasonably good. Maybe it's just my general paranoia of clowns, but I actually found the movie creepy. At times, the movie actually delivers some pretty good scares. Wow! Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you.

Finally, this movie tries to give it's body count some depth. Yeah, most of the teenagers in this film are just there to get killed off, but they have personalities. Back in the eighties, around the time we got to "Friday the 13th part... 30," characters in horror movies were just meant to show up, have sex, and get killed. The characters here, though a couple do follow this pattern, still have... something to them. We are given bitchy characters, smart-ass characters, sweet characters, wimpy characters, and, of course, horny characters. You know, the kind that figure: "hmmm... we're in a creepy old theater house where people were murdered before and, as far as we know, the killer was never found. Let's have sex!"

Ok, so we have a bunch of teenagers in a place they should never have gone to and die off one by one. We've all seen it before, but who cares. Some of us actually appreciate cheese... and this cheese tries to be scary... and delivers at times. It's direct-to-video, it's not classic, it's fun, and it's creepy!

A fun movie. Although the last 20 minutes left me bored, the rest was very well done. Sarah Lassez does very well in the lead, she reminds me a lot of Julia Roberts. I enjoy movie's with clowns in them and this one might get under your skin. Decent acting and plot but as I stated before, the ending could have used a little more work.

I am a fan of horror films and so when I found this on vhs and saw the relatively high rating here(6,2), I was quick to get it.

The problem with the movie is it just goes over the top with corniness. The first hour is really bad, as we get to know all the cliched characters. The sex scene/ sword fighting sequence was so so awful that I almost quit watching the movie. Anyway, things were getting so bad I decided to write a review and give it a super low rating. Then, once the clown murders got going it actually had some good moments and made me have to admit it's worth seeing. Certainly never actually gets scary or intense, but at least it got interesting.

So go ahead and see it, but I would much more recommend the giallo Aquarius (1987) or even the movie Popcorn(1991). Both of these slasher films also take place in a theater setting and are much better.

I found this movie to be a refreshing return to the traditional style of slasher movies (as in the 1980's and before). I am not against the 90's style of trendy horror, but I am a sucker for the old tits and blood style of scares. :-) That is exactly what this movie offered me. Check it out for a sinful pleasure. I highly recommend it.

"The Clown at Midnight" is an enjoyable slasher,which owes a lot to Michele Soavi's brilliant "Deliria"(1987).It has some genuinely creepy moments,a scary looking clown killer plus a pretty gruesome death scenes.It's well-acted and competently made,unfortunately any traces of originality are completely gone.There's also not enough gore for my liking.The mystery element isn't spectacular either!All in all,I still enjoyed this one-it's certainly better than such crap like "I Know What You Did Last Summer","School's Out" or "Urban Legend",but I wouldn't go so far to call this one a masterpiece.It's a solid piece of horror-nothing more,nothing less!6 out of 10.

Just a re-hash of 80's slasher movies with a "Phantom of the Opera" twist--and not much of a twist at that. Acting is terrible, script writing is terrible. It's too bad all the goofy characters weren't killed. Rent something else.