O Palhaço Assassino

even though this movie seemed a little farfetched... it was actually pretty scary. The clown didn't look too brilliant, but since how any clown scares me, this movie was freaky. the ending was really bad when the mystery was found out, but overall I rank this movie ***** out of **********!

"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.

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+

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.

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.