Clownhouse

CLOWNHOUSE gets the whole "fear of clowns" thing right. This is due most assuredly to what was really taking place off camera, adding a rather sick, sorrowful undertone that's difficult to shake. In addition, real-life killer John Wayne Gacy's "Pogo" the clown persona jumps immediately to mind, making this truly chilling. The entire production is shot through with an ominous, dreamlike atmosphere.

The three young brothers (Nathan Forrest Winters, Brian McHugh, and Sam Rockwell) seem to be in actual peril from these insane, silent predators. This is an effective horror movie that will always be remembered for the crimes committed by its Director during its production...

Clownhouse was a film that gave me the creeps. I was in my mid-20's when I watched it and it spooked me.

Clowns are horrible things when you think about it. I could never trust a clown so when you consider it, this film had a good premise and despite the lack of blood and gore, it is a very good film relying more on chills and thrills rather than blood and gore.

Some lunatics escape from an asylum and dress up as clowns. One night, three lads are in the house on their own...and you can guess the rest.

I won't spoil any bits but there are some truly creepy scenes. I'd love to tell you them but it would spoil it.

All in all, Clownhouse is a very effective chiller. And I don't believe it is an exaggeration to call it a chiller.

When three brothers(with sibling dynamics that, like everything else, especially the aspects concerning the characters, are credible, developed and human) have to spend the night without their parents(both busy with work - middle class; the father is home the least), even their seemingly safe, suburban house(a lot of this is spent there, only in the company of our 3 leads, making for a very isolated and claustrophobic slasher) can't protect them.

Casey(Winters, still afraid - and the theme here is how to deal with that, and whether everyone feels it), the youngest, Geoffrey(McHugh, sympathizes with him and is in general the favorite of the three - that of the parents, and aforementioned kid) the middle one, and Randy(Rockwell in his debut(and yes, you can sense his quirk in a little of it), resents having to be responsible for the other two), the eldest.

What is the fear of? Vivid, pale-faced performers. What? No, not KISS... that would risk the boys' souls. They're only at risk of being killed, so calm down, Christians. Yes, your circus-variety harlequin(be honest, they *are* inherently creepy - particularly when completely silent, communicating via miming, using their vastly expressive faces, as is done here) is the threat. Or, rather, a trio of escaped mental patients dressed up as them(and before donning the three distinct sets of make-up and bright, vibrant colors, we only see close-ups of their manically staring eyes). Yes, you *will* be terrorized by the Insane Clown Posse, demanding to know how magnets work.

Yes, I know of the director's crime; I will not be going into it in this review. He served his time and I feel we should separate a man's personal life from their career. Of what I've watched(the others being the first two Jeepers Creepers), this is Salva's best, by far. This is quite grounded, and a welcome departure from where horror movies were at this point in time. Rather than outlandish, it sets everything up and it all feels genuine, authentic. This is primarily build-up, low on "action". Death scenes are small-scale but effective. There is almost no blood or violence, it's usually the threat and that which is implied that gets to us, the suspense and atmosphere. What's just off-screen, what's in the dark.

This does use clichés, such as the eerie fortune teller - they do tend to work, and this thankfully isn't as loudly 80's as a lot of flicks from the decade. There are few jump-scares, instead we have consistent tension(such as in the use of close-ups, often of hands). In general it's well-filmed, with the opening shots setting the mood and tone impeccably. This is tightly paced and keeps moving throughout, with no scene wasted. It's an hour and 18 minutes sans credits, an hour and 21 minutes with. There is some humor, typically in the dialog - in fact, that's about the only place where it works, as several of the "the guys are having fun" bits are completely off(each time, I honestly thought something else, entirely, was going on), as one of the only things in this. The acting is good from all concerned, with almost no "crappy child actor" curse. Score is well-done.

There is some strong language and brief underage male rear nudity in this. I recommend this to any fan of this kind of film. 6/10

Putting aside all the controversy surrounding this film (including the events that actually transpired behind the scenes), I went into this movie at face value with no bias. I knew it was a slasher and the directorial debut of Victor Salva, so I was expecting a low-grade horror movie that, while not important in the grand scheme of cinema, would be entertaining enough to make me jump a few times and root for the main characters. Not the case.

This movie just fell flat. It was bland. It was boring. The acting, particularly from Nathan Forrest Winters (perhaps as a result of the unspeakable horrors he endured at the hands of Salva) gave a fantastic performance. The other boys were good, but Nathan was definitely the standout.

The thrills weren't all that effective, the tone of the movie was definitely uncomfortable on more than one occasion. There was an obvious attempt on the part of the director to sexualize Nathan, which is extremely uncomfortable to watch today.

Although I did say in my Powder review earlier today that I believe in second chances and forgiveness (actions, or lack thereof, speak louder than words and we're now 31 years without further allegations or investigations from Salva), I can't help but feel like this film is best left in the past, completely forgotten. MGM have done a pretty good job thus far of helping to slip this film into utter obscurity. This is not a film that anybody really needs to be watching. There's nothing in this movie that hasn't already been discussed countless times online. Save yourself the tediously boring movie and just read the commentaries regarding it online. It didn't hold up well when it was released, and it hasn't stood the test of time very well at all. If Powder is my number-one favorite movie of his and in my top 5 all-time favorites (and it is), then I would place Clownhouse at the bottom. Let this film die out. Let Nathan Forrest Winters have peace from the trauma he went through. This is a film best left in the past.

This is the first time I have looked up this movie online and read all the reviews. Some hate it some loved it. I am glad this movie brought enjoyment to the people who liked it. One of the trivia statements on this movie is that they assume Brian McHugh was molested by Victor. This is not the case. Nathan, Sam and I would spend time at Victors house rehearsing prior to filming. I would stay the night there but I was never alone with him. He had set up a camera to film me showering and dressing without my knowledge but that was the extent of it. I did seek legal counsel but was told at the time, without him actually being physical with me, it would be a long, brutal trial that probably wouldn't be worth it. So, my mother decided she did not want me to go through that. Victor is a POS and always will be. Karma will find him one day. That is it in a nutshell. I went on to finish school, joined the military, and now just work like everyone else. Hope this sheds some light on what happened to me since everyone wants to speculate. Thank for all the feedback, good and bad.

Sincerely, Brian McHugh.