Clownhouse
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Movie Reviews of Clownhouse
Movie Review: Send In The Clowns!
Summary: 5 Stars
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?
Movie Review: Clownhouse Arrives
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm excited about the release of 'Clownhouse' on DVD. I remember discoving this film through a movie review book (I forget which one) and was impressed by it's five star rating. Since I was getting tired of the familiar worn-out genre of horror/scare flicks, I decided to immediately sought out this movie because, to be frank, I was bored and wanted something . . . different. And this movie didn't disappoint.First off, there are some things to be said about the director's personal life but, truth be known, he sure knows how to make smart, scary, suspenseful, sinister flicks. "Jeepers Creepers 2" is a testament to this fact. "Clownhouse" is different from most films of this type because its not explicitly gory nor is it completely condescending. To be sure, there are a couple of dumb moves and dialogue in the film but I overlooked this fact because of the film's atmosphere. This might have been one of Victor Salvo's first film but it certainly doesn't look amateurist. He succeeds in making you believe in the children's vulnerability and the sense of dread that surrounded them.
"Clownhouse" plays on the psychology of a lot of kids fears: the darkness of night; seperation anxiety (parents have gone off to a party) and, for some kids, the circus...especially clowns. Personally, I was never scared of clowns growing up but after watching this film, I now look at them differently. Victor Salvo has a way of taking ordinary objects and places and making them appear sinister: a smiling doll, a shortcut home, an open door. I watched this movie repeatedly for months on VHS before it suspiciously disappeared. I was never able to find it again due to its obscurity and, most likely, director's notoriety; and I thought the film would be a lost treasure. However, the cult success of "Powder" and the big-screen success of "Jeepers Creepers 2" will hopefully make audience seek out this little-known film and give Victor Salvo some deserved recognition that had been long overshadowed by his personal life. Like Roman Polanski, Victor Salvo's directoral skills should be looked at seperately and his work should be judged accordingly. In my opinion, Salvo, the director, is a serious contender to fill in the shoes long owned by Hitchcock.
Movie Review: Welcome to a Circus of Terror
Summary: 5 Stars
Clownhouse is a film that takes me back to my childhood. I can clearly remember renting the video, that's right VHS, on a Saturday night and being thoroughly freaked out enjoying every second. Back then I wasn't aware of the issue surrounding the films writer/director Victor Salva. He was convicted of molesting the the films young star Nathan Forrest Winters, who also stared in Salva's Something in the Basement, and the incident has really tarnished what the film could have been. All that aside Clownhouse itself is a great 80's film switching up the direction of the usual slasher flick of the time.
The story follows three brothers Casey, Geoffrey, and Randy who attend a local circus taking place in their town shortly before Halloween. Casey is the youngest and has an extreme fear of clown to begin with making the circus a nightmare event. As he's taunted by his older brother he gives in and goes. Little do they know three mental patients have escaped, murdered the real clowns, took their make-up and costumes, and will be putting on the show instead. Once the kids leave the circus is when the real horror begins, as they were followed home by the psychotic killers still donned in the costumes. The kids have to forge together and find a way to survive the worst night of their lives.
For me Clownhouse is a great 80's horror film. If you can put all the behind the scenes issues out of your head then the film itself is very enjoyable. It has a certain creepy feel all over it making you feel slightly uneasy the whole way through. The atmosphere really puts this one over the edge for me. Yes it looks old when watching it but that's part of the charm. The grainy look just adds an extra element of horror making this one very underrated in my opinion. If you're a fan of the clown horror type films this one is a must. I think it set the tone for them all, but they just can't seem to duplicate it.
Movie Review: CHEEZ-O IS THE SCARIEST CLOWN 5 Stars
this is one of my top 10 favorite horror movies ever!!! i can't believe that i finaly found it on dvd,this flick is HARD TO FIND!!! i also can't believe how unknown & underrated this GREAT horror movie is. this scary movie is glued together by a genuine & simple display of FEAR!!!! director VICTOR SALVA captures this genuine sense of fear in just about every other scene & he does it by simpley keeping it very REAL! i mean REALISTIC in the sense of tapping into REAL CHILDHOOD FEARS such as (monsters under your bed,monsters in your closet & feeling like somthing is right behind you & yes the fear of clowns) these are true childhood fears! although the monsters under the bed & in the closet ,clowns,& the nothing monster following you threw the dark may not be so real or true,what is REAL is the common FEAR that creates them.this is what makes VICTOR SALVA'S "CLOWNHOUSE" a true & honest horror MASTERPIECE!!!YOU DON'T NEED ALOT OF BLOOD OR ACTION, ALL YOU NEED IS TO KNOW WHAT !!SCARES!! PEOPLE!!!!!!!!! "CLOWNHOUSE" should be just as big,groundbreaking & remembered like "HALLOWEEN" "TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE" & "PSYCHO" as true horror blueprints(aka the way its supposed to be done) but its not & thats a shame!! im sick & tired of hearing about VICTOR SALVA'S personal problems, it does nothing but make the dark cloud looming over this movie that much bigger , & this movie is too damn GOOD to be ignored like that. im a HORROR fan & i believe its a shame that such a superb horror movie is so hard to find because of a mental illness that the director has !! THIS WILL NEVER STOP ME FROM ENJOYING THE SCARIEST CLOWN MOVIE EVER!!!!!. p.s CHEEZO makes PENNYWIZE look like a walk in the park!! PENNYWIZE looks like a scary clown in your nightmares BUT!! CHEEZO looks like a sick clown that would stalk u in real life!. reality is scarier than fantasy!!!!!Movie Review: Victor Salva is helping to keep the HORROR genre alive!
Summary: 5 Stars
Clownhouse is one of those movies you have to watch when you know nothing about it. I first saw this movie broadcasted on cable TV in the late 80's. I was only a little boy, but I loved this movie beyond belief and have kept it in the back of my head. There was no blood in Clownhouse yet it scared me twice as much as every other horror movie and I have seen them all. The film stars Nathan Forrest WInters(casey) who is deathly afraid of clowns. He has a tormenting brother Randy(Sam Rockwell) and Jeffrey(Brian Mchugh)who make him go to the Jolly Brothers circus because his dad is in Cleveland and his mom is going to her sister's house. Casey obviously gets spooked by the clowns and before the three go back home, a trio of lunatics from the nut house escape and steal clown outfits after killing some sane clowns. Well you guessed it, the lunatics arrive right on Casey's doorstep. The movie has a really creepy atmosphere and the settings are Remarkable. I would die to see this movie on the BIG screen. Victor Salva's filmmaking genius is obviously displayed throughout the film. A scene where Randy goes to the attic and the lights flicker while the fat clown runs by is evidence. Victor Salva mind is that of a Horror master. Clownhouse and Jeepers Creepers 1&2 are great horror flicks and he wrote all of them. Those who do not like Clownhouse simply because of the molestation are STUPID, because the film itself is about something completely different.