Clownhouse
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Movie Reviews of Clownhouse
Movie Review: 2.35 STARS: could have been three stars, but too many flaws
Summary: 2 Stars
This movie is somewhat difficult to rate in my opinion because there are some good things about "Clownhouse" and some bad things about it. The movie starts out with a young boy named Casey who is for somereason very afraid of clowns...he wets his bed when he has nightmares about them. It appears the boy is about 11 years old and he has two brothers named Geoffery and Randy, probably 13 and 16 respectively. Geoffery is sympathetic towards Casey while Randy is a total jerk and seems determined to torment them both.
Well, a carnival comes into town and Casey apprehensively goes along, but his fear of clowns is incredible. In this movie, it turns out that his fear was well warranted. At first, I thought this movie was going to be another "The Funhouse" but it was not. That being said, "The Funhouse" is superior in every way to "Clownhouse".
As "Clownhouse" moves along, the viewer notices three individuals who appear to be quite malevolent in nature. Indeed, these three men kill three clowns and dress up in their clown costumes. The killing scenes were below average and not very effective at all. What takes place afterwards is a long and sometimes boring chase scene where the clowns follow Casey back to his home. The chase scenes are quite ridiculous to be honest with you...there is no way that Casey could have outrun these grown men and there is also no way that Casey would not have heard them running behind him. Ultimately, the scenes move to Casey's house where the horror in this film really takes place.
Frankly, the clowns did not appear to be that scary to me at all...in fact, at times, they looked stupid!. When one considers the great horror movie villains of the past, the clowns looked pretty weak as far as horror movie villains are concerned, and as a result, these clowns were not very effective in creating horror in and of themselves; but, that being said, Salva does a good job of putting the clowns in position in the house unbeknownst to the boys and that is where this movie is effective as horror movie and becomes quite creepy. However, this is not enough to put this movie over the hump as a really good horror movie. I thought the moving around and the boys' lack of knowledge of the clowns in the two story house was quite effective and at times, the movie was quite chilling in this respect, but this is really all the movie has to offer.
Once the clowns were discovered however, the movie declined in the level of horror that it had created and this is a sign of an inferior horror movie in my opinion with respect to the classics at least. Moreover, I thought the times when the clowns actually engaged the young boys in combat were pretty lame...the three men would have easily killed these boys, but I suppose it wouldn't work if that happened, but I think that the movie would have been more effective and credible if the three boys in this movie were older...say, 17, 18 and 19. Then, one as a viewer, might be willing to "buy" how the young boys disposed of the clowns.
Another flaw of the movie is the acting in this movie is clearly below average and there is little character development except for Casey. The characters did not provide the movie with enough of a foundation by which the viewer can actually appreciate the movie as a whole and not just based on it's horror values...in other words, the movie just wasn't very well done or directed as a whole. Indeed, I did not think that the choice of three brothers was very effective as far as characters are concerned, especially being as young as they were. I thought it was a little much trying to mesh the personalities of the three brothers into such a short movie. But, like I said, it is hard to rate "Clownhouse" as there really are some chilling moments when the clowns enter the house unbeknownst to the young boys, but that being said, this movie is not without major flaws and all and all, I can only reluctantly endorse this movie as a horror movie worth renting,but cannot really suggest that this movie is worth owning. 2.35 STARS for this flick which in my grading system is about average. I hope this review is helpful for you in determining the pros and cons of this movie while also explaining the plot without giving away too much of the movie.
Movie Review: Craphouse
Summary: 2 Stars
After reading the reviews for Clownhouse I decided that I had to add it to my horror collection. I bought it, sat through it, and found myself VERY disapointed. I have to admit one part made me jump,and I did enjoy the atmosphere but the idea was un-original, which wouldn't have bothered me but it wasn't done well. Three lunatics escape, dress as clowns and terrorize three brothers. I'm surprised I sat through this! If you're seriously considering buying this film, I strongly reccomend renting it first.Movie Review: overrated
Summary: 2 Stars
this movie is not worth the price this seller are selling it for ,finally got to see this movie because of the price this seller where selling it for ,got me interest it, man what a let down this move is overrated if you want a good clown movie watch it or killer clowns, this movie is worth about five dollars. I'm a movie collector and I'm not interest in buying this movie after watching it.Movie Review: CLOWNHOUSE/FROWNHOUSE
Summary: 2 Stars
This movie has it's little scary moments, but that's about as far as it goes. Kinda juvenile, but is watchable, once.Movie Review: Its Really Just A BAD Movie
Summary: 1 Stars
Leaving aside the painful and horrific real life incident that taints the movie for a moment, lets just look at the movie as it is. First off, I love horror movies, some of my faveorites even include ones that are considered "Bad" by tons of movie critics, like the first 4 'Friday the 13th' movies. I love most of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and the first 2 Halloween movies, and tons others, inlcuding, yes, Victor Salva's own 'Jeepers Creepers', whcih I think is the best horror movie to have come out in the last 5 years.
But Clownhouse is just laughable and annoying and terribly acted. The bickering among the 3 brothers was driving me nuts for one. The characters do so many amazingly stupid things that are cliches in horror movies, and they do them often, more so than in even the dumbest horror movies. Peple here have already noted the very cheesy music that takes away from whatever creepiness there is. The movie is just plain Boring.
The killings are all dull and lifeless. There just didnt seem to be any reason for this movie to exist, I mean its barely 80 minutes long! That is incredibly short for any movie, even a horror movie, which are usually around 90 minutes-plus or minus a few.
The movie is very lazy at explaining who the killers are, we get very little info about them, why they are mental patients, for one-What did they do? I mean what is their method of killing or why are they dangerous. Now that they are loose, what do they want? Money? Do they just wanna kill? Isn't it strange that they don't talk at all? SOme people have actually compared this to the greatest horror movie of them all, John Carpenter's Halloween, now thats a truley scary thought.
The movie was also incredibly predictable and took an incredibly long time to finally have the kids realize the killer clowns were in the house and gonna kill them, and even when the action finally starts, its all too unbeleivable and silly to beleive.
Unfortuneatley, I had a rather disturbing and sinister thought about why this "horror" movie, which almost doesnt even feel like a real horror movie to me, anyway, might have been made. Apparently, Victor Salva , the director had been molesting the young child star of the film, Nathan Forrest Winters, for years since he was age 7, they had previously worked on Victor Salva first film, a short film, some years earlier. Perhaps this whole movie making enterprise was endeavered just so Victor could have even more close proximity with the boy so he could molest him even more. Perhaps that is why Victor made the film. Its ironic that this movie is about evil clowns, because a clown is someone that usually makes kids happy, the kid actually has a line about why clowns are fake and shouldnt be trusted. Its all so weird, like was Victor trying to get himself caught? There is so much incriminating visuals and dialogue in this film that just doesnt belong in a horror movie, but well brings to mind kiddie porn. Apparently Victor was also a friend of the kids family for years. This movie is almost like Victor was bragging about his molestation of the boy, using his camera and storytelling skills to shove in everyone's faces his relationship with the boy. \
There is some strange back story in the film that is never really explained that alludes to mental illness, that the boy may have been suicidal and tried to off himself by cutting his hand or perhaps wrist. Its said he has "scars" there. Also that the boy may have been committed, just like the escaped killer clowns? Is Salva drawing a parallel there? Why does the child wet the bed at such an advanced age, Whats his problem anyway? Its never said, but perhaps Salva is hinting that hes gay, who knows. Its interesting that the killers dont just escape out of jail, they excape from a mental facility perhaps they are really just sick individuals, just like the boy ? Is Victor Salva trying to say he and the boy actor in the film both share something that others may say is sick but that they belong together? They say that child molestors search out young boys who they think are homosexual, who are one of them. The clowns are drawn to the boy, yet its also always the boy who see them, almost like hes looking for them like they are both drawn to each other.
I dont know why this film was made, so if my theories rub some here the wrong way, I am sorry, I just cant figure out why someone who would show talent in later horror movies like Jeepers Creepers, would make such a pointless awful and strange horror movie, if not for his own perverted pleasure. Definitely miss this flick, and dont be fooled by all the surprisingly positive reviews here. This movie sucks!