Fear of Clowns

Last updated
Fear of Clowns
Fear-of-clowns.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Kevin Kangas
Written byKevin Kangas
Produced byRick Ganz
Kevin Kangas
StarringRick Ganz
Mark Lassise
Jacqueline Reres
CinematographyDavid Mun
Edited byHarvey Glatman
Music byChad Seiter
Production
companies
Kangas Kahn Films
Marauder Productions
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fear of Clowns is a 2004 horror film written and directed by Kevin Kangas. The film centres on an artist who is struggling with a hostile spouse and becomes the object of a mentally disturbed clown. It was followed by a 2007 sequel entitled Fear of Clowns 2 .

Contents

Plot

Lynn Blodgett, an artist with coulrophobia, has a nightmare in which she is a young girl and encounters a clown with a decomposing face after a car crash at a carnival. Lynn's nightmares have been getting worse since she filed for divorce from her husband, Doctor Bert Tokyo, who hit her upon getting the news, and is fighting for full custody of their son, Nicholas. One night, a shirtless clown (Shivers) with black eyes and a battle axe gazes at Lynn's house, then walks away. In the morning, Lynn is told that a family living near where she was house sitting was massacred.

At a gallery exhibiting her work, most of which involves monstrous clowns, Lynn meets Tucker Reid, a roller coaster tycoon who purchases one of her paintings for $8000. Tuck invites Lynn to his office, and after the tour, the two are attacked by a mugger, Heston, but escape. Lynn is shaken by the attempted robbery, but brushes off Tuck's offer to stay at her house. Lynn answers a call from the gallery owner and faints after spotting Shivers standing on her patio. The gallery owner then calls the police, who later question Lynn and dismiss her story.

At the gallery, Lynn reluctantly accepts an offer of $20,000 to do a portrait of a man's father, a clown and convicted child molester. Elsewhere, Shivers is tormented by voices, which tell him that he will get better if he continues to terrorize Lynn. Lynn meets with Bert and his lawyer, who state that Bert not only wants custody of Nicholas, but also wants child support, and half the rights and profits to all the paintings that Lynn has created and sold since they married. It is also revealed that Bert has been out of work for six months, and has been lying about being preoccupied with his job.

Shivers stalks Lynn as she is walking with Tuck, and later murders Lynn's friend Amanda. Lynn is contacted by Detective Peters, who tells her about Amanda's death, and that he now believes her story about being scared by a clown, as grease paint was found under Amanda's nails, and in a colorful pattern on one of her windows. In a parking lot, Bert meets with Heston, who he has hired to kill Lynn so he can collect life insurance. Heston successfully badgers Bert into giving him more money, due to the complications caused by Shivers and the police. Bert visits Shivers, who is revealed to be Doug Richardson, a former patient of his, a sex offender with Leber's congenital amaurosis. Worried that Shivers will wreck his plans, Bert orders him to leave Lynn alone.

Ignoring Bert, Shivers sends a party clown to Lynn's house to distract the guard, whom he beheads, spotting Heston nearby as he does so. When Shivers leaves, Heston breaks into Lynn's home, and is shot with his own gun during a struggle with Lynn and Tuck, who had stopped by to check on Lynn. At the Tokyo residence, Shivers murders Bert, due to Bert trying to have Heston assassinate Lynn, and thus almost ruining Shivers's chance to be "cured". While the authorities are content with believing that Heston was Shivers, Lynn is unconvinced. Nevertheless, she decides to go out on a date to a theatre with Tuck to celebrate being paid $100,000 for the painting she was hired to do.

Shivers continues his mission of trying to rid himself of his schizophrenia through Lynn. He kills her boss, abducts Nicholas after dismembering his babysitter, and breaks into the theatre, where he butchers two employees. As Shivers pursues Lynn and Tuck, Detective Peters races to the theatre, having gotten an alert about a 911 call from it, and news that the DNA under Amanda's fingernails matches Doug. Shivers uses Nicholas to lure Lynn out, and as the clown is about to kill her, Tuck blinds him from a projectionist booth, incapacitating him long enough for Peters and other officers to arrive, and arrest him.

Lynn goes home, and has a nightmare about Shivers escaping from prison, and attacking her and Nicholas.

Cast

Release

Fear of Clowns made its DVD debut on February 28, 2006, when it was released by Live/Artisan. [1] The release was a financial success, grossing over $3 million in rentals within its first six months of release. [2]

Reception

Critical reception for Fear of Clowns has been mixed to negative, with most criticism directed towards the film's thin characters, screenplay, and Kangas' direction. Although they would commend Lassise and Reres' performances, Bloody Disgusting noted that, overall, the film's one-dimensional characters, poor pacing, and runtime. [3] Dread Central's Steve Barton felt Lassise's Shivers the Clown was "the most memorable murderer—in years", while noting the weak story, and lack of interesting characters. [4] Andre Manseau of Joblo's Arrow in the Head criticized the film for its thin and poorly written characters, which he felt ruined an otherwise interesting concept and admittedly creepy clown design. [5] Reviewing the film and its sequel, Ain't It Cool News felt that the film's pacing would have benefited with a shorter runtime, while noting the clown designs as "downright terrifying". [6]

Legacy

Fear of Clowns's financial success would help spawn a sequel Fear of Clowns 2 , also directed by Kangas, three years later. [2] Shivers the Clown would later be included in Variety 's "The 20 Creepiest Clowns in Movies and TV". On the character, the author would said "Shivers himself is an undeniably creepy figure whose asymmetrical grin hints at the diseased mind lurking beneath the makeup". [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil clown</span> Pop culture trope and horror staple

The evil clown, or creepy clown, also known as the killer clown if their character revolves around murder, is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead depicted in a more disturbing nature through the use of horror elements and dark humor. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by the DC Comics supervillain Joker starting in 1940, and again by Pennywise in Stephen King's It. The character can be seen as playing on the sense of unease felt by sufferers of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.

<i>Shivers</i> (1975 film) 1975 body horror film by David Cronenberg

Shivers, also known as The Parasite Murders and They Came from Within, and, for Canadian distribution in French, Frissons, is a 1975 Canadian science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Paul Hampton, Lynn Lowry, and Barbara Steele.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightmare at 20,000 Feet</span> 3rd episode of the 5th season of The Twilight Zone

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is the third episode of the fifth season American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, based on the short story of the same name by Richard Matheson, first published in the short story anthology Alone by Night (1961). It originally aired on October 11, 1963, and is one of the most well-known and frequently referenced episodes of the series. The story follows a passenger on an airline flight who notices a hideous creature trying to sabotage the aircraft during flight.

"Five Characters in Search of an Exit" is episode 79 of the television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on December 22, 1961.

<i>Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day</i> 1968 short film directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day is a 1968 American animated musical fantasy short film based on the third, fifth, ninth, and tenth chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh and the second, eighth, and ninth chapters from The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. The featurette was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company on December 20, 1968, having been shown in theaters with The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. This was the second of the studio's Winnie the Pooh theatrical featurettes. It was later added as a segment to the 1977 film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The music was written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. It was notable for being the last Disney animated short to be produced by Walt Disney, who died of lung cancer on December 15, 1966, two years before its release.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors</i> 1987 film by Chuck Russell

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a 1987 American Supernatural slasher film directed by Chuck Russell in his feature directorial debut. The story was developed by Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner and is the third installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, Larry Fishburne, Priscilla Pointer, Craig Wasson, and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. Nancy Thompson, now a psychiatrist, and Kristen, a patient who can bring others into her own dreams, team up with other kids to launch a daring rescue into the dreamland and save a child from Freddy Krueger.

<i>Saw III</i> 2006 film by Darren Lynn Bousman

Saw III is a 2006 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and a story by Whannell and James Wan. It is the third installment in the Saw film series and a sequel to 2005's Saw II, starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, and Dina Meyer.

<i>The Nightmare Room</i> American horror anthology television series (2001–2002)

The Nightmare Room is an American children's anthology horror series that aired on Kids' WB. The series was based on the short-lived children's book series that went by the same title created by Goosebumps author, R. L. Stine. The Nightmare Room originally aired from August 31, 2001, to March 16, 2002, in the United States.

<i>Clownhouse</i> 1989 film by Victor Salva

Clownhouse is a 1989 American slasher film written and directed by Victor Salva in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Nathan Forrest Winters, Brian McHugh, and Sam Rockwell as three young brothers stalked by escaped mental patients disguised as clowns, portrayed by Michael Jerome West, Bryan Weible, and David C. Reinecker. Clownhouse marks the second collaboration for Salva with Winters and McHugh, who previously appeared in his short film Something in the Basement (1986), and Rockwell's first film appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Young</span> Fictional character from the Saw franchise

Amanda Young is a fictional character created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell and is one of the antagonists in the Saw franchise. She first appeared in Saw (2004), portrayed by Shawnee Smith, as a victim of one of serial killer Jigsaw's traps. Amanda's role was expanded in subsequent films, where she served as an apprentice to Jigsaw, with the goal of succeeding him after his death. Amanda has physically appeared in five of the ten films in the series. The character has gone on to appear in various other media, including video games and comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy the Puppet</span> Puppet character in the Saw franchise

Billy is a puppet that has appeared in the Saw franchise. It was used by John "Jigsaw" Kramer, often appearing on a television screen, or occasionally in person, to describe the details of the traps and the means by which the test subjects could survive.

"Nightmares" is the tenth episode of the first season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode's teleplay was written by David Greenwalt, with a story by Joss Whedon, and directed by Bruce Seth Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmett Lynn</span> American actor (1897–1958)

Emmett Earl Lynn was an American actor of the stage and screen.

<i>Fear of Clowns 2</i> 2007 film

Fear of Clowns 2 is a 2007 American horror film written and directed by Kevin Kangas. It is a sequel to Fear of Clowns (2004) and takes place two years after the events of the original and continues the story of a young woman getting stalked by a killer clown.

<i>Lucy Gallant</i> 1955 film

Lucy Gallant is a 1955 American drama film directed by Robert Parrish and written by John Lee Mahin and Winston Miller. The film stars Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest and Wallace Ford. The film was released on October 20, 1955, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>The Best of Me</i> (novel) Book by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me is an American romance novel, written by Nicholas Sparks.

<i>The Best of Me</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

The Best of Me is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Will Fetters and J. Mills Goodloe, based on Nicholas Sparks' 2011 novel of the same name. The film stars James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan with Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato.

<i>Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys</i> 2014 American TV series or program

Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys is a science fiction horror film directed by James Cullen Bressack and starring Shannen Doherty, Jason Brooks, Christopher Lloyd, Ciara Hanna, Fred Stoller, Rachel True, Jeremy Wade, and Zack Ward. The film was distributed by The Asylum. It premiered on the Animal Planet cable TV channel (US) on Sunday May 25, 2014, at 8:00 p.m. EST and was released to DVD the following Tuesday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art the Clown</span> Fictional character in the Terrifier franchise

Art the Clown is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Terrifier franchise and related media. Created by Damien Leone, the character first appeared in the short films The 9th Circle (2008) and Terrifier (2011). Both shorts were included in the anthology film All Hallows' Eve (2013) which marked the character's feature film debut. In these early appearances, he was portrayed by Mike Giannelli before his retirement from acting. He was replaced by David Howard Thornton, who portrayed Art in Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), and Terrifier 3 (2024).

References

  1. ↑ "Fear of Clowns (2004) - Kevin Kangas". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Kangas Khan Films". Kangas Kahn Films.com. n.d. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ n.a. (March 7, 2006). "Fear of Clowns (V)". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ Barton, Steve (March 1, 2006). "Fear of Clowns (DVD)". Dread Central . Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ Manseau, Andre (n.d.). "Fear of Clowns". Joblo . Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ Ambush Bug (July 8, 2014). "AICN HORROR Send in the Clowns: Bug confronts the indie horrors of FEAR OF CLOWNS & FEAR OF CLOWNS 2!". Ain't It Cool News . Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  7. ↑ n.a. (October 21, 2016). "The 20 Creepiest Clowns in Movies and TV". Variety . Retrieved May 20, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.