Movies
[Review] ‘Clowntown’ Is Exactly What You Want It to Be
While the killer clown sub-genre isn’t exactly the epitome of originality, we’re in the midst of a very welcome boost in clown-themed horror movies. From Rob Zombie’s 31 to the new adaptation of Stephen King’s It, we may soon witness yet another media-induced outbreak of coulrophobia in this new generation of moviegoers. If you don’t mind this colorful trend in scary movies then you’ll probably enjoy Tom Nagel’s first feature film, Clowntown.
Clowntown stars Brian Nagel, Lauren Compton, Andrew Staton and and Katie Keene as Brad, Sarah, Mike and Jill, a group of close friends travelling to a country music festival. When the group decides to stop by a deserted town in the hopes of retrieving a lost cellphone from a supposedly good Samaritan, they find themselves being attacked by a gang of vicious clowns whose antics result in more screams than laughter.
Though it’s easy to venture into horror-comedy territory when dealing with clowns, Nagel’s film surprisingly manages to play things straight. The script embraces its roots in cheesy slasher films without necessarily becoming a parody of them, resulting in an entertaining midnight movie, despite a few derivative moments. Honestly, it’s almost refreshing to see such a basic premise executed so earnestly, without so much as a hint of irony or meta-commentary like many slashers these days.
Naturally, a bare-bones slasher may not be enough to satisfy some viewers, but the film benefits from the support of a strong cast. The characters feel genuinely friendly, and it’s hard not to root for them when the titular clowns attack. However, there is a noticeable lack of true character development throughout the movie. This may be a relic of the 80s style cinematic carnage that Clowntown attempts to emulate, but it feels slightly cheap in a contemporary production.
A slasher movie would be nothing without interesting antagonists, and Clowntown actually delivers on that front. The psychotic clowns feel truly intimidating, and Nagel’s direction provides them with some chilling moments as well. Sadly, when their backstory was finally revealed it didn’t feel quite as memorable as it should have been, but that doesn’t ruin the experience as a whole.
I personally find it extremely hard to believe that any killer clown movie will ever top Killer Klowns from Outer Space, but Clowntown will surely appeal to anyone looking for some make-up and red noses mixed with their slashing fun. While the movie does lack in the originality department, the execution is reason enough to give this film a shot. After all, any production that tries to warn us about the dangers of people dressed in mime costumes is alright in my book.
Clowntown will be in theaters Sept. 30 and on VOD and DVD Oct. 4.
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”