Clownhouse
Encyclopedia
Clownhouse is a 1989 horror film
written and directed by Victor Salva
. It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic category at the 1989 Sundance film festival
.
), are mostly disobliging. One night, the three boys are left alone, so they decide to visit a local circus for a night of amusement, despite knowing Casey's uncontrollable coulrophobia
.
Meanwhile, three mental patients have escaped from a local insane asylum, and their first stop is at the same circus the brothers are attending.
At the circus, Casey innocently visits a fortune teller despite Randy's better judgment. The fortune teller reveals to Casey that his life line has been cut short, and says to him:
As the boys go home from the circus, a shaken Casey thinks his nightmare is over, but it has only
just begun. The three escaped mental patients have murdered three circus clowns, disguised themselves with their costumes and makeup and have made their way to the boys' house to unleash a night of terror, where Casey is forced to face his fears once and for all.
s to come out of the 1980s, a decade notable for the plethora of slasher pictures like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street
, Prom Night, and many others.
Despite ending a decade known for intense violence and gratuitous gore, Clownhouse did not have much of either. Instead, the film followed in the tradition of John Carpenter
's Halloween
by limiting the onscreen carnage and focusing on lighting, sound, and suspense. The film also portrays a message concerning the fears of mankind. The final onscreen text reads:
Writer/director Victor Salva spends a majority of the film setting up sardonic situations that allude to the characters and their positions. Throughout the movie, a song is frequently played or sung, in which a line reads: "Don't be afraid of the dark, sweetheart." Moments later, two of the brothers are being unknowingly chased in the night by two of the clowns.
Victor Salva's conviction for molesting the lead actor in Clownhouse is the reason for his temporary filmmaking absence between 1996 and 2001. In the 1980s Nathan Forrest Winters, the leading actor who played Casey, would press charges against Salva for sexual abuse
during the making of this film, which resulted in Salva serving 15 months of a 3 year jail term. Forrest would come forward again in 1996, when Salva's film Powder
was released.
Salva became noticeable again in the film industry in 2001 with the release of his sleeper hit
Jeepers Creepers
, followed by its 2003 sequel Jeepers Creepers II
.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by Victor Salva
Victor Salva
Victor Ronald Salva is an American film director, mostly of horror movies. His body of work includes the films Powder and Jeepers Creepers.-Early life and career:...
. It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic category at the 1989 Sundance film festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
Plot summary
Clownhouse follows the story of leading protagonist Casey (Nathan Forrest Winters), a normal boy whose life is constantly influenced by his intense fear of clowns. His two older brothers, Geoffrey (Brian McHugh) and Randy (Sam RockwellSam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell is an American actor known for his leading roles in Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Choke and Moon, as well as for his supporting roles in The Green Mile, Iron Man 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Frost/Nixon, Galaxy Quest, Matchstick Men, The Assassination of...
), are mostly disobliging. One night, the three boys are left alone, so they decide to visit a local circus for a night of amusement, despite knowing Casey's uncontrollable coulrophobia
Coulrophobia
Coulrophobia is a fear of clowns. The term is of recent origin, probably dating from the 1980s, and according to one analyst, "has been coined more on the Internet than in printed form because it does not appear in any previously published, psychiatric, unabridged, or abridged dictionary," however...
.
Meanwhile, three mental patients have escaped from a local insane asylum, and their first stop is at the same circus the brothers are attending.
At the circus, Casey innocently visits a fortune teller despite Randy's better judgment. The fortune teller reveals to Casey that his life line has been cut short, and says to him:
Beware, beware, in the darkest of dark /though the flesh is young and the hearts are strong /precious life cannot be long /when darkest death has left its mark.
As the boys go home from the circus, a shaken Casey thinks his nightmare is over, but it has only
just begun. The three escaped mental patients have murdered three circus clowns, disguised themselves with their costumes and makeup and have made their way to the boys' house to unleash a night of terror, where Casey is forced to face his fears once and for all.
About the film
Clownhouse was one of the last slasher filmSlasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
s to come out of the 1980s, a decade notable for the plethora of slasher pictures like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...
, Prom Night, and many others.
Despite ending a decade known for intense violence and gratuitous gore, Clownhouse did not have much of either. Instead, the film followed in the tradition of John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
by limiting the onscreen carnage and focusing on lighting, sound, and suspense. The film also portrays a message concerning the fears of mankind. The final onscreen text reads:
"No man can hide from his fears; as they are a part of him, they will always know where he is hiding."
Writer/director Victor Salva spends a majority of the film setting up sardonic situations that allude to the characters and their positions. Throughout the movie, a song is frequently played or sung, in which a line reads: "Don't be afraid of the dark, sweetheart." Moments later, two of the brothers are being unknowingly chased in the night by two of the clowns.
Victor Salva's conviction for molesting the lead actor in Clownhouse is the reason for his temporary filmmaking absence between 1996 and 2001. In the 1980s Nathan Forrest Winters, the leading actor who played Casey, would press charges against Salva for sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
during the making of this film, which resulted in Salva serving 15 months of a 3 year jail term. Forrest would come forward again in 1996, when Salva's film Powder
Powder (film)
Powder is a 1995 film directed by Victor Salva, about a boy, nicknamed "Powder", with incredible intellect, telepathy, and paranormal powers. It stars Sean Patrick Flanery in the title role, with Jeff Goldblum, Mary Steenburgen, Bradford Tatum, Lance Henriksen, and Brandon Smith in supporting roles...
was released.
Salva became noticeable again in the film industry in 2001 with the release of his sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
Jeepers Creepers
Jeepers Creepers (film)
Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror film written and directed by Victor Salva. The movie takes its name from the 1938 song "Jeepers Creepers" which is featured in the film.- Plot :...
, followed by its 2003 sequel Jeepers Creepers II
Jeepers Creepers II
Jeepers Creepers 2 is a 2003 horror film written and directed by Victor Salva, produced by American Zoetrope, Capitol Films, Myriad Pictures and distributed by United Artists, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer division. The film is a sequel to the 2001 horror film Jeepers Creepers.-Plot:The story begins 4 days...
.
Other information
- In the scene where the brothers are reading a comic book in Geoffrey's room, a poster for Something in the Basement can be seen on the bedroom door. This is a reference to Victor Salva's first film/short from 1986, which also starred Nathan Forrest Winters. Additionally in an earlier scene, on the outside of Geoffrey's door there can be seen a poster for The OutsidersThe Outsiders (film)The Outsiders is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. The film was released in March 1983...
; directed by Francis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, who helped finance both Clownhouse and Salva's subsequent films.