VULGAR
PLOT-A clown from a famous kids' TV show is blackmailed by some psycho thugs.
VIOLENCE-People are shot, beaten up, and raped. A lot is implied but not extremely graphic.
SEX/NUDITY-Nothing that would really fall into this category is present in the film.
WHY I WATCHED IT-This is a gritty exploitation flick made by the people who brought us CLERKS and other such fine films. It stars Brian O'Halloran (Dante from CLERKS) as Flappy the Clown, and definitely has a fucked-up premise. Unlike the brilliant 80s film SHAKES THE CLOWN, this isn't really a comedy. The subect matter, whicle sometimes handled in a darkly comic manner, is treated seriously. It's a rape/revenge film with a clown as the main character. Other people who star in this movie are Scott Mosier, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, and Ethan Suplee...all of whom have appeared in movies like CLERKS, MALLRATS, CHASING AMY, DOGMA, and JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (a.k.a. one of the greatest films of 2001).
WHY I FELL ASLEEP-This movie had a great, twisted concept and a cast of fully capable performers. But for some reason, it put me to sleep and it took me 3 days to finish it. I don't know if it had to do with the pacing, how it was filmed or what. It was obvious they didn't have much money to work with, but something tells me this movie never would have appeared on the radar had Kevin Smith not been one of the producers. It lacked intensity. Aside from the very brutal and well-shot rape scene (which is highly effective to watch), everything seems unmoving and just kind of serves to plod the story along to its end.
MEMORABLE SCENES-Jason Mewes is very funny in his brief role as a small-time gun dealer. His scenes are great, and it's odd seeing him play somebody besides "Jay".
DVD NOTES-The real reason to get this disc is for the supplement entitled "In Defense Of Dogma", a decently long and thorough documentary about the controversy that surrounded Kevin Smith's 1999 film DOGMA. I don't know why this feature wasn't uncluded on the huge, expansive DOGMA Special Edition disc earlier this year, but oh well. It's very good, and a must-see for Smith fans, as it includes interviews with most all of the big stars of the film, as well as all those responsible for production. Coolest of all, it interviews the preist who allowed DOGMA to be partially filmed at his church in Pittsburgh.
(September 2002)