Dumb Distraction Halloween 2005: In case you haven't heard... I love Halloween. You don't have to be thankful for anything... don't have to buy flowers for your good-for-nothing girlfriend... there's no need to make resolutions you're not going to keep... at it's best it Halloween season can even hold it's own against Christmas. When you think about it, it's really the least commercial of all the major holidays... the biggest purchase you're responsible for is an extra-large bag of candy corns.

Plus, it's a really great excuse for me to wallow in a month long orgy of horror movies. This Halloween, Dumb Distraction is your source for daily reviews of great horror movies. I've got a lot of good stuff lined up fron all ends of the horror spectrum... obscure foreign horror, classics from my childhood, direct to video zombie movies, high-brow thrillers and gorefests... Don't miss it!

Clownhouse (1989)

Directed by: Victor Salva
Starring: Nathan Forrest Winters, Brian McHugh, Sam Rockwell

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Epilogue: No man can hide from his fears; as they are a part of him, they will always know where he is hiding

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In three days I've reviewed three different Evil Clown movies. Each had its own explanation of why a Good Clown went bad. In Dead Clowns, a carload of regular clowns drowned, and were then brougt back to life a zombies. In Killjoy, a stuffed clown was given life through the power of dark magic. The root of evil in Clownhouse is much simpler, and much more realistic. Three lunatics have escaped from a metal hospital. They happen upon a nearby circus and kill most of the circus folk they find. After they kill the circus' clowns, they decide to put on the costumes before heading to the nearby town to see what further damage they can cause.

Scary. Scary. Scary.

One of the nearby residents is Casey (Nathan Winters), the youngest of three brothers. Casey's two older brothers like to treat him like a baby... and for a good reason. One year ago, he ran screaming from a circus tent when a clown tried to talk to him. This year, determined to overcome his reputation, Casey decides to go to the circus once more and face his fears.

What a baby... scared of clowns! (Actually, I don't blame him.)

Once he shows up at the big top, he realizes that he can't overcome his terror of clowns. Casey runs out of the circus tent in shame, and, along with this two brothers, heads back home. Unfortunately for Casey, the three lunatics are headed towards his house

Most of this movie focuses on the three brothers and their attempt to overcome the evil trio that is invading their house. Their parents are gone, so these brothers are left to fend for themselves. The oldest, Randy (Sam Rockwell), is only 16 years old... so they are fairly helpless. This movie does benefit from having one of the most realistic 'brother relationship' depictions I've seen on the big screen. Coming from a family of brothers, I can attest to how accurate this movie is. One minute the guys are calling each other fags and assholes, and the next they're asking each other for help and advice. It's totally accurate, and one of my favorite things about the movie.

The other thing that is absolutely fantasic about this movie is Sam Rockwell's performance. This was Rockwell's first movie, and he is incredible. He plays Randy, the oldest brother, and he's just about the best 'Asshole Older Brother' I've seen. Like I said before, the relationship between the three brothers is very realistic, and while Rockwell is a major jerk, you also get the definate sense that he cares what happens to his two younger brothers. Rockwell is one of my favorite actors, and this movie was just a reaffirmation that he 'had it' from the very beginning.

This guy is awesome.

Unfortunately, no discussion of this movie is complete without discussing Director Victor Salva. Salva was convicted after this movie of sexually molesting 12 year old Nathan Winters during the filming of this movie. Salva filmed himself having oral sex with Nathan and subsequently served only 15 years in prison(!). This despicable crime obviously taints much of ths movie itself. It is hard to separate the actions of Casey onscreen with the knowledge of what he was going through off-screen.

I will have to say that if you can put aside what is going on behind the scenes, this is a terrifying movie. The clowns in this movie are absolutely perfect... they're dark, menacing, and scary as hell. To me, just about the scariest thing in any movie is someone who is batshit insane... and this movie has three of 'em. Most of the movie the clowns are hidden in darkness, so the times you get to see them ends up being extra frightening.

Best scary clowns I've seen all week.

Despite the scandal surrounding this film, Clownhouse is a horrifying movie. Definately not one you would want to watch alone on a quiet night. If you can distance yourself from the real-life horror behind this film, Clownhouse is a definate must see.

- Micah