Greatest movie of all time. The Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies

Mark Wein said:
While both are up there in my personal pantheon of epic movies (along with Animal House, Holy Grail, Blues Brothers and Spinal Tap) we are celebrating this epic movie of alcoholic, drug doing, mime bashing losers known as "Shakes the Clown".
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Sorry, I thought it was a vote/ suggestions. LOL
 
Every clown I knew had is undies in a bundle when they heard about that movie. They threw a fit before it even shot a frame. After it came out everybody said they knew those guys in real life. Some of them identified each other.
 
knotty said:
Sorry, I thought it was a vote/ suggestions. LOL
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:grin:


Rick 381 said:
Every clown I knew had is undies in a bundle when they heard about that movie. They threw a fit before it even shot a frame. After it came out everybody said they knew those guys in real life. Some of them identified each other.
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I thought it was funny that clowns of all people have no sense of humor. I think they picketed the premier, too.

Shakes the Clown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shakes the Clown

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait
Produced by Paul Colichman
Ann Luly-Goldthwait
Written by Bobcat Goldthwait
Starring Bobcat Goldthwait
Julie Brown
Tom Kenny
Blake Clark
Adam Sandler
Robin Williams
Music by Tom Scott
Cinematography Bobby Bukowski
Elliot Davis
Edited by J. Kathleen Gibson
Distributed by IRS Media (Theatrical)
Columbia-TriStar Home Video (Home Video)
Release dates
  • August 28, 1991
(Boston Film Festival)
  • March 13, 1992
(US)
Running time
87 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1.4 million[1]
Shakes the Clown is a 1991 American black comedy film[2] directed and written by Bobcat Goldthwait, who performs the title role. It also features Julie Brown, Blake Clark, Paul Dooley, Kathy Griffin, Florence Henderson, Tom Kenny, Adam Sandler, Scott Herriott, LaWanda Page, Jack Gallagher, and a cameo by Robin Williams as Mime Jerry (using the pseudonym "Marty Fromage", an homage to an earlier film they worked in together called Tapeheads in which Goldthwait used the pseudonym "Jack Cheese").

The movie is a dark comedy about a birthday-party clown (Goldthwait) in the grip of depression and alcoholism, who is framed for murder. Different communities of clowns, mimes and other performers are depicted as clannish, rivalrous subcultures obsessed with precedence and status. This was Goldthwait's bitter satire of the dysfunctional standup comedy circuit he knew as a performer.[3]



Contents
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Cast[edit]
Reception[edit]
Shakes the Clown was not a financial success, earning only about $115,000 in ticket sales against an estimated budget of $1.4 million.[4]

Critical reaction to the movie was mixed: Leonard Maltin gave it his lowest rating, while Betsy Sherman of The Boston Globe called it "theCitizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies".[5] Roger Ebert gave Shakes 2-out-of-4 stars, writing that while some isolated scenes were "very funny" the plot was scattered and the performances often seemed under-rehearsed.[6] As of mid-2011, the movie has a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews.[7]

In an interview with Conan O'Brien, Goldthwait revealed that no less than Martin Scorsese had defended the movie from detractors. When a film critic derided the movie in order to make a point about good and bad movies, Scorsese revealed, "I like Shakes the Clown. Haven'
 
Rick 381 said:
Every clown I knew had is undies in a bundle when they heard about that movie. They threw a fit before it even shot a frame. After it came out everybody said they knew those guys in real life. Some of them identified each other.
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How... how many clowns did you know?
 
A lot. I worked for clown college one year. Two of them live three houses away from me. I was in the circus business 25 years. Wore plenty of greasepaint myself.

Clowns are very clanish and status concious. Top of the heap are the circus clowns, because they're "real" clowns, followed by corporate(Ronald), party, hospital, parade and bottom of the heap, Shrine clowns. Someone is thinking, why are Shrine clowns at the bottom of the heap? Because their make-up is terrible, their wardrobe is worse and their gags aren't even close to funny. Of course you see them out of make-up and you discover they're 75 years old. It's amazing they can even do the walk around before a Shrine Circus without the paramedics being called. Seeing them out there is just sad and pathetic.

Clowns do have a sense of humor just not about clowning, unless of course they're making jokes about other clowns. Mostly it has to be dark, disturbing, and somewhat dangerous to get a laugh from a clown. Mostly I've learn through the years that anybody in the comedy business is a tough laugh. They see/do so much funny stuff you have to be way out there to get a laugh from them
 
Fuck clowns in their stupid fucking meathead faces. I hate hate hate clowns, all clowns, every clown.

To paraphrase Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp: "I see a red nose, I kill the man wearing it!"

They aren't funny or entertaining.

Ever.

And you have to wonder about the motives and underlying issues that would drive an adult to such a gig. John Wayne Gacie being the obvious point of reference, but how many of these creepy fucks are kiddy didlers?

I'd bet the percentage is outrageously high.
 
I would pay for a window into OGG's mind, but he gives it away freely.

As for the movie, the use of Florence Henderson in the opening scene was a stroke of mass genius. I've always felt that way.
 
Never knew a one who was a kiddy didler. Most would go out of their way to avoid physical contact with kids. There was this fear that you were in their town with their police department you didn't stand a chance. I know pony ride guys who would not pick the kid up and put him on the pony. Mom or Dad had to put the kid on and take him off. The ride operators would not touch the kid under any circumstance.

You had to watch out on the road for the teenage girls, and their mothers. An amazing number of girls and women seem to be looking for a little something that's going to be long gone in the morning. They also seem to want to do weird, kinky things that they don't want anyone in town to know they would even think about doing.
 
Rick 381 said:
You had to watch out on the road for the teenage girls, and their mothers. An amazing number of girls and women seem to be looking for a little something that's going to be long gone in the morning. They also seem to want to do weird, kinky things that they don't want anyone in town to know they would even think about doing.
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Sounds like hell....
 
This guy ruined it for all clowns:

gacy21n-5-web.jpg



BTW -- where do rodeo clowns fit into the heirachy of clowning? Anybody watching the Zach Galifanakis (sp?) show "Baskets"? I like it, but my wife finds it too gritty and disturbing...
 
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