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The Clown at Midnight
Upon the reopening of the opera house where her mother was murdered, a teen and her friends become the targets of a deranged killer dressed in a clown costume.
Release : | 1998 |
Rating : | 4.4 |
Studio : | GFT Paquin Entertainment, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Set Decoration, |
Cast : | Sarah Lassez James Duval Tatyana Ali Ryan Bittle Margot Kidder |
Genre : | Horror Thriller |
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Reviews
Waste of time
It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
The Clown at Midnight is a horror film which came out in the late 1990's and it is better than your average slasher film.*Spoliers Ahead* What i enjoyed most about this film was that it did not just have a horror element to it yet there was suspense in a dark,atmospheric opera house and some comedy in it as well, with the range of personalities.Several of the films characters are immediately recognisable which included Tatyana Ali and Margot Kidder,both of there roles were good and fun although the characters could have got a little more screen time before there gruesome demises.The character of Ashley added some bitchiness to the film, her character was insensitive to Kate and had an attitude towards others,it would have been good to see her get a slap although when she finally meets the grim reaper it is with little sympathy.*End of spoilers* This film is only independently available but if you can get hold of a copy then i would recommend that you go and see it, 6 out of 10.
My best friend got this from the dollar store in a really small town. It sucks so wonderfully. The acting is wooden, the death scenes are cheesy, and the attempts at 'deep, psychological' shots are laughably bad. The premise itself is stupid- a girl finds out she is adopted after her mother was murdered and has visions of her in the place she died, an abandoned theatre. By the end none of this makes sense, least of all how they figured out that a clown was killing people. If you're a fan of bad horror movies, check it out. You won't be disappointed.
Group of college students restoring an old run down theater fall victim to a killer dressed in a clown costume from an old opera production. Seems the murders are linked to the death of an opera singer over a decade ago. Spooky, creepy slasher flick isn't as cliched as usual and features a very appealing cast, but some of the gruesome death scenes that emphasize torture are a bit tough to sit through.Rated R; Torture, Extreme Violence, Profanity, Nudity, and Sexual Situations.
Slasher films tended to go downhill after their popular run in the 80's. Occasionally, in the 90's, a worthy horror film would pop up, but with the release of 1996's blockbuster "SCREAM", the genre got the well deserved regain in popularity that it needed. However, with the late 90's horror film explosion, something was missing. The charm and effect of the 80's slasher was lost in the huge Hollywood budgets and hip young casts that have become fixtures of recent horror films. "The Clown at Midnight" is an exception to this rule. With a relatively unknown cast of teens (the exception is "French Prince of Bel-Air) actress Tatayani Ali) and a foreboding setup, it manages to develop into a well crafted, well acted, creepy horror film that evokes the atmosphere and effectiveness of some of the best slashers of the 80's. The plot centers around young Kate Williams (Sara Lassez), whose mother was brutally murdered in an opera house years before. Her and some of her classmates volunteer to clean up the same opera house to prepare it for their college music department. Well, needless to say, an unpleasant time awaits each of them as a killer dressed as a clown locks them in the downright creepy building and kills them in very grim ways.The Good: The film looks great. The direction is sharp, the lighting perfect, and the film stock high quality. In fact, it looks better than some of the films that have made it into the theaters recently. The plot is interesting enough, and though each character is a cliché (the jock, the bitch, the brain) the actors pull them off quite well and make us connect to them. Better yet, they are actually teenagers and not thirty year olds trying to act like teenagers. Margot Kidder and Christopher Plummer also put in strong cameos and give the film a sense of credibility. What is interesting is that the most likable characters are disposed of in the most gruesome ways which does provide some slight emotional impact. As mentioned, the setting is creepy and very effective and the killer clown lurking around is unsettling. But what I liked most about the film is the atmosphere and the fact that it doesn't try to be anything other than a slasher film. There are no comedic undertones, no over-the-top characters, just pure stalk and slash very reminiscent of the 80's. It really is one of the better post-"Scream" slasher films that actually is extremely competent and enjoyable.The Bad: Very little, actually. Clichés do abound and it really isn't THAT hard to figure out who the killer really is. We also know from the first frame who the surviving girl will be, so any early stalk scenes with her are ineffective because we know she won't die. The ending leaves a lot to be desired and seems rushed. There really could have been a longer chase sequence and the whole "Popcorn" inspired final minute were unnecessary because, again, we know how who will live. The are some gruesome deaths, but most of them are very tame. This probably won't please gore hounds.It seems this film has become quite rare. As of now, it is only available on VHS and I don't think a DVD release is planned for anytime soon. But I highly recommend this film to you lovers of the 80's stalk and slash films because overall it is an well-made and enjoyable film.My Grade: B+