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Sorry, this movie sucks

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It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait made an interesting filmmaking debut with this not bad mix of comedy and drama. Bobcat plays "Shakes", a clown who is barely functioning in life. When he actually shows up for work, he does a decent enough job, but he just cannot stay off the sauce. This frustrates his patient girlfriend, Judy (MTV personality Julie Brown), and even his friends such as Stenchy (Blake Clark) and Dink (Adam Sandler, in one of his earliest film roles). Eventually, Shakes must pull it together and clear himself when he's framed for a murder.Clearly, this has become a cult favourite, although this viewer would be lying if he said that he found it all that funny himself. It's mildly amusing at best, with some good moments, but it's never really inspired. One of the brightest bits of business occurs when Robin Williams shows up (billed as "Marty Fromage") as a mime teacher. It is also a hoot the way that clowns such as Shakes, Stenchy, and Dink declare war on mimes earlier in the picture and rough them up. It would have been nice had it been a little more of a dark comedy, but it never really gets that dark. Too much time is wasted with two unfunny cop characters.Certainly the cast gets an A for effort. Bobcat is good in the lead, managing to elicit some sympathy along the way. Brown is sweet as his leading lady, speaking with a noticeable lisp. Tom Kenny (voice of Sponge Bob Squarepants) is a great sociopathic bad guy, "Binky" the clown. Other familiar faces include Florence Henderson, Sydney Lassick, La Wanda Page, Joel Murray, Tim Kazurinsky, and Paul Dooley.Off-kilter enough to keep it watchable, with a bright wrap-up and a lively soundtrack.

I sat down to watch "Shakes the Clown" because Bobcat Goldthwait was in it, and I had no idea that I was in for a movie with this many famous people in it. I had not anticipated that at all.The story is about Shakes, a clown with a love of drinking. He is told to get his act together or his will be fired, when he finds himself framed for a murder.Despite having so many talented names on the cast list, then I was not even remotely entertained by this movie, much less brought to laughs. I really didn't laugh a single time, truth be told.Perhaps I didn't get the symbolism between the alcoholism and the imagery of clowns. But, for me, it just didn't mix well together, much less make for an entertaining movie."Shakes the Clown" wasn't particularly my type of movie, and thus I think the movie is worth a 3 out of 10 stars.

Shakes the Clown (1991) ** (out of 4) Interesting but in the end failed comedy about an alcoholic clown named Shakes (Bobcat Goldthwait) who can't seem to get his life in order. He's no longer funny, always missing appointments and all of this is due to his constant and over-the-top drinking. Goldthwait not only plays the lead here but he also wrote and directed the picture. Overtime Goldthwait would become one of the most interesting directors out there for black comedies and we all have to start somewhere and more times than not no one nails their talent right off the bat. SHAKES THE CLOWN has an interesting set-up and a bizarre atmosphere about it but Goldthwait does very little with it and in the end there's just not enough going for the film to make it work. The biggest problem is the actual screenplay because nothing works itself out. It seems that Goldthwait was just kicking around ideas and thought a drunk clown would be funny and it is but a funny idea isn't going to carry a 90-minute movie. So, we're given the good idea in a drunk clown but the story goes nowhere. There's just so many times you can see a clown puke, down a beer or say cuss words before it gets old. Goldthwait is good in his role as Shakes but one wishes he would have written a better part. The supporting cast includes Julie Brown as his dumb girlfriend and we even get Robin Williams in a quick cameo. Yes, that's Adam Sandler in a brief part but it's possible most won't recognize him. SHAKES THE CLOWN is an interesting experiment but in the end it just never comes together.

This movie has an All Star cast, (or at least a lot of them)Adam Sandler, Robin Williams, Florence Henderson, & LaWanda Page (aunt Ester from Sanford and Son). A stark look at alcoholism through the loopy eyes of rouge clowns. They drink and carouse, drive strange clown cars, and close down "The Twisted Balloon" bar every night. No one as well as Shakes (Bobcat Goldthwait). He wakes up every morning puking but he doesn't have a problem because and can quit when he wants. He just doesn't because he has a lot of fun drinking. He gets fired drinking at a kids party and going nuts (a very funny scene). There are so many zany one liners in this movie. Like when the bar fly lady Aunt ester says "As soon as that camera is off, he gonna f*** that little dog." after Peppy the Clown announces his (forced) retirement from the clown kids TV show. He's all crying and announcing his replacement "Binky" the biggest piece of crap in clown land. Shake thought he was going to get the TV show, guess not. At the bar one of Binkies cronies tells Shakes "Oh, yeah? Well, the only show YOU could ever star in would be a show called the... Not... Funny... DIARRHEA CLUB!" Later Binky frames Shakes for killing Owen Cheese, Shakes boss and father figure (after Shakes dad died in that elephant mishap) Owen finds Binky and a couple of dope dealing rodeo clowns snorting coke and Binky gives a funny line-"You didn't see nothing old man. We're just five happy party clowns, sitting down to a plate of beef. White- powdery- beef." The rest of the show is about Shakes figuring out he did not kill his boss (he was so drunk he didn't know) then finally finding redemption at a 12 step program. This show is hard to watch for people who can't understand addiction, especially when its twisted into a whimsical very dark comedy. Very unique, nothing else even close to like it!