Clownhouse (1989)

"The clowns... The clowns, they're here." - Casey

Three crazy clowns terrorize young boys.
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Nathan Forrest Winters, Brian McHugh, Michael Jerome West

Link to IMDB

Casey is a young boy with a very intense fear of clowns, so he's not exactly thrilled to hear that the circus is coming to town. When his brothers, Geoffrey and Randy, convince him it will be fun he agrees to come along and forget his clown phobia. They all have a good time, except Casey does still get freaked-out by the clowning around, but he's soon going to know fear like never before...

Randy, Geoffrey, Casey

In the middle of the night, three crazy men have escaped from a nearby asylum and they murder the clowns that were working the circus! Now disguised in makeup, wigs and colourful costumes, the lunatics follow the three boys home.

At first, Casey has a hard time convincing his brothers that there are clowns lurking around, but they eventually break into the house and start terrorizing the boys. Since the parents are away, the three brothers have to fight back on their own to defend the house and survive the night.

I thought this was going to be a horror movie, but boy I was wrong. This movie is basically just an extended episode of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark? but with more swearing and less talent. The violence and blood is so minimal it's practically non-existent, and the annoying circus music that plays in every scene ruins any attempt that was made to create creepy vibes.

The scariest moment is this guy's dumb face

Even when viewed as a movie for young adults, it's still pretty lackluster. The plot is so predictable and thin that much of the movie feels tedious, and the boys are constantly just standing around arguing about what to do next instead of actually doing anything.

This might have been more entertaining if I saw it when I was a kid, especially because of the slapstick infused Home Alone aspect, but it's just too tame and uninspired for me to care about it now.


Be sure not to miss:
- Since when is sugar and butter a snack?
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"Don't watch it even if someone has a knife to your throat!!" - psycho_153

Should I watch it?
No.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

Clownhouse gets...