Tag Archives: Poltergeist

The Clowns Go Marching – Ten Killer Clown Movies To Juggle Into Your Viewing Schedule

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Years before the ‘Killer Clown‘ moral panic from Fall 2016 and Twisty the Clown from Season 4 of American Horror Story, author Stephen King popularized the ‘evil clown’ in mainstream circles with Pennywise from his novel, It. Of course the idea of killer clowns has a long history going back as far as the Italian opera, Pagliacci. Real-life serial killer John Wayne Gacy infamously performed at children’s birthdays dressed as a clown. There’s even an official term for fear of clowns – coulrophobia. Apparently, quite a few people are terrified of the red-buttoned nose mirth-makers. From Pennywise to Killer Klowns From Outer Space to Art the Clown, there’s several good examples of ‘killer clowns’ in the horror genre. Below are 10 of the more noteworthy – and, in some cases, obscure – examples of Killer Clown movies.

Poltergeist (1982)

Okay, Poltergeist – the 80s haunted house classic – isn’t about killer clowns. In fact, the toy clown only makes a couple of brief appearances amongst a whole lot of paranormal phenomenon. But what a couple of scenes. If you grew up in the 1980s, that scene may be the reason you’re scared of clowns in the first place. Early in Poltergeist, director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) teases the audience, using the clown as a distraction. Once the finale ramps up, however, Hooper draws out the suspense to uncomfortable levels before delivering one of the best jump scares in horror. Like the rest of the movie, the scene works because it plays on common fears and anxieties.

Blood Harvest (1987)

Anyone who’s not a Baby Boomer likely won’t recognize singer Tiny Tim. Regardless the man who sang ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’ wasn’t the obvious choice for this obscure 1987 slasher movie. Blood Harvest finds college student Jill Robinson returning to her hometown to find her family home vandalized, her parents missing, and most of the residents pretty angry at her father whose bank has been foreclosing on local farms. But an old boyfriend is happy to see her -and so is his odd brother, Marvelous Mervo the Clown. To say Blood Harvest is a weird movie would be an understatement. Nasty, cheaplooking, and poor acted, this oddity likely will appeal to only the most diehard slasher fans.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Somehow this little B-movie homage has grew its audiences since its original release. Clearly, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the sci-fi/horror classics from the 1950’s. And it’s very tongue-in-cheek. Just the premise itself riffs on some of the era’s more silly concepts, like The Blob, that took themselves much more seriously. Yet In spite of its topsy-turvy premise, the Chiodo Brothers clearly have an affection for these old B-movies. In addition to following the same basic plot structure, Killer Klowns from Outer Space revels in old-fashioned, low-budget inventiveness. Convincing? Not really. Convincingly fun. Absolutely. Grotesque, cartoonish “Klowns” liquify townsfolk and slurp them up through straws. In one scene, a clown captures several people with a shadow puppet. It’s almost impossible not to admire the sheer out-of-control creativity behind Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003), The Devil Rejects (2006), and 3 From Hell (2019)

Take your pick of Rob Zombie’s Firefly Trilogy for your favourite Captain Spaulding appearance. Veteran character actor, the late Sid Haig, brought the psychopathic clown to life in Zombie’s debut effort, House of 1000 Corpses. Though it’s more a supporting role, Haig made the maniacal clown memorable. And The Devil’s Rejects saw Captain Spaulding take on a much larger role. And it’s the sequel that earned Zombie some of the best critical praise he’s received as a filmmaker. Sadly, Haig’s health was in decline during the making of 3 From Hell, which resulted in a reduced role. Not surprisingly, 3 From Hell is weakest entry of the trilogy. But Haig’s Captain Spaulding remains one of the most disturbing horror villains.

Stitches (2012)

In this mix of comedy and slasher, a birthday clown rises from the dead to seek revenge on the obnoxious kids (now teens) who caused his death. In spite of its low budget, Stitches is a neo-slasher that understands what made “Golden Era’ slashers from the 80s work so well. Not all the humor hits the mark. Nonetheless, director Conor McMahon stages a few fun – and pretty gory – death scenes. In fact, Stitches may fall short of a certain other killer clown movie on this list, but it’s certainly not light on the yucky, practical gore effects. This is a surprisingly fun slasher that should find cult status someday.

Clown (2014)

Don’t confuse Clown with Stitches – this Eli Roth-produced indie horror is not a horror-comedy. Before Kevin Feige tapped him to direct the MCU Spider-Man movies, Jon Watts directed this story of a father who wears an old clown suit for his son’s birthday only to discover it won’t come off. Something of an odd movie, Clown overcomes some its more derivative elements with a focus on gruesome body horror. No one’s going to mistake this one for a genre classic. But anyone who’s genuinely creeped out by clowns may feel their skin crawl. Like many decent indie horror movies, Clown benefits from its lower budget, which adds to the overall atmosphere.

31 (2016)

Here’s a movie that should have worked as an off-the-wall Grindhouse effort. Rob Zombie was coming off the underrated Lords of Salem. And the premise of carnival workers fighting off killer clowns in some twisted version of ‘The Hunger Games’ had cult classic written all over it. Yes, 31 has its moments here and there. Yet it falls so short of its potential. In addition to being a dark and ugly-looking movie, 31 is crammed with all of Zombie’s worst excesses. Its characters are uniformly foul-mouthed, unlikable hicks. Brutal and mean-spirited violence replace tension and scares. Jerky camera work and poor lighting lose much of the action. Richard Brake, as Doom-Head, is the lone bright spot. His psychopathic killer is equal parts charismatic and menacing.

Terrifier (2016) and Terrifier 2 (2022)

If it wasn’t for the recent sequel, Damien Leone’s Terrifier would be the most disturbing killer clown movie ever made. As it stands, Terrifier remains a grimy and disturbing slasher that pushes hard on the boundaries of good taste. No offence to Pennywise the Clown and It, but Art the Clown is the most terrifying ‘killer clown’ in horror. There’s not necessarily anything new with how Terrifier sets about its business. In fact, there’s really no story of which to mention. Clocking in at just under 90 minutes, Terrifier is basically an extended cat-and-mouse game that’s soaked in a lot of blood. Yet Leone’s simple story works in large part due to its relentless scares, tension, and idiosyncratic atmosphere.

It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019)

Though Tim Curry’s version of Pennywise remains a classic, the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s It stands out as the superior movie. Director Andy Muschietti (Mama) completely nails King’s classic epic novel. In part, Muschietti benefits from a much larger budget and the big screen. But the 2017 version of It makes much better use of the novel excising some unnecessary scenes for a lean, scary movie. That opening scene is both heartbreaking and terrifying. All of the child actors are perfectly cast. Moreover, Bill Skarsgard makes Pennywise his own – both the character design and performance are creepy. Too bad Muschietti couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle twice. That is, It Chapter Two mostly disappointed despite an equally impressive cast.

Wrinkles the Clown (2019)

At the end of our list, Wrinkles the Clown may be the most interesting movie on this list. From director Michael Beach Nichols, Wrinkles the Clown is an experimental documentary following a Florida man who dresses as a clown and ‘rents’ himself out to families looking to scare their misbehaving kids. Following on the heels of the killer clown moral panic, Nichols certainly does some timely work. The documentary explores the history clowns as figures of horror, the role of viral social media, and even the clown panic itself. Though it’s maybe a bit long and unfocused, Wrinkles the Clown has creepy moments, offers an interesting twist, and raises some interesting questions.

They’re Here: Poltergeist A Perfect Suburban Nightmare

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The ‘haunted house’ movie is a staple of the horror genre. From The Uninvited and The Haunting to the more recent Insidious, each generation of horror fans can claim their own classic. For 80’s kids, Poltergeist was our haunted house classic. The 1982 movie brought together an impressive collection of talent. Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) directed from a story penned by producer Steven Spielberg. Legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith (The Omen) scored the move. Given this talent, it’s not suprising that Poltergeist went on to become a box office and critical success.

Poltergeist Balanced Its Horror With Heart

To date, numerous sources have debated just how much creative control Tobe Hooper had over Poltergeist. I won’t bother re-hashing that discussion because, truth be told, I have no idea. Regardless of the stories, Poltergeist clearly balances Hooper’s penchant for intense horror with Spielberg’s more whimsical family touches. And Poltergeist is a better haunted house movie as a result of this fusion. Both likable and relatable, it’s easy to sympathize with the Freeling Family’s plight. Much of this relatability can be chalked up to the excellent casting. Both Craig T Nelson and JoBeth Williams invest their roles with a requisite ‘every-person’ conceit. Their fear and desperation for their children’s welfare feels real. To his credit, Hooper also wisely holds back the horror, allowing the audience to spend some time with the Freelings.

With regards to the horror itself, Hooper aptly balances jump scares with sustained tension and stakes. Poltergeist excels at pacing its jolts and family drama. Moreover, Hooper rarely leans on tired haunted house movie tropes. That is, Poltergeist boasts a wild inventiveness with its supernatural visuals. Though some of its special effects may be dated, Poltergeist’s supernatural ‘baddies’ hold up well. From tree monsters to cavernous closets, Poltergeist turns completely banal aspects of suburban life into nightmares.

Poltergeist Was Rated What?

For a lot of kids raised in the 1980’s, Poltergeist may have been their introduction to the horror genre. As the story goes, the Motion Picture Association of America initially tagged the haunted house movie with an R-rating. Hooper and Spielberg talked them down to a PG-rating. Yes, that’s right. Poltergeist was rated Parental Guidance in 1982. If kids weren’t traumatized by caskets and decomposed corpses popping up then the face-peeling scene probably did it. In spite of its occasional Spielberg-esque tone, Poltergeist is a horror movie through and through.

A lot of ‘kid-friendly’ movies released in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s would raise eyebrows today.

Much of the discrepancy between its rating and content can be attributed to the timing of its release. Following the dissolution of the Hays Code over the 1960’s, filmmakers proceeded to push boundaries. Movies like The Exorcist, Last Tango in Paris, and The Godfather railed against previous Hollywood taboos. The MPAA struggled to keep up with changing social norms and a new generation of auteur filmmakers. A lot of ‘kid-friendly’ movies released in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s would raise eyebrows today. Eventually, in 1984, the MPAA introduced the PG-13 rating in response to movies like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins. Fortunately for budding horror fans, Hooper and Spielberg released Poltergeist in the midst of that gap.

A Master’s Class In Suspense

Poltergeist remains a classic because it also understood that clever visuals alone don’t add up to a scary movie. Two scenes in particular demonstrate how the movie has managed to retain its power to terrify. At some point, most kids have been afraid of thunderstorms. When you’re a child, ordinary things become menacing in the dark. Hooper’s ‘tree monster’ scene brilliantly combines the simple act of counting down thunder with Goldsmith’s crescendoing score to produce one of the best haunted house scares filmed.

Poltergeist remains a classic because it also understood that clever visuals alone don’t add up to a scary movie.

Clowns may be scary, but that’s not why the second scene works so well. First, Hooper sets this scare up much earlier in the movie. You know it’s coming at some point. When Robbie Freeling pulls up the bed skirt and peers under each side of the bed, you definitely know what’s coming. But Hooper still sticks the jump scare perfectly, paying off what’s a meticulously developed scene. Subsequent horror movies have imitated the set-up with diminished results.

“You Only Moved The Headstones”

Poltergeist hasn’t remained a classic by accident. This haunted house film does a lot of things very well. Arguably, Poltergeist still resonates with audiences because it understands the things that frighten us the most. It turns the ordinary things that surround us into the things that fuel our nightsmares.

Ghost Stories Marks the Return of the British Horror Anthology

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Older horror fans recall Amicus Productions and the British horror anthology films they released in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Some of these old-school British chillers included classics like Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum, and Tales from Crypt. Horror legends like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing regularly appeared along with a host of familiar British character actors.

Amicus Productions folded in 1977. Horror anthology films have gone in and out of style in the ensuing years. In the 1980’s, we got the Creepshow and, more recently, the V/H/S franchise. Fan-favourite Trick ‘r Treat stands out as one of the better examples of the anthology format. Now Ghost Stories now has positioned itself as a return of the classic British horror anthology in the Amicus tradition.

Synopsis

Famous paranormal investigator, Charles Cameron contacts professor and professional paranormal debunker, Phillip Goodman. Missing for years and believed to be dead, Cameron challenges Goodman to investigate three separate cases of the paranormal. Each case was one that Cameron claims that he was never able to fully discredit. One case involves a night watchmen at an abandoned old asylum haunted by the spirit of a young girl. In the second case, an odd young man believes he ran over the Devil while driving down a secluded road. Lastly, the third case centers around a financier terrorized by a poltergeist.

Scary Film-Making at its Finest

Ghost Stories is one of the more genuinely scary movies I have watched in quite a while. A methodically paced film, Ghost Stories actually benefits from its anthology format. Its well-executed slow-burn approach builds and relents with each story rather than dragging across a single 90-minute narrative. The overall result is a fun film that repeated;u pushes you to the edge of your seat before making you jump.

Directors Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson use the whole screen to stage scares. In Ghost Stories, you’ll need to pay close attention to the background and screen corners. The directors also use some intermittent reinforcement scheduling with their frights. As a result, you’re constantly kept balance for much of the movie. Some of the jumps in Ghost Stories are dragged almost to the point of being agonizing. Each segment has its share of chilling moments. A standout includes a creepy backseat passenger in Case 2, proceeded by a nail-biting investigation of an abandoned asylum cell from Case 1.

Ghost Stories is the kind of horror film that requires you to pay close attention to what’s going on in the background.

Avoids The Usual Pitfalls of Anthology Films

Typically, anthology horror films are often plagued by an inconsistent quality across segments. One story often stands out, while another segment drags things down. Nyman and Dyson’s Ghost Stories has no weak link of which to single out. Audiences will obviously have a favourite ‘case’. Yet Ghost Stories never feels choppy or overburdened by any story. It’s the rare anthology films that feels like a complete narrative.

One of the reasons Ghost Stories works so well across its different segments is the wrap-around story that connects each ‘case’. In most anthology films, the wrap-around is convoluted often by virtue of the fact that it really just exists to give the movie an overall sense of purpose. Yet Ghost Stories doesn’t feel like an anthology film. In fact, without the appearance of title cards informing you of the case number and subject, Ghost Stories feels like a single story unfolding. Each segment feels like it’s part of a bigger narrative and the flow of Ghost Stories is organic as a result. What ties all of the stories together feels like more than just a fun twist – the climax almost compels you to re-watch the movie from the beginning.

Each segment feels like it’s part of a bigger narrative and the flow of Ghost Stories is organic as a result.

British Accents Make Everything Better

I’ve always believed that the British accents in the Hammer and Amicus films made even the more ludicrous premises feel dignified. Ghost Stories is bolstered by outstanding performances across the board and, yes, British accents. Andy Nyman pulls triple duty, not only serving as a director and writer, but also playing Professor Goodman. He thoroughly convinces as a man whose personal beliefs and purpose are challenged and left crumbling. Martin Freeman (Cargo) also continues to impress as one of the better actors working today. Even when he is playing a supporting role Freeman typically stands out as one of the better things in any movie in which he works.

If there’s another performance that hopefully turns heads it’s from Alex Lawther. Fans of Black Mirror will recognize Lawther from the episode, ‘Shut Up and Dance.’ As young Simon Rifkind, Lawther is a ball of manic and quirky energy, eliciting just the right balance between creepy and oddly sympathetic.

We Have Another Candidate for Best Horror Film of 2018

My first reaction upon finishing Ghost Stories was an immediate desire to go back and watch it again. I’ve already started considering where Ghost Stories will fit into my mandatory Halloween viewing. Nyman and Dyson have delivered a smart and scary film that evokes the best of 1960’s and 1970’s British anthology. In what has been another strong year for the horror genre, Ghost Stories is another candidate for any ‘Best of’ horror list for 2018.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A

Enter These Haunted House Films … If You Dare

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Today, Lionsgate Films is releasing the haunted house film Winchester, to streaming platforms. Based on the real Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, Winchester tells the supposedly true tale of Sarah Winchester, widow and heir to the Winchester gun manufacturer. She believed that she was haunted by the spirits of all those unfortunate souls killed by the guns manufactured by her late husband. To imprison these spirits, she built the mansion – a dizzying and illogical array of never-ending rooms and hallways. Sadly, Winchester was a box office and critical failure despite the casting of Helen Mirren.

Fortunately, the haunted house film has a long history in the horror genre with several better options to consider for a movie night. In this edition of The Chopping Block, I take a look at five of the best examples of the subgenre.

5- The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Younger horror fans may not appreciate the charms of The House on Haunted Hill (1959) but its placement on this list is essential. For the uninitiated, Vincent Price, the film’s star, was a legendary horror film actor appearing in several classics from the 1950s to the 1970s. Producer and director William Castle was famous for his gimmick-inspired films, which included having vibrating devices installed in theatre seats to give audiences a scare for screenings of The Tingler. The House on Haunted Hill – the first collaboration between Price and Castle – tells the tale of eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren who invites five strangers to a party for his wife, Annabelle in the supposedly haunted Hill House. If they can last the night they win $10, 000. Old-fashioned and campy to its core, The House on Haunted Hill is the kind of movie you watch with the lights out on a stormy night. While it’s not a scary film it absolutely benefits from its black-and-white cinematography, which adds a sense of atmosphere. The real star of this low-budget effort though is Price who injects every scene with a wicked sense of fun in the tightly-paced film.

4 – The Others (2001)

The Others (2001) is as much a psychological thriller as it is horror. A slow burn of a film, director Alejandro Amenábar eschews special effects for a focus on mystery, tension, and a “what might be hiding” in shadows feel. Nicole Kidman, in an excellent performance, is Grace Stewart, a woman living alone in a large country house with her two children in the years following World War II. The children suffer from a rare condition that makes them sensitive to sunlight so they spend their days in the shadows of the house. Following the arrival of three new servants, increasingly strange occurrences convince Grace that there are unseen intruders lurking somewhere in the house. To say much more would ruin one of the better horror film endings since The Sixth Sense (1999). Slow and methodical, patient viewers will be rewarded with a haunted house film rich in atmosphere. The film also features one of the better executed jump scares in horror films.

3 – The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring (2013) ranks as one of the best horror films of this decade. Director James Wan takes several tired haunted house and general horror film tropes and injects them with new life. Following paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they attempt to help a family plagued by supernatural occurrences, The Conjuring puts its characters front and centre making the film as much a human drama as it is a horror film. But it is a horror film and what a job Wan does balancing out atmospheric dread with more conventional jump scares. The ‘clapping game’ produces not one, but two, standout scares in the film with one of the better ‘gotcha’ moments – even on a second viewing, knowing that the scare was coming, I still jumped. The Conjuring is a relentless, well-crafted film that deserves some credit or paving the way for some of the prestige horror films that have followed it over the last few years.

2 – Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist (1982) was one of the first horror films I saw as a child – it’s still a great introduction to the genre for older kids who aren’t ready for the intense stuff yet. In contrast to the slow, psychological nature of The Others (2001), Poltergeist is a roller coaster ride of a movie with plenty of scares and jumps. Few horror films have balanced thrills, drama, humour, and scares as successfully as Poltergeist. Director Tobe Hooper and producer Stephen Spielberg load Poltergeist with unforgettable imagery – from haunted trees and clowns to maggot-infested pieces of steak and exploding graves. Poltergeist is both visually thrilling and emotionally engaging. Most importantly, amidst all the scares the film never forgets the importance of humanizing the family at the centre of the haunting, allowing the audience to be fulling engaged and have a sense of stakes in the film’s climax.

1 – The Haunting (1963)

Released over 50 years ago, The Haunting (1963) still remains the best example of the haunted house subgenre. When I think of ‘haunted houses’ I think of the imagery of Hill House from The Haunting. Director Robert Wise makes his haunted house a real, living and breathing, and imposing character in the film. One inventive scene in particular illustrates how genuine scares can be generated without any special effects. What really distinguishes The Haunting from dozens of other haunted house films is its psychological character study of its lead character, Eleanor Lance, a woman desperately trying to escape the confines of her life. As Eleanor’s fragile psyche begins to unravel, the audience questions how much of what they are seeing is truly the supernatural or the delusions of a character losing her grip on reality. Every haunted house that has followed owes some debt to The Haunting.