Shakes the Clown

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Summary: Hey! Not just for men! I love this movie!
Review: Shakes the Clown is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. My husband and I only saw it once when it came out and we still roar about the social castes in the clown community, with rodeo clowns being the ultimate. I have been hoping against hope that it would come out on DVD. I don't think this is just a man's picture, it is a lowish brow picture for anyone who likes to laugh...or make fun of mimes.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is one of the greatest movies of all time. About 98% of the population seems to disagree with me, though. They must all be insane.

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Summary: The sunrise can ruin a near-perfect night
Review: Shakes the Clown. A dark film that never delivers the true anger that it honestly wants to. Scripted, starring, and directed by Bobcat, the film climbs desperately towards a higher ground, where fierce anger towards addiction meets an outlet never before used in film. I love the film for that in itself, but the movie never manages to get above poorly timed slapstick, and dies agonizingly on the blade of a pure tripe happy-ending. Oddly enough and regardless of the message, the movie is a favorite when I get together with hard drinking friends, as we blow through it toasting the absurdities and drunken actions of Shakes and his supporting cast. The end truly lets everyone down when Bobcat tacks on an After-School Special ending, completely throwing out what could have made this a legitamate "Citizen Kane" of drunken clown movies.

Rating:
Summary: don't believe what you read
Review: I did and got [pulled] in. I paid 22bucks for this and i can surely say that it's horrid. BOBcat drops the ball totally in the directing department leaving the film flat and deviod of any interest. NO pacing kills the film and the dialogue is absolutely purile. this is just not funny. I can't believe i paid 22dollars for this. damn. avoid like the plague. the simpsons clown episode runs rings around this. and just one more thing- this movie is just not funny. great idea, very poor execution.

Rating:
Summary: Don't believe everything you read
Review: I did. I read some of the glowing reviews for this flick and got [pulled] in. If you are looking for something witty and different then this aint it. The only decent part of the entire film is the first 2minutes. I have given this 1star only because i don't know how to give it 0 stars! i paid [price] for this on dvd and it's the worst money i have ever spent.why didn't i like it? 1. it's just not funny. most of the jokes fall flat. 2. it's a movie of the week with clowns. the director seems confused as to the direction of the film. 3. the director seems to have dropped the ball totally with a lack of pace, uncertain direction and a lack of any flare. it's just not tight. 4. you don't care about the characters. there is no reason for us to invest in any of them, especially shakes. 5. the dialogue is horrid and flat. the jokes are just not funny (I wrote that before but it's worth repeating). great idea but no execution. pity. If you are after a clown movie then go for killer clowns from outer space. The simpsons clown episode was far funnier than this weak effort. avoid like plague.

Rating:
Summary: A movie this dumb shouldn't be this smart
Review: God help me, I love this movie. The premise is great, but that alone wouldn't make Shakes worth viewing. The genius is in the execution. Bobcat makes what could have been a pat parody of clown culture (an easy target) into a brilliantly edgy comedy, frequently blurring the line between comedy and pathos. Shakes the clown is a late stage alcoholic, and in playing him Bobcat captures a creepiness that is both funny and horrifying to behold. An unusual, original film. A little uneven, but overall it works surprisingly well.

Rating:
Summary: dysfunction at its finest
Review: This movie is a classic. It is just too funny. Take one drunken clown and place him at a kid's birthday party. The horror... Take several other drunken clowns, put them at the clown bar/hangout, add a few brawls, some obscenities, and a good time can be had by all, or as my friend Dave would say, hilarity ensues. I had no idea Bobcat Goldthwait was this creative.

Rating:
Summary: I got old
Review: I loved this movie the first time I saw it several years ago so I bought the VHS copy. I could barely make it through the movie this go around.

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Summary: "The 'Citizen Kane' of alcoholic clown movies", indeed
Review: Maltin missed the point. This disc is reason enough in itself to buy a DVD player. Like an earlier reviewer, I never cared for Bobcat's standup comedy, but he's earned my respect on the basis of this film. It's a great comic premise and is astonishingly well executed. For all the low-budget appearance, both the photography and direction are first-rate (and according to imdb, surprisingly, Goldthwait never directed another film). And of course, LaWanda Page's "as soon as they turn off that camera..." line never fails to make me laugh. Now if they'd just release "Cabin Boy" on DVD my collection would be complete.

Rating:
Summary: Was this movie ever promoted?
Review: I don't recall seeing this movie promoted. It's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. "You clowns are on dope!" really cracks me up. It's been a while since I've seen it, so I just ordered it on DVD. If you hate mimes, you'll love this movie!