From: lon@edsi.plexus.COM (Lon Ponschock)
Subject: REVIEW: SHAKES THE CLOWN
Organization: Enterprise Data Systems Incorporated, Appleton WI
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 18:24:56 GMT
Summary: Review of a home video release
Keywords: Shakes the Clown,Bobcat Goldthwait



                   SHAKES THE CLOWN
            A Film Review by Lon Ponschock
             Copyright 1992 Lon Ponschock

     Pie fits face, so throw it.
     Seltzer fits bottle so spray your baby down.
     Floppy shoes fit feet, so wear them
     And the dirty toes they adorn
     Remind you of some clown you once knew
     In some hot tent long ago.
     Familiar as these baggy pants
     That fit like a glove.
     Like the bearded lady coming back for more,
     Curved into the shape of a blimp
     Like they were custom made to do just that.

              -- Parody of a jeans ad
              -- heard on the _Ben Stiller Show_
SHAKES THE CLOWN_ is Bobcat Goldthwait's directing and
acting debut.  It features many of the performers from
stand up tv programs like _Comic Strip Live_ and shows
a twisted view of the life of a clown.  Sort of like
Emmet Kelly meets BARFLY.  These clowns have their own
hangout  called the Twisted Balloon at which they have
their drinks... in costume.  Performers such as Adam
(Opera Man) Sandler from _Saturday Night Live_ never
appear out of makeup.

We see three classes of clowns in SHAKES:  Party
Clowns, Rodeo Clowns and Mimes.  Robin Williams makes
an appearance as Mime Jerry at a school for these
benighted performers.  Mimes are despised by the clowns
and are physically bashed during the course of the
movie.

SHAKES did not receive good notices when it came out.
I rented it as home video *because* nobody liked it.
Anything that a lot of people dislike has probably
touched enough nerves to make it worth seeing.  This is
the case with SHAKES THE CLOWN._

If you take Homey from _In Living Color_ and ratchet
him up about 90 degrees, you'll get a feel for Shakes
who is a known alcoholic and womanizer.

The film will make more sense if you take the following
hint: run the film down to the end and listen to the
song over the credits, then start the film fresh.
Like the commercial says, "You're a grown up.  You
can do anything you want."  SHAKES will make more sense
if you do.

In _Shakes The Clown_, there are bad clowns and *worse*
clowns.  The character Binky has landed a hosting job
of a children's cartoon show over Shakes and commits
several crimes through the course of the story.

There is a lot of crude humor in the film and it works.
If you are open to that sort of thing, you'll have many
good yucks.

Like the underground classic _Killer Clowns From Outer
Space_ (get it if you can find it!) _Shakes The Clown_
is not appropriate for young viewers.  It _is_
appropriate for anyone who was ever frightened of a
clown as child and lifts the mystery from behind the
makeup. But with all of his drinking and womanizing,
Shakes is still a bit super human and magical in his
ability to jump and spin as no ordinary man could do.

I recommend _Shakes The Clown_.  Bobcat Goldthwait has
taken a chance with this film that may make or
ultimately break his career as a director.  That's the
fate of people who take chances.

Your opinions are welcome.

lon





-- 
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