CLOWNS IN HORROR

UNDERRATED HORROR MOVIES PT. 3

Coulrophobia - Fear of Clowns.

A strange but common phobia; to be afraid of entertainers that wear funny clothes, have painted faces and make people laugh by performing silly tricks and behaving in a silly manner.

Coulrophobia had been known to cause severe terror, strong senses of panic and in some cases intense nausea in sufferers.

Phobias usually though are often deep rooted psychological responses tied to traumatic events in someone’s past but there can’t be that many people who have experienced real life traumas involving clowns, can there?

From jokers to jesters, harlequins to mimes, fools have been around for centuries, so why are so many people afraid of clowns? Is it down to the sense of unease that comes from not being able to read the expressions behind their make up? Is it because of their unpredictability? Or is it due to how they’ve been portrayed in popular culture?

I’ve been to Halloween Scream Parks and watched full grown men scream like girls when chased by clowns, this entertains me somewhat. How can a character that is meant to bring laughter, often come across so sinister?

My first horror movie experience and actually the film that I credit with instilling my love of horror was also clown based.

It was the Summer of 1990, I was in Canada with my cousins in the basement of my Uncle’s house which he’d converted into a TV den for them and IT was on TV. None of us were old enough to watch it, yet we were all hooked, terrified but hooked!

Tim Curry as Pennywise; those teeth, that drain, I actually to this day hate walking past those open drains, everything about it was terrifying. I don’t think I slept without the light on for the rest of that trip. IT might not be quite as scary when I watch it now but I can still remember how it made me feel all those years ago and my cousins all still love the film to this day.

The original not the remake, although Bill Skarsgard does a good portrayal of the clown, Tim Curry is a tough act to live up to and even though the costume and make up is more elaborate in the remake I just don’t think he’s as scary. With both original and remake, the first part is terrifying although it does get a little silly in the second part.

The Funhouse - Four teenage friends spend the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a slasher killer in a Frankenstein mask.

One of the original video nasties, made in the early 80’s but with oozing 70’s style. I love everything about this; the carnival setting, the 70’s costume and the simple slasher recipe.

Stitches - After a clown is killed in a party mishap, he comes back from the dead to seek revenge on the people responsible.

I first saw this horror/comedy cross genre at Frightfest, it’s not necessarily going to have you hiding behind your popcorn so if it’s an all out horror you’re looking for then this isn’t it, but if you love a horror comedy then this is one to watch.

Clownface - A deranged serial killer known as Clownface terrorises the residents of a small town.

Ok, so Clownface isn’t actually released yet, but I have a small cameo so keep an eye out for its release and apparently I’ll be back for the sequel... I shouldn’t really say I’ll be back when talking about a horror movie should I? I mean, this could spell disaster and as I write this Mercury is in retrograde and I’ve already managed a trip to A&E and a parking ticket in the past 48 hours, saying ‘I’ll be back’ might just have sealed my fate, eek!

I’m going to sign off with some clown wisdom...

Don’t blame a clown for acting like a clown, ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.