Clownhouse (1988)

40% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(2,617 ratings)

Three brothers on their way to the circus must cope with the youngest boy's fear of clowns. Little do they know that a trio of violent madmen have murdered the circus' real clowns and, after adopting their guise, are savaging the townspeople at random. The boys finally figure out that they are in… More Three brothers on their way to the circus must cope with the youngest boy's fear of clowns. Little do they know that a trio of violent madmen have murdered the circus' real clowns and, after adopting their guise, are savaging the townspeople at random. The boys finally figure out that they are in danger and retreat to their family home, a dark, dilapidated mansion. The clowns follow and invade, leading to a battle for survival. This blood-free horror film was produced on an astonishingly small budget (less than $1 million) by a subsidiary of Zoetrope Studios. It courted a substantial amount of controversy after one of the young actors in the cast formally accused the director of sexually molesting him during the production, which led to Salva's conviction on multiple counts of child abuse. The director's career ultimately continued unabated, however, with such successive efforts as Powder (1995) and Jeepers Creepers (2000). ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Victor Salva
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1989 Wide
On DVD: Jul 7, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com
A spookily good time.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Winters' terror is all too real, and becomes unbearably dismaying to watch.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...feels as though it'd be much more effective as a 22-minute episode of Tales from the Crypt...
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Truly creepy -- one more than one level -- debut feature from Salva.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

Clownhouse might have been an interesting idea for a Slasher film, and it is. I had heard much praise on this film. When I got around to seeing the film, I was stunned at how bad it was. The film turned out to be one of the dumbest films in the 80's horror, and that says a lot.… More
Clownhouse might have been an interesting idea for a Slasher film, and it is. I had heard much praise on this film. When I got around to seeing the film, I was stunned at how bad it was. The film turned out to be one of the dumbest films in the 80's horror, and that says a lot. Clownhouse takes a unique idea for a Slasher film and dumbs it down. For me, I think that Clownhouse was simply an excuse for director Victor Salva to watch young boys prance around in their underwear. That scene was really disturbing and made you feel uncomfortable. Clownhouse is a film that is probably most famous for being the film where director Victor Salva molested lead actor Nathan Forrest Winters. Aside from that, the whole voyeuristic, creepy vibe that Salva put into this film really throws you off and makes uninterested, along with a bland script that can't seem to use any effective ideas despite an interesting idea for its plot. The film is disturbing, but not in a terror inducing way. The film is disturbing for two scenes, one where you see a child's bare ass and another scene where you see three brothers dancing around in their underwear. The film started off good, but after these two scenes, I didn't feel comfortable, and I hated the film because of it. Aside from that, the acting was terrible, the characters were bad, and the film dragged on too long. In the end, Clownhouse is just an excuse for one man to get his sickest fantasies realized. Clownhouse is a poorly constructed horror film that doesn't deliver genuine scares. What started off as a promising film, ended up being an awful film that should be avoided by any serious horror fan.
Ken S

If you're afraid of clowns, this movie is guaranteed to ruin your Saturday Night. However what's more disturbing than the film, is the story of the director. Francis Ford Coppola saw Victor Salva's low budget horror film "Something in the Basement" and was… More
If you're afraid of clowns, this movie is guaranteed to ruin your Saturday Night. However what's more disturbing than the film, is the story of the director. Francis Ford Coppola saw Victor Salva's low budget horror film "Something in the Basement" and was so impressed he decided to give him a shot at directing his first legit feature. Salva returned the favor by orally molesting on of the young stars of the film and video taping it. Shortly after the film Salva was convicted and served 15 months in prison before being paroled. Then DISNEY came knocking and had Salva direct Powder. Needless to say there was some uproar over the Mouse House hiring a convicted child molester, and Salva found himself out of work once again. Coppola, apparently not having a problem with child molesters, hired Salva a few years later to helm the Jeepers Creepers franchise. Way to go Francis. Way to go.
Lafe F

A boy is teased for being afraid of clowns. Mom goes away for the weekend, and mental patients escape, and steal some clown costumes; and things get spooky mighty quick. It reminds me a lot of the original "Halloween", except there are three killers and they're all… More
A boy is teased for being afraid of clowns. Mom goes away for the weekend, and mental patients escape, and steal some clown costumes; and things get spooky mighty quick. It reminds me a lot of the original "Halloween", except there are three killers and they're all dressed like clowns. There's some creepy imagery here. It's quite suspenseful and fun.
John M

¨Clownhouse¨ is a good example of an atmospheric horror flix that doesn't have to rely on blood and guts to scare/thrill an audience. Good photography, eerie music, good performances from the young cast and fast paced.
Patrick D

You know, this is actually a pretty decent film. I can't say I super enjoyed it, but it's actually all around a good movie. Of course it's a horror based around killer clowns so it's bound to be a little silly at parts and there's for sure lapses in logic,… More
You know, this is actually a pretty decent film. I can't say I super enjoyed it, but it's actually all around a good movie. Of course it's a horror based around killer clowns so it's bound to be a little silly at parts and there's for sure lapses in logic, but despite itself....well it's good. Who'd've thunk it. I also know that if I had seen this at a younger age, it would have scared the poop out of me.