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Shakes the Clown - Blu-ray Review

4 beersSome things, like the growing legion of fans this dark comedy currently celebrates, are best left unexplained.  Shakes the Clown operates by its own rules.  And those laws don’t necessarily have to make sense.  They just are.  Low on budget and high in fumes, this is one comedy that is best appreciated when happily discovered by accident.  That was my introduction to this comedy.  Years ago.  Back before clowns started appearing for no reason on the sides of highways.

Welcome back to Palukaville, you crazy coked-out motherfuckers!  Shakes the Clown finally gets its much-deserved debut on 1080p.   What’s that?  You’ve never heard of this beer-soaked clown?  My. God.  Well, pull up a seat at the bar, my friend.  The Twisted Balloon is always open; just don’t let any fucking mimes inside.  We don’t take too kindly to their kind.

Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait (Willow Creek, Hot to Trot), Shakes the Clown is probably the only black comedy around that gets its kicks from pasty-faced rubber nosed hoodlums as its leads.  Shakes (Goldthwait) has a problem.  You don’t have to wonder very long about how he earned that name.  His thirst for alcohol is legendary and, as he can never arrive to a kid’s birthday party without a taste, the consequences of his drinking are just as memorable and consequential. 

The movie begins with Shake’s sexual conquest of The Brady Bunch’s Florence Henderson.  That’s right.  Even before a stream of piss hits his face as he rises from the bathroom floor, we get a shot of Mrs. Brady herself with smeared clown makeup allover her face.  Apparently, she’s very much the ultimate Shakes the Clown groupie, giving her all to leave him satisfied and refreshed.  And then her son pisses on him.

The film, predictably, was originally released to unfavorable reviews.  No one had any patience concerning its drunken attitude.  Shakes yells at kids.  He throws up.  Other clowns snort coke.  Most of those who paid to see the film walked out.  Some stayed.  What most missed was its allegorical take on the life of a comedian.  That was its hidden tale.  Egoists.  Alcoholics.  Coke-heads.  All to make people laugh.

And yet it lives on.  Thankfully.   

Shakes the Clown, thanks to its rabid fan base and regular late night cable airings, has grown to become a modern day cult classic.  Millcreek, with their release of the movie, is hoping to cash in on its desirability with their handling of its 1080p transfer.  With sketches concerning a town full of wicked clowns, it presents a bizarre look at a life of addiction as one clown becomes a murder suspect.

Co-starring Julie Brown as Shake’s love interest, Judy, and an awesomely unhinged Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants) as Binky the Clown, Shakes’ main rival, the offbeat humor is ladled with an aspect of chaos that might be off-putting for some audiences.  You have to be comfortable with its anything goes attitude, but the film rewards with comedic turns from Adam Sandler, Kathy Griffin, LaWanda Page, Paul Dooley, and (an uncredited) Robin Williams, who hilariously portrays a mime with a mind of its own.

Considering the movie recently celebrated its continued (and unexpected) appreciation with a sort of touring live reading of its screenplay from the original cast, it’s interesting to see how it all began.  Some scenes aren’t as fully flushed as we might remember, but it all works to create an unforgettable experience at looking up at life from down upon the barroom floor. 

The only difference is that now people actually sit through Shakes the Clown, not wanting to see the hilarious hijinks end, instead of walking out in disgust.

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Shakes the Clown - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R for language and drug use.
Runtime:
87 mins
Director
: Bobcat Goldthwait
Writer:
Bobcat Goldthwait
Cast:
Bobcat Goldthwait, Julie Brown, Bruce Baum
Genre
: Comedy | Crime
Tagline:
Loved by children. Desired by women. Adored by bartenders everywhere.
Memorable Movie Quote: "As soon as that camera is off, he gonna fuck that little dog."
Theatrical Distributor:
IRS Media
Official Site:
Release Date:
March 13, 1992
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
August 15, 2017
Synopsis: Dueling gangs of clowns are pitted against each other in this outrageously funny comedy written by, directed by, and starring Bobcat Goldthwait. Julie Brown co-stars as the hard-working waitress who stands by her clown. Bobcat stars as Shakes, an amiable, alcoholic bozo from Palukaville, USA. But after one particularly wild night, Shakes wakes to find he's been framed for murder. The hilarious suspects include a pack of rude rodeo clowns, a gang of mimes, and an ambitious party clown with eyes for Shakes' sweetheart. As unlikely a superhero as you'll ever meet, Shakes takes to the streets for a slapstick showdown that blows the lid off the big top.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Shakes the Clown - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Mill Creek Entertainment
Available on Blu-ray
- August 15, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English language: LPCM 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Mill Creek Entertainment presents Shakes the Clown on blu-ray with a 1080p transfer that is on par with their previous releases of Band of the Hand and Miami Vice.  The aspect ratio is 1.78:1.  The picture is clean, details are sharp, and colors vibe with browns and high-kicking red tones leading the way.  The black levels are a bit uneven, but that’s probably due to the low budget nature of this project.  Skin tones are saturated well and sweat beads are visible throughout the film.  Interiors are rich with textured greens and speckled browns, showcasing some of the grain.  The sound is presented in a standard LPCM 2.0 uncompressed soundtrack.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Blisteringly funny, the new audio commentary from Bobcat Goldthwait, Julie Brown, and Tom Kenny is informative and direct with its audience. Even the creators are unsure as to why their work here will outlive them.

Special Features:

  • None

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Shakes the Clown - Blu-ray Review

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