As a child, and heck for some adults, going to the amusement park can be the most exciting thing in the world. Something about overpriced greasy food, rickety rides, the rigged games, and the overall atmosphere is something that appeals to the big kid in us all. It’s no surprise that someone along the way decided to twist those childhood memories and turn them into plot devices for horror films.
Actually, when you think about it – for all the previously mentioned reasons above – amusement parks can also be as equally terrifying as it is fun. There’s a reason folks have a phobia of clowns, they’re permanent painted smiles, their high pitched voice, uncomfortable jokes, and their overall demeanor which can send someone into a terrified frenzy. Yes folks, clowns are scary shit.
When Sam decides to accept a dare by the local tough Biff to enter an abandoned amusement park – he never expects to be joined by the beautiful Jenny who both find themselves trapped in a nightmare. The park is filled with ghastly creatures including a demented clown who likes to give his victims a good cackle before sending them to the slab. Will Sam and Jenny make it out of the park alive?
Oh boy. Where do I start with this one?
Let me first air out that I generally love horror films taking place in an amusement park. Films like THE FUNHOUSE, GHOULIES II and Todd Browning’s FREAKS are in constant rotation. So you can imagine my disappointment when one isn’t very good. Imagine how I feel when one just generally sucks. Yeah, we’re going with that.
This film is riddled with issues. The main thing being the obvious over the top acting whether intentional or not – it’s terrible. Every character delivers each line as if they’re about to break into song, and sometimes – you wish they would. The scenes are random at best. The characters go from one area of the amusement park to another only to exclaim they need to leave after to listen to some creature ramble on about something.
Any sense of danger or threat is tossed out the window as any character deemed as a threat does nothing much more than talk, spouting out obscenities and lame jokes that would barely muster a giggle – let alone a full on laugh. One creature even provides the means to let its victim dispatch of it in a very awkward scene of what can only be described as a pseudo freestyle rhyme face off. Yeah it’s as strange as it sounds and it doesn’t get any more cohesive.
The film only has two things going for it; a very effective back drop of a real deal abandoned amusement park and mostly practical effects. A majority of the creatures are all practical puppets which is welcomed, but unfortunately is also one of the film’s faults. Most films utilizing puppets would have the actors voicing them come in and do their lines first so the playback can be utilized on set where the puppeteers can match the movements of the characters mouths. Instead it seems the puppeteers were simply told to open and close the mouths quickly, pause, rinse, repeat and good lord it’s horrible. Any sense of these characters being actual creatures as opposed to puppets is removed immediately.
So having the creatures practical is a welcome change and also one of the film’s biggest faults.
There isn’t much good here and it’s unfortunate as you can clearly see someone tried somewhere here. On what, I’m not entirely sure, but effort was clearly put in and it’s mostly squandered by a script that is riddled with an assortment of random situations, piss poor dialogue, idiotic characters and uninspired creatures.
The biggest disappointment for me is the inclusion of Tim Curry voicing the demonic clown and doing absolutely nothing with him. What could have been another memorable role for the veteran actor is reduced to the aforementioned lazy puppet work and a very awkward creature that’s about as threatening granny without her walker. I mean really, who still doesn’t get a chill when they see him in his infamous Pennywise garb? Such a wasted opportunity with an otherwise talented and exceptional presence. There’s also the wasted talent of such genre favorites as Lance Henriksen and Brad Dourif who are once again reduced to voice over roles for the lazy puppets.
That’s what this entire film feels like; a wasted opportunity. A horror comedy that’s either scary or funny, nor is it entertaining enough to pass as mindless entertainment recommended for a rental. Skip it.
Directed by: Balazs Hatvani
Starring: Michael Cannell-Griffiths, Lance Henriksen, Brad Dourif, Tim Curry
GINGERCLOWN is currently available to rent via VOD, iTunes and Amazon. DVD available Dec. 2nd, pre-order here.
