Fear of Clowns
A horror film about a clown stalking an artist.
Fear of Clowns is a 2004 horror movie written and directed by Kevin Kangas. The story follows an artist dealing with an abusive spouse who becomes the target of a mentally unstable clown. A sequel, Fear of Clowns 2, came out in 2007.
The plot centers on Lynn Blodgett, an artist with a fear of clowns. She has a nightmare about a car crash at a carnival when she was a girl, where she meets a clown with a rotting face. Her nightmares have worsened since she filed for divorce from her husband, Dr. Bert Tokyo, who hit her when she told him. Bert is fighting for full custody of their son, Nicholas. One night, a shirtless clown named Shivers, with black eyes and a battle axe, watches Lynn’s house and then leaves. The next day, Lynn learns a family near where she was house-sitting was murdered.
At an art gallery showing her work, which mostly features monstrous clowns, Lynn meets Tucker Reid, a roller coaster businessman who buys one of her paintings for $8,000. Tuck invites her to his office, and afterward they are attacked by a mugger named Heston but escape. Lynn is shaken but declines Tuck’s offer to stay at her house. She gets a call from the gallery owner and faints after seeing Shivers on her patio. Police question her but dismiss her story.
At the gallery, Lynn reluctantly agrees to paint a portrait of a man’s father—a clown and convicted child molester—for $20,000. Meanwhile, Shivers hears voices telling him he will get better if he keeps terrorizing Lynn. Lynn meets with Bert and his lawyer, who demand full custody of Nicholas, child support, and half the rights and profits from all paintings Lynn made and sold during their marriage. It also comes out that Bert has been unemployed for six months and lying about being busy with work.
Shivers stalks Lynn while she walks with Tuck, then murders her friend Amanda. Detective Peters tells Lynn about Amanda’s death and now believes her story, since grease paint was found under Amanda’s nails and on a window. In a parking lot, Bert meets Heston, whom he hired to kill Lynn for life insurance. Heston pressures Bert for more money because of complications from Shivers and the police. Bert visits Shivers, who is revealed to be Doug Richardson, a former patient of Bert’s and a sex offender with Leber’s congenital amaurosis. Bert orders Shivers to leave Lynn alone.
Ignoring Bert, Shivers sends a party clown to Lynn
- Release
- 2004
- Director
- Kevin Kangas
- Genre
- Horror
- Notable Character
- Shivers the Clown
- Sequel
- Fear of Clowns 2 (2007)
Lore & Background
The plot follows Lynn Blodgett, an artist with coulrophobia, who has nightmares about a clown with a decomposing face. Her nightmares worsen after filing for divorce from her husband, Doctor Bert Tokyo, who hits her upon learning the news and fights for custody of their son, Nicholas. A shirtless clown with black eyes and a battle axe, named Shivers, begins stalking Lynn, and a family living near where she was house sitting is massacred. Lynn meets roller coaster tycoon Tucker Reid, who buys one of her paintings, and they are attacked by a mugger hired by Bert to kill Lynn for life insurance. Shivers is revealed to be Doug Richardson, a former patient of Bert's, a sex offender with Leber's congenital amaurosis, who believes terrorizing Lynn will cure his schizophrenia. Shivers murders several people, including Bert, and abducts Nicholas, but is eventually blinded by Tuck and arrested by police. Lynn has a nightmare that Shivers escapes and attacks her and Nicholas.
Reader's Guide
Fear of Clowns made its DVD debut on February 28, 2006, released by Live/Artisan, and was a financial success, grossing over $3 million in rentals within its first six months. Critical reception has been mixed to negative, with criticism directed at thin characters, the screenplay, and Kangas' direction. However, some reviewers commended the performances of Mark Lassise (Shivers) and Jacqueline Reres (Lynn). Dread Central's Steve Barton called Shivers 'the most memorable murderer—in years,' and Ain't It Cool News noted the clown designs as 'downright terrifying.' The film's financial success helped spawn a sequel, Fear of Clowns 2, three years later. Shivers the Clown was later included in Variety's 'The 20 Creepiest Clowns in Movies and TV,' with the author noting 'Shivers himself is an undeniably creepy figure whose asymmetrical grin hints at the diseased mind lurking beneath the makeup.'
Did You Know?
- The film was written and directed by Kevin Kangas.
- Shivers the Clown is portrayed by Mark Lassise.
- The film grossed over $3 million in rentals within its first six months of release.
- Shivers was included in Variety's list of 'The 20 Creepiest Clowns in Movies and TV.'
More in Horror films about clowns 1-24
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