Scarecrow-88 Businessman Philip(Lawrence Dane)is about to cash in on a lucrative deal that would bulldozer a farming community with apartments moving in on the land. His wife, Alison(Susan Keller, quite emotionally vacant which actually might work for her character who has married a man she doesn't love probably more out of hurt thanks to a past relationship to the main male character of the movie who went away, Charlie)actually owns the land and decided to "grant permission" for Philip to carry out such plans which will indeed bring a healthy profit. Charlie(Stephen Young)returns from Tahiti after a lengthly absence and still carries a torch for Alison who has since moved on, despite perhaps holding an inner fondness for him. Charlie finds Philip's smugness and flamboyant attitude rather annoying and hence concocts a kidnapping scheme which would stall the contract signing of the farming land. Along with other businessmen who loathe Philip despite having financial ties to him, Rosie(Gary Reineke)a very belligerent, impotent and confrontational alcoholic and Peter(John Bayless)a weakened, fractured man rife with self-loathing who has benefited by giving in to the demands of others(..in a sense selling his soul in order to maintain a wealthy lifestyle). Portly, gentle-hearted, virgin Ollie(John Candy), always seen eating something and consistently ridiculed by Rosie, who may possibly be homo-sexual, agrees to Charlie's plan of kidnapping Alison by ordering clown costumes for all the wealthy guests of a Halloween party. The kidnapping plan, which seems harmless enough, soon slowly unravels as Rosie grows more drunk and angry by the minute with Peter often fueling his antagonistic nature. Soon Alison's life may be in danger as Philip, knocked unconscious by Charlie who leaves a clown card by him as a practical joke, has the police on a man-hunt for the ones wearing costumes who kidnapped her..Rosie, who doesn't want to go to jail and is not thinking very clearly, begins tossing around the idea of killing Alison so no one will know who indeed did whisk her away into the night. Soon, fearing for her life hoping to trump his arrogance as a ladies man, Alison tests Rosie's temperament by making love to Ollie, whose virginity is a constant tool of slander for the nasty drunk. What this group doesn't realize is that someone is among them, wearing one of their clown masks and costumes, who threatens Charlie's life before striking at the others. The film focuses on how each character unfolds to the pressuring situations besetting them..a killer wanting them dead, a police out to find them, and their own frustrations and angst surfacing after being buried for so long.Despite the title and a DVD cover(..a clown with a wicked grin) which makes this out to be a slasher flick, the film is really a character-driven melodrama. Only towards the final twenty minutes or so does any real threats toward human life by an unknown assailant occur. Endless bickering by the main characters as Philip awaits news of his wife's condition as a police detective questions him about various things such as his relationship with the missus, the ones who might wish to commit such an act, his business dealings, etc. I think if I had known what I was getting into I might not have been as disappointed, but I was expecting this film to gradually eliminate members of the group as the title seems to suggest. Instead, it's essentially these miserable folks constantly at each other's throats as Charlie and Alison attempt to discuss what happened to them in the past. That seems to fall to the wayside as Rosie's behavior causes friction amongst them, with the hidden killer only culminating the difficult situation further with his antics. The film looks like it was found in somebody's basement, really quite a 70's relic, and it's main musical arrangement is a creepy piano tune repeating throughout. The night scenes are actually eerily effective and the killer's chase and attack towards Charlie in the barn quite well executed..only adding to this is when the killer's identity is revealed at the end shedding light on the psyche of those poor hard-working folks whose lives are affected by those with wealth and power. Of course, the killer's identity could also reveal what Charlie's decision to leave and Alison's subsequent decision to sell the land does to those who suffer from such actions.As a thriller, it doesn't actually succeed, but as a melodrama it's not so bad, I felt. Unfortunately, "The Clown Murders" is marketed as a thriller, when in fact such claims make this a character drama in sheep's clothing, a melodrama masqueraded as a potential slasher flick.

alias-grace i want to write this because it seems only people with a.d.h.d seem to be watching it and commenting on it here. not to mention one guy who seems to think horror movies couldn't be made in Canada (hmm...ever hear of black Christmas?). anyway, i blame these misplaced comments on the completely misleading video cover. if you think this is a brain-less slasher, do not watch it! it's not.there's a depth and scale to the story and acting that is not completely obvious to anyone expecting a simple slasher. there are underlying themes in this movie that have more in common with a Shakespearean tragedy than a slumber party massacre. sure it's slow - but this movie wasn't made for the a.d.h.d generation. it's a slow-burn sort of movie. the characters are developed with nuisance, past tensions and feuds erupt, secret lusts slowly bubble to the top. and on top of that! - creepy clowns throughout! does the story make complete sense? no. (and perhaps, i just ended up with a shoddy incomplete copy. after all, there hasn't been an official DVD release of this feature - a shame, considering it's one of john candy's first dramatic roles.) but the few times when i did think, "wtf", it still didn't leave me feeling the film was any less entertaining. it has a nightmarish, surreal quality. it is a tragedy that asks a little more from its audience. it is completely under-rated and well worth watching for anyone with an open mind, respect for character development, and a little patience.

Lee Eisenberg A horror movie from Canada? What could they possibly fear up there? That hockey gets outlawed? That beer gets outlawed? Apparently, those Hosea's fear someone dressing up as a clown and going on a killing spree. And the movie about it, "The Clown Murders" is almost a zero. Only the presence of John Candy saves it, and that's only minimally. Just what is the guy who had his hand between two "pillows" in "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" doing in this kind of a movie? So, I wasted two bucks on this stinker. At least now I can tell people how bad it was. If you want a horror movie relating to clowns, then "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" and "It" are truly cinematic gems. And if you want a horror movie from Canada, then "The Brain" is pretty cool. But quite literally, the only excuse for blowing your money on "The Clown Murders" would be to see John Candy in an early role.

malton This movie is really quite pathetic. It is a movie about a murderer. The plot is confusing and jumps around so much it is hard to follow. The only reason to actually watch this movie is because John Candy is in it. It is his first of only two dramatic roles that he ever did. There is an embarrassing scene where John's character has a nervous breakdown, and he is seen rolling in the mud in his underwear, blubbering like a baby. The movie aside, I thought John pulled that scene off quite well.At any rate, if you are a real John Candy fan, then you have probably already seen this movie. If you are not a fan, don't waste your time.