This was an unsettling yet welcome change from some of the other clown movies I’ve reviewed this year. Starring Brian O’Halloran (Dante from Clerks) in a role written specifically for him, Vulgar follows the struggles of Will Carlson aka “Flappy the Clown”, a gentle slacker whose only ambition in life is to make a living off of being a clown. Children’s birthdays aren’t paying the bills so Will comes up with the awful idea of entertaining at bachelor parties. His first endeavor ends in nightmarish fashion when he finds himself being gang raped by a psycho with a clown fetish and his two mentally challenged sons. “I’m gonna make hate to you” spits a disgusting man in a highly disturbing scene.
Determined to move on with his life, Will refuses to notify the police or receive any medical attention. Instead he chooses to act as though the crime never happened. Fortunately he bounces back and becomes a local hero after saving a child in an (all too convenient) hostage situation. “Flappy’s” minor celebrity status leads to clown gig on a syndicated television show and the future finally looks bright. But when his attackers locate and blackmail him (using video footage of the sexual encounter) into another horrifying “gig”, he reaches his boiling point and comes up with a plan...
Vulgar is one of three movies that Kevin Smith financed. Bryan Johnson (another one of Smith’s chums) directed and costarred as best friend Syd. Several familiar faces pop up including Jay Mewes and the legendary toilet destroyer himself. Whether or not you’ll get anything out of it depends mostly on your opinion of Smith’s style and your willingness to subject yourself to the aforementioned rape scene. The world presented is bleak. Around every corner lies violence and heartlessness and few characters exhibit any compassion or human decency.
Will’s character flaw is his habitual tendency to avoid confrontation. This is sadly evident when he attempts to cancel a birthday gig the morning after being raped. He resigns when the birthday boy’s mother guilts him by putting the disappointed kid on the phone. “I’ll be there” he promises. Recalling this scene depresses me. Actually pretty much everything about this movie makes me sad.
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| but thankfully not as sad as this guy... |
Copout summary: I was touched but I wouldn’t recommend it.
