Clownado (2019) by Todd Sheets


Director: Todd Sheets
Year: 2019
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Killer Clown

Plot:
Caught stealing from her husband, a woman is put into their twisted circus display and sets out to get revenge on them through a demented spell but when they are turned into ravenous supernatural clowns and go on a massive rampage through town a group of friends race to stop them.

Review:

This here was quite the fun and schlocky effort. Among the film’s fine qualities is the strong setup that plays nicely with the demented carnival at the forefront of the film. The cliched notion of the cheating wife and lover being caught is quickly brushed aside to get the scenes of her being part of their show, featuring plenty of insane twists on circuses gags that serve as the motive for her wanting revenge and giving that storyline plenty of motivation for wanting to seek revenge on the owner and his gang. With the group turned into supernatural killers with the spell-gone-awry while trying to dispose of the lover’s body out in the woods which sweeps them up into the storm and carries them around, this section of the film has a lot to like settings things up going forward.

The other fun aspect here is the usually high-quality indie gore and blood on display. This one packs in tons of carnage, with limbs cut off and removed, having their hearts cut out, several people getting their skin pulled off, another has their head removed around the jawline, another has their intestines removed and played with, numerous graphic stabbings that unleash rivers of blood from the wounds as well as the insane notion of a clown turning parts of their body into a fanged-lined creature that devours a victim whole which is all just the tip of the iceberg featured here. With this coming into play with several frantic and wild action scenes including the attack at the diner or out along the highway as well as the fine chase through the storage facility to put their plan into motion, there’s plenty to like with the film.

There are a few issues here with this one. The main problem is the fact that this one tends to feature brief bonus scenes that serve no purpose other than getting more cameo appearances on-screen. The extended scenes of them in the bar meeting the rude customers does nothing but allow them to meet up while showcasing the other characters that we never meet again simply because of who they are in real life, which is fine but doesn’t really serve a purpose for the film’s pacing. The other factor is the film’s obvious low-budget not only with the goofy-looking CGI for the scenes that give it a grandeur and spectacle but also the indie-flavored gore that ignores common sense for over-the-top splatter. It may not be what everyone looks for in a film but these are what hold it back.


Overview: ****/5
A blast of a genre effort without too much in the way of detrimental or all-too problematic issues, this is certainly an appealing and enjoyable effort so long as you're a fan of this style. Give this an immediate watch if you're a true fan of indie cinema, a follower of the creative crew or appreciate this style of film while those that don't enjoy any part of that should heed extreme caution.

CLOWNADO OFFICIAL TRAILER from Todd Sheets on Vimeo.

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