User Reviews

Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait made an interesting filmmaking debut with this not bad mix of comedy and drama. Bobcat plays "Shakes", a clown who is barely functioning in life. When he actually shows up for work, he does a decent enough job, but he just cannot stay off the sauce. This frustrates his patient girlfriend, Judy (MTV personality Julie Brown), and even his friends such as Stenchy (Blake Clark) and Dink (Adam Sandler, in one of his earliest film roles). Eventually, Shakes must pull it together and clear himself when he's framed for a murder.

Clearly, this has become a cult favourite, although this viewer would be lying if he said that he found it all that funny himself. It's mildly amusing at best, with some good moments, but it's never really inspired. One of the brightest bits of business occurs when Robin Williams shows up (billed as "Marty Fromage") as a mime teacher. It is also a hoot the way that clowns such as Shakes, Stenchy, and Dink declare war on mimes earlier in the picture and rough them up. It would have been nice had it been a little more of a dark comedy, but it never really gets that dark. Too much time is wasted with two unfunny cop characters.

Certainly the cast gets an A for effort. Bobcat is good in the lead, managing to elicit some sympathy along the way. Brown is sweet as his leading lady, speaking with a noticeable lisp. Tom Kenny (voice of Sponge Bob Squarepants) is a great sociopathic bad guy, "Binky" the clown. Other familiar faces include Florence Henderson, Sydney Lassick, La Wanda Page, Joel Murray, Tim Kazurinsky, and Paul Dooley.

Off-kilter enough to keep it watchable, with a bright wrap-up and a lively soundtrack.

I've heard this is the " Citizen Kane of alcholic clown movies", and it may be!

This movie was written, stars, and was directed by BCG. It is dark, there are drugs, alcohol, and inner demons. But all this is dealt with and lived by people who live 24/7 as clowns and mimes. They have clown bars etc. BCG two other semi well known movies are worlds greatest dad ( robin Williams (plays a mime here)) and God bless america (bill Murray's brother (plays a milkman here)). Those 2 movies are very dark comedies, and this is as well. I think a lot of people didnt get that because of the silly clown premise. It's dark, it's over the top, it's silly, a little raunchy,I think it's great overall. It needs a little 7 star love from others.

P s. See spongebob square pants (tom kenny) as a coked out psycho disco clown in this movie as well.

I've tried to get my friends to watch this movie with me, but they just can't get over the fact that there are CLOWNS everywhere! GROW UP! "Shakes the Clown" is a truly love-it-or-hate-it movie, with each side taking their stand solidly. Put me in the love column. The fact that everything is played dead serious despite the fact that they're clowns is what keeps this movie from just being stupid. Tom Kenny is PERFECTLY cast as Binky, the best comic villain I have ever seen. Most comic villains are either so bad they're cool, or so bad you can't bear to watch them. Mr. Kenny achieves a perfect balance of being totally unappealing, yet you want to keep watching to see him get it in the end. The best villains feel their actions are completely justified, and Binky is no different. His actions are completely self-preserving and in his mind justifiable. Shouts should also be given out to Adam Sandler and Julie Brown. While Adam often resorts to the easy laugh in his starring vehicles, he's perfect as the insecure clown with no confidence with his ability with the opposite sex. You can easily see why P.T. Anderson chose him to star in "Punch Drunk Love". People have a tendency to hate Julie Brown, and I can understand why, but I've always been a fan of hers. Her role as the put-upon barmaid/girlfriend of Shakes would have been annoying in any other movie, but given the circumstances involved, I find her absolutely adorable. The characters of HoHo, Boots, Stenchy, Owen Cheese, the two cops, the rodeo clowns, etc. are all perfectly cast. Especially memorable is the late Sydney Lassick as Peppy, the forcibly retired host of the TV show that Binky takes over. It's a crying shame that more people don't like this movie, as it would have given Bobcat more opportunities to do films HIS way. Why didn't this film make EW's top 50 cult movies? Until people get over their phobia of clowns, this flick is never going to get the respect it truly deserves, and that is a crying shame. 10/10

Following the exploits of a good-hearted, booze-soaked clown who is trying to make his way in Palookaville, a town populated by denizens of that certain ditch in the entertainment world inhabited by clowns and mimes. He tries to kick the booze but his demons are hard to face. He gets involved in seedy intrigue with the tough, jaded rodeo clowns, picks on the mimes, and tries to avoid the indignity of doing balloon animals, all while keeping the bottle at bay lest he wake up puking into his frightwig. Oh yes, there's a love interest as well. Tasteless? Absolutely. Funny? If you know and love an alcoholic (or a clown), and you can still laugh about it, this movie will send you rolling off the couch and onto the floor in stitches.

Bobcat is always happy to degrade himself on screen, and he does it brilliantly here. Shakes is a total mess. A disgusting mess. A shameful mess. Bobcat sells the drunkenness and depravity, whether he's being peed on (Nevermind. You'll see.) or stumbling around in a drunken stupor. Yet he still manages to remain likable and not lose his status as the film's protagonist. My favorite part has to do with the intense hatred the clowns harbor for mimes,(I mean, really, who needs 'em!). The fight scene in the park, with the shout "Learn to Talk", is priceless. The obvious discomfort when Shakes must pose as a mime to avoid arrest is also a blast! I had no idea Bobcat Goldthwait was this creative...

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

I downloaded this movie years after putting it on my watchlist because I had seen it mentioned in one of those Men's Journal "100 Movies Every Guy Should See" lists. In the end, its presence on a list like that might be appropriate, but don't reshuffle your own watchlist to make room for it.

The cast is actually terrific. Bobcat Goldthwait in a forgettable lead role still filled the role nicely, and with such a star-studded supporting crew, the cast is actually the most memorable thing about this movie. Adam Sandler and Blake Clark have major roles throughout, which was no doubt a fertile time for the two to bounce ideas off one another, thus sparking a screen relationship that would help fuel Sandler's meteoric rise through 1990s comedy. Kathy Griffin is the feminist friend of the lead actress, Julie Brown, who later played Ms. Stoeger in Clueless. Even Robin Williams made a cameo appearance as a catty mime instructor, surely offering at least a few laughs with his pre-GWH clown-like demeanor.

Unfortunately, this semi-Allstar cast was paired with terrible writers. Sure, there is the occasional line or two that elicit laughs from even the most lifeless of cynics, but the viewer can't help but follow a very contrived script throughout the movie, and only the body language of the actors themselves seems to save the screenplay from itself.

Overall, simply by recognizing the significance of the cast, all together as early as 1991, is enough to take from this movie what it has to offer most. I can't recommend making time for it, but if someone brings it over and you're in an agreeable mood, put it in and enjoy a lot of hidden humor (background gags and subtle one-liners) in this alcoholic cult-classic.

... and probably won't ever again.

This movie makes a fine 'theme night' doubleheader with "Killer Klowns from Outer Space".

I remember my girlfriend and I going to see this movie in great anticipation on its opening weekend back in 1992. It just seemed perfect -- a comedy about a down-and-out clown with a drinking problem. Had a solid cast as well with impressive cameo appearances. The sub-plot with the rivalry between mimes and clowns was another great idea.

But it was, and remains, in the top 5 of the most disappointing and inexcusably awful films I've ever endured. Some films are bad due to low budget, or poor talent, or bad concept (or a combination of these things), but this had everything it needed and failed -- resoundingly -- on all fronts. I remember sitting there with my sweet girlfriend and just waiting and waiting for a laugh -- anything -- to show up. Only one thing made us laugh -- when Shakes is trash-talking with another clown in the clown bar and the clown is at a loss for words and says something like, "Well, you're the captain of the diarrhea club". Doesn't sound funny does it? In any other film it would have been a terrible and disgusting line but to a tearful of moviegoers desperate for a laugh, it was like water in the desert.

My lasting impression of this film was how deeply mean-spirited, overly dark, cruel, and scatological it was. It was as if 11-year-old bullies were given the task to write/direct/produce a major motion picture. Those attributes are rarely really funny, even to pre-teens.

You WILL be disappointed with this film -- it doesn't even have value as something to poke fun at. Instead of watching this film, watch "Kingpin" instead, which is a similar sort of film but is actually watchable and humorous at times.

The movie poster when I saw "Shakes" in the theatre touted it as the "Citizen Kane of Alcoholic Clown Movies," clearly a better analogy than the "Gone with the Wind" one touted here. This is one strange fantasy where clowns hang out in their own bars watching clown shows on TV while tossing back shots. The bars are segregated by clown type, with bars for rodeo clowns and bars for party clowns with no mixing tolerated. Robin Williams' bit part as a mime instructor is some of his best work every, enhanced (as all Robins work should be) by it's brevity. Great work, Bobcat! (The kids in the sprinkler scene is great, a lovingly filmed, uncharacteristicly joyful moment in this very, very dark comedy.) Rumor has it that clown groups picketed theatres when this movie was released, claiming that it was defamatory to clowns.

My goodness I had no idea that Florence Henderson could be so hot..... Her cameo was worth the price of admission..... I wish she would have had a longer role.... She was GREAT!!!

Having read many of the reviews on this site I have noticed that numerous people claim that one either understands and loves the movie, or hates it. I happen to fall into the latter category as this movie is not only unorigonal, but fails to be funny in almost every way possible. The fact that this film could even use the line "Mime's a wasting" shows the low class of the film. Personally, I love dumb comedy movies (Adam Sandler and Chris Farley included) but this film failed to be funny on almost every level. I did not laugh once, and didn't even appreciate any of the jokes' attempts to be funny. The only scenes worth watching are the ones mentioned previously by RedDevil, whom I happened to view the film with.

Many have commented that this is a dark comedy that deals with alcoholism, however I have two major points to make contrary to this. First of all, this film is by no means a comedy if you use the standard definition of comedy. This definition of course is something that is funny. Secondly, this film does not deal with alcoholism well at all. After seeing this I felt no need to stop drinking, unlike the scenes in Requiem for a Dream. Overall, this project not only lacks polish, but ambition as well. The plot is useless and I couldn't help feeling that the movie made no point. I would like the 87 minutes of my life back, but seeing as that is impossible, I would like to keep anyone else from viewing this shoddy workmanship.

An alcoholic, foul mouthed clown named Shakes (Bobcat) plays children's birthday parties with his clown friends. Later on his girl gets kidnapped by a psychopathic clown.

I've been a fan of Bobcat since he played Zed in the "Police Academy" films and stole many scenes. This was a box office flop which is a shame as there is some very funny stuff in here. It probably came a few years too late to cash in on the "bad clown" trend after "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" (1988), "IT" (1990) and "Carny" (1980). The sad clown is something I never get bored of seeing and Bobcat Goldthwait does a good job at creating a sympathetic, hilarious character from a flawed, despicable human similar to Billybob Thornton in "Bad Santa".

The film has a lot of dark comedy, vulgarity and some tongue in cheek slapstick. Most of the jokes land thanks to an experienced cast including a young Adam Sandler, a memorable Robin Williams cameo and a role were Julie Brown can test her comedy chops. Sadly the film ran out of steam near the end when the kidnapping plot took place, which takes up a third of the movie. It wasn't convincing or nasty enough for me to feel peril for the characters.

This film is difficult to find outside the US. I'm glad I saw it and apart from some great acting and a smart script it doesn't really get above the good, but not great level.

Quite the interesting film from the warped mind of Bobcat Goldthwait. Shakes the Clown is his debut as a writer/director and tells the story about an alcoholic clown who, while passed out drunk, is framed for the murder of his boss and mentor. From the catch phrase "Loved by children. Desired by woman. Adored by bartenders everywhere" I was expecting something a little more perverse and out there. Instead, we are given a pretty run of the mill, mediocre comedy where the bumbling hero and misfit friends must uncover the evil villain, who until then is seen as the good guy. The loved by children part is a nice touch because no matter how mean or abusive he is to the adults, he is a fantastic clown (what agility on this guy). As for the desired by woman, he has a one night stand and a girlfriend—he is just being tormented by the number of ladies all over him—as for the bartenders, he usually is outside while the friends stick to the bar. Shakes is just too good of a guy to really make the role believable as being a deadbeat.

The biggest surprise here is the amount of supporting players that have gone on to accomplish things in the industry. An almost unrecognizable Kathy Griffin, (pre-surgery indeed); the usual solid performance from character actor Blake Clark; newcomer Adam Sandler, a tad bit raw, delivering lines like he is at a stand-up event, the guy has come far; and Robin Williams, who steals his scene and is probably the funniest part of the entire film. Besides these, however, we get a lot of amateurish work. I don't want to be mean, but I could not stand Julie Brown. She has the looks and the affectionate glances to be the by-her-man girlfriend, but her speech pattern is horrid. Not being able to pronounce the letter "r," she sounds like me when I was 5 before taking speech therapy. How there is not a feature length gag reel is beyond me, because these guys could not have kept straight faces opposite her.

A couple more roles gave me mixed feelings. Tom Kenny, as the villainous Binky, has quite the extensive filmography…as a voice-over pro. I can see why he would be so successful, as he is very over the top here, great for cartoons, not so much when you have to see his broad facial expressions that go along with the words. He reminded me a bit of David Paymer, and I couldn't stop thinking how much better he would have done at the job. Paymer just has the sad sack, stick a knife in your back role down pat. The other role is the cop with high blood pressure. His delivery was awkward and a bit forced. Funny as it was, especially opposite his amused by the littlest things partner, he did stick out.

I must give credit to Bobcat for attempting to do something new in the genre. Although it is an overused plot, he tries to spice things up by setting it in the world of clowns; they overrun the town. I kept waiting to see if a normal person would arrive to entertain them. Moments do work throughout, like the fights with mimes, the rodeo clown clique, and the bickering at the bar, but there is just too much stuff that fails; it's so broad that it elicited more yawns than chuckles. I ended up having to play a game with myself to stay with it by finding all the hidden things I could. My favorites were the cop putting a gun two inches from a convict's face in the background while Bobcat is released from jail and the production company responsible for the clown television show, (watch the credits on the TV for it).

Henry Rollins broke humanity down, once, into "People who get Devo, and people who don't." You can do the same for this movie... there are people who get it, and people who don't, and you will never, ever convince someone that doesn't get this film that it's enjoyable. Just give up. If they can't see the humor in "Oh great, now I have to kill you too. Another red letter day for Binky..."

Bobcat Goldthwait IS Shake's the Clown, an alcoholic party clown that often doesn't know where he's waking up but is a master of his profession and never fails to entertain the children with his acrobatics, juggling and magic tricks. His alcoholism has robbed him of many opportunities including a shot at hosting the local early morning kids show, which sets up a rivalry with 'Binky' an ambitious party clown that doesn't care about kids and has a side gig with some drug dealing rodeo clowns, the biker gang of the clown world.

Shakes has perhaps THE best introduction of any underdog put on screen and then it goes downhill from there... then it gets better.... Then it goes down.... Then it gets better and you see where this is going... it's pretty uneven. The conflict is pretty thin but movie absolutely shines with its portrayal of down-on-their-luck clowns living one day to the next dreaming of a better life and that one big break. A friend mentioned the whole film is meant to be an allegory for life as a standup comedian and it really feels that way. Narratively it reminded me of Anchorman if you replaced all the newscasters with clowns. There are plenty of great supporting characters including the always underrated Julie Brown as Shakes' girlfriend with the worst case of rhotacism since Elmer Fudd, pre SnL Adam Sandler as Shakes friend, pre Sponge Bob Tom Kenny as Binky one of the best villains ever written into a dark comedy and Robin Williams as a mime instructor with anger management issues.

It's a must see... there's a reason it's a cult hit.

First the only good news about "Shakes the Clown" is that the clown makeup and neon-type lighting provides an interesting setting. Now the bad. Both Adam Sandler and Robin Williams are totally wasted, smothered by Goldthwait's slapstick, gross-out, outrageously non-funny script. Clowns are supposed to be funny, therefore a movie about clowns should be downright hilarious. Well, car chases, puke jokes, drunken clowns, and various other nonsense turns what could have been a ground breaking black comedy into the disaster it is. Do not buy or rent this expecting black comedy similar to the brilliant "Bad Santa", because you will be sadly disappointed. I know I was. - MERK

I can only guess this movie came out at the wrong time; the dark comedy of Shakes didn't play well when I saw it years ago on VHS. I've watched it twice in the last couple years and it certainly hits the funny bone.

Without spoilers, it's the tale of a low life clown in a low life world... Down on his luck, he has to rescue his Girlfriend.

The cast is good- Julie Brown is a scene stealer, Adam Sandler stands out (he's far less a buffoon than his own flicks), and Bobcat as the lead is great. Tom Kenney is absolutely nutty and threatening as the villain. (I firmly believe he would play a menacing version of The Joker should another actor ever be needed).

Give the movie a chance-- it's a welcome surprise to be sure.

*****Plot points that could spoil this movie****** When coming upon this movie written,directed and starring Bobcat Goldthwait in a the movie considered the Citizen Kane of Alcoholic Clown movies one word comes to mind: classy. However after viewing I promptly demanded the video clerk to return to me 74 minutes of my life. She upon viewing the synopsis of the movie said, "I think this is your fault." Anyways the movie it self drags on and is really not that funny. There is no real plot until the last 15 minutes of the movie (if you last that long) and even then is not worth it. Bobcat does not even use his trademark voice instead attempting to actually act it appears. Few highlights include Robin Williams in his mime school scene, and the scene where the clowns beat up the mimes (which is mostly funny since most people hate mimes). Overall this movie ranks near the bottom of all the movies I've seen.

A reviewer at the Boston Globe once called this, "The Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies." Given the number of points of comparison, who could argue?

I was reminded of this when I recently saw the 2003 movie, "Bad Santa" -- which was a similar one-joke, cynical comedy about an obnoxious alcoholic employed as a character meant to bring joy into the lives of children. (The name "Shakes" takes on a whole new meaning when the lead character attempts to detox.) If that one joke works, so goes the movie. So for comparison, I recently rented it not long after seeing "Bad Santa."

While Bad Santa received a great number of favorable critical reviews, this movie wasn't as fortunate. Upon further review, I have to say that this movie never got the credit it deserved.

Is it a great movie? Oh no. This is a movie that attempts to be so bad and foul, rolling in its own filth, that best targets people with the right, low-expectation mindset. But you could also say that of "There's Something About Mary."

It employs humor in some of the background scenes a la "Airplane." Its use of cheesy 70s actors is pure genius and helps complete the joke. (Nevermind Robin Williams, an early Adam Sandler, and the then-future voice of Sponge Bob Squarepants as the evil Binky the Clown.) If you can manage a smirk during John Waters' "Mondo Trasho," you'll likely find the movie to be quite funny overall.

It's Bobcat's opus, and its no wonder he never really made much of anything since; the same was true for Orson Wells after "Citizen Kane"...

I sat down to watch "Shakes the Clown" because Bobcat Goldthwait was in it, and I had no idea that I was in for a movie with this many famous people in it. I had not anticipated that at all.

The story is about Shakes, a clown with a love of drinking. He is told to get his act together or his will be fired, when he finds himself framed for a murder.

Despite having so many talented names on the cast list, then I was not even remotely entertained by this movie, much less brought to laughs. I really didn't laugh a single time, truth be told.

Perhaps I didn't get the symbolism between the alcoholism and the imagery of clowns. But, for me, it just didn't mix well together, much less make for an entertaining movie.

"Shakes the Clown" wasn't particularly my type of movie, and thus I think the movie is worth a 3 out of 10 stars.

This movie won't win any technical awards, but if you like dark comedies (this film makes "Barton Fink" look light and breezy at times), this is the movie for you. At times uproariously funny, the poignant parts are luckily kept to a minimum, and there are gritty moments as well. Whether you're a rodeo clown, party clown, or even a lowly mime, this is a movie chock full of lines you'll find yourself repeating in all the most inappropriate occasions. Besides--didn't you kind of suspect that all clowns were miserable deep down, and drunk constantly?

Just beware--this is not a kids' film by any stretch of the imagination, and some of the scenes of Shakes dealing with his alcoholism are stomach-churning, but it provides the backdrop for some serious comedic writing unmatched by virtually every other film out there.

one of my favorite cheese flicks. if ya dig cheese u will dig this flick. i would love to give the movie a 10, but to rate the movie up there with the likes of citizan cane and gone with the wind would be insane. the only the i think would have made the movie better would be if kevin smith had written the screenplay.

the darkly humorous story of an alcholic party clown who is framed by coke-dealing rodeo clowns and must overcome his condescending feelings towards mimes when he must take refuge in one of their studios.

black comedy painted in neon colors with funny clown shoes for that disturbing effect. an issue as serious as alcoholism shouldn't b taken lightly, but the darkness within the "twisted balloon" bar is could be any hole in the wall drink joint over-run with industry regulars. its just this industry is full party clowns who pick on the artistic mimes and cower in fear of rodeo clowns.

binky is one of the most creepy & festive characters in recent years. his rationalizations of his behavior are text book. "u all loathe me... think my balloon animals suck". it seems strangely appropriate that the rodeo clowns are selling coke binky and his yes men.

this movie is full of incredible lines & visual humor (check out the office in the background when shakes is getting picked up at the police station during the conversation with the cops).

Shakes The Clown is a 1991 dark comedy that follows an alcoholic clown who gets framed for the murder of his boss by a rival clown so he can be the next host of a kids television show.

Written and Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait who also stars as the title character, this is an odd movie that definitely is an acquired taste. It's a very silly comedy that borders more on the ridiculous side than funny. Although it's not without its moments of humor, its comedic tone seems to get lost within its imaginative yet strange story. The characters are fun at times, and Bobcat definitely threw some creative ideas in the mix, but ultimately the movie as a whole leaves little to be desired.

It's nowhere near as good as some of Bobcats later works, but can be good for a laugh on a Friday night with a few friends and several alcoholic beverages. If you've never seen this before and like oddball comedies, then I'd recommend checking it out.