I saw this movie when I was a kid, and it scared me at the time. But I can't watch it in the same way anymore - knowing that a REAL nightmare was taking place during the filming of this movie. Director Victor Salva, who later went on to direct "Powder" and the "Jeepers Creepers" movies, served prison time for molesting Nathan Forrest Winters, who stars as Casey in "Clownhouse." He was only 12 years old at the time. This long term abuse actually started a couple years before the filming of "Clownhouse," when Winters starred in Salva's short, "Something in the Basement." Near the end of filming, Winters finally admitted to his mother about the things Salva had been doing to him. Fortunately, Salva contributed to his undoing in another way - when police investigated the claim, they found that Salva had videotaped himself having oral sex with the boy. That led to his guilty plea and 19-month prison term. Of course, it did not stop him from suing the boy's family for "breach of contract." Nathan Forrest Winters appeared publicly in 1995 to stage a boycott of Salva's film, "Powder," which was produced by Disney. But he has never returned to acting after the filming of "Clownhouse." Victor Salva, meanwhile, has proceeded to rake in millions from his successful "Jeepers Creepers" franchise. Sounds about right... for Hollywood. So, knowing what we know now, can "Clownhouse" really be viewed on its own merits, without casting a mental eye toward the abuse that took place off screen? It's hard to separate the two, when Salva bombards us with visual evidence of his sexual tastes - 3 boys walking around in their underwear, sleeping naked under the covers, the youngest boy wetting the bed, Winters taking a bubble bath, even showing Winters' naked behind. Some critics have stated that Winters' performance seems a little stiff as well. Perhaps he wasn't a great actor - who's to tell when his career was cut short. But perhaps also he wasn't really faking the pale, scared boy he portrayed on screen. A stiff performance can be forgiven when he's under the direction of a man who repeatedly abuses him. Oh yes, the boys were in danger in "Clownhouse," but the real monster wasn't wearing face paint and big shoes. He was behind the camera, plotting the next seduction of his young star. I fully support the Winters family's boycott of Salva's work. Buying used DVD's on eBay is one thing, but you won't catch me in a theater to watch "Jeepers Creepers 3" or anything else with his name on it. Let's not help a predator of innocent boys get any richer.Read full review
I remembered watching this movie when I was alot younger and could never find it in video stores. It always scared me and it was just as good the second time around. It's a good scary movie to watch before going to a circus.
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