Diagonaldi Very well executed

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

paul david a 2000 film which I have only got around to seeing this year. Yes, its vulgar by title and action, yes its shocking but its a film which draw on your emotions and make you watch until the end. the gang rape of the clown is utterly sick and revolting but you will follow it. when will helps to save the little girl, he becomes a national hero and everybody loves a clown. its a splendid movie overall but not for everyone, as people have said previously and don't expose any kids to it or it will put them off hiring a clown forever. not sure what the overall message was of the film and I have watched it through a couple of times, always grimacing at the sensitive moments. it is a unique film in many ways and shows we are all vulnerable when we least expect it. who would be a clown?

James Siegel All right let's get this out of the way first. This is often known as "That Kevin Smith Clown Rape Movie" Let's tackle these misconceptions. First of all, Kevin Smith did not write or direct this movie, Byran Johnson did. Smith produced it, and huzzah to him for allowing this great movie to come about. Smith also had a cameo. Many, many View Askew actors had parts in this. Jason Mewes, Ethan Surplee, Walt Flanagan and others had cameos and small roles. Bryan "Steve-Dave" Johnson also had a fairly large part. Now, about the clown rape. YES a clown is raped. NO, it is not funny. Nor is it supposed to be. This movie is a very serious movie that is full of emotions and you really, really feel for these characters. I mean, you might just cry after all the crud Will "Flappy/Vulgar" Carlson is put through. This movie also has a good amount of comedy in it. Nothing to extreme. Not all of it is funny, but accents the rather serious tone rather well. You must understand though, this is not a comedy. You WILL NOT LAUGH AT A CLOWN BEING RAPED. Unless you enjoy physically raping clowns yourself you will either be offended, horrified or engrossed, or all three. This movie is really great, though. The acting is what sets it apart from all other low budget films. O'Halloran's acting is beyond anything he's put forth so far. No one else would be able to portray the range of emotions he goes through whilst also looking like a common man throughout. You will coo at his heartwarming love of children. You will be thoroughly touched by his depressing life. You will cheer for him when the going is good, and stick with him when the going is bad. And the going gets really bad. The rest of the acting is above par as well, especially the psychotic trio. You will be generally disgusted at these sick, vulgar beings. And that's what makes this movie standout. Amazing acting. Cinematography is also excellent here, with a few shots that make my keen eyes widen. Johnson and Scott Mosier did a good editing job and the soundtrack is quite good, and even worth a purchase for it's interesting mix of under-the-radar music of varying genres, while not overpowering the film itself. Flaws? Yeah, a few. One, it's really melodramatic. Sometimes the drama is just too much. Thankfully it's cut out with some humor, though sometimes in the midst of things it's not that funny. Also, many loose ends that you would like tied up are left open. This works well in the end, but sometimes during the movie you'll go "huh". Overall, this isn't for the "ha-ha Kevin Smith makes nice dick jokes" crowd, so much as die-hard fans. But anyone who has a strong stomach and a sensible mind can relate to this poor clown's existence in perhaps the most underrated film of all time. Go buy it!

jnh3 Of course this picture isn't for everybody, neither is Robert Flaherty's "Louisana Story" or Bunuel's "An Andalusian Dog" but that doesn't circumvent the importance of this little movie in what I call "the Kevin Smith" Film Movement." O'Halloran's Flappy is twice as haunting when we remember his continuing presence in all the other Kevin Smith pictures. O'Halloran ceases to be "that guy" and becomes a guy with a horror story with true Jersey universality. Though "Vulgar" was released after "Dogma," Jason Mewes looks much younger. I posit that this movie is Bryan Johnson's (another Kevin Smith troupe member, obviously with a story to tell) labor of love-- shot at a time earlier and laboriously assembled over years. Expect familiar faces from the Kevin Smith universe taking center stage and gripping you with their nightmare. Did I mention the villains? No? To know this father and two-son team is to... really be loved by them but I don't want to be a spoiler.A grade of A + for gunshot wounds, I have to say it. All in all, "Vulgar" is a must-own for any serious Kevin Smith collector. This is a picture for romantics, poets and classic Christians. Classic Christians know a grace note when it bites them in the ass, the rest of the herd doesn't know what I'm talking about. "Vulgar," after all, is all about grace.John Huff, Director, "Cyxork 7"

Jawsphobia I don't want to slam a View Askew movie, but it should be said that controversial content of Vulgar is not why it fails. If it had been directed by David Lynch it might have been creepy and meaningful, but it was not. The antagonists, like many of the incidental roles in the film, generate no presence and seem to be simply reading lines. The viewer may feel that those three twits could easily be dispatched by anyone including Vulgar who loses our respect because he doesn't solve what seems to be an easy problem. It seems unbelievable also that someone who can get his crap together to perform as even a mundane birthday clown and run a TV show accepts the surroundings we find him in - but then again it is hard to believe that a movie with such content is so plodding and that the resolution seems so codified - I mean it isn't as if the protagonist has to be a squeaky clean hero. But then again, victory over these "heavies" couldn't be much of a celebration anyway as they are so lame.Oddly, Jason Mews in his usual mode is an exception as he seems to exist in spite of whatever conditions under which the film was made. Kevin Smith makes a believable TV producer, despite his eyebrows emoting to the cheap seats. Brian O'Halloran is often good in the sad and traumatic aftermath of Vulgar's first ordeal, but for much of the movie he is more a victim of what must be some bad calls of the director. Many of the performances are like finger nails on a chalkboard. Considering some of the talent involved, it scares me because I wonder if it is just an inevitable fact of low-budget movie making. I inevitably saw this movie because it was part of the View Askew cannon, but thank God I waited until it was on sale. It is not a keeper unless you need it as a case study for other low-budget film makers. Contrary to what at least one other user has posted, the movie is hard to watch not because of disturbing content. The stilted acting ensures that you never feel enveloped in the events of the story anyway, so there is no real sense of danger only impatience.