Do you want to see ‘Shakes the Clown’?

Shakes the Clown (1992)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 4.4/10
Reviews Counted: 19
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 12

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 2
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 2

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Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 3,638

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Movie Info

This black comedy chronicles the fall of one of the world's most unlovable clowns as he plies his trade and tries to survive in Palukaville a town where everyone is more or less a Bozo. Shakes loves women and more than that, he loves his booze. Like many of his painted peers, ol' Shakes likes to hang out at The Twisted Balloon, the favorite local pub where he hoists a few, beats up on mimes (the lowest caste in Palukaville) and causes trouble with his girl friend Judy, a woman who cannot say the

R, 1 hr. 26 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Bobcat Goldthwait

Written By: Bobcat Goldthwait

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1992 Wide

On DVD: Apr 4, 2000

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Shakes the Clown Trailer & Photos

Cast

Bobcat Goldthwait
Shakes The Clown
Julie Brown
Judy
Tom Kenny
Binky the Clown
Blake Clark
Stenchy the Clown
Adam Sandler
Dink the Clown
Kathy Griffin
Lucy
Paul Dooley
Owen Cheese
Robin Williams
Mime Jerry
Bruce Baum
Ty the Rodeo Clown
Jack Gallagher
Officer Crony
Florence Henderson
The Unknown Woman
Paul Kozlowski
HoHo the Clown
Jeremy S. Kramer
Detective Boar
LaWanda Page
Female Clown Barfly
Greg Travis
Randi the Rodeo Clown
Tom Villard
Dirthead in Car
Martin Charles Warner
Male Clown Barfly
Steve Bean
Beaten Mime in Park
Eliza Coyle
Enthusiastic Mime
Gerald F. Edelstein
2nd Party Dad
Scott Herriott
Floor Director
Melissa Hurley
Producer at Bigtime Car...
Tim Kazurinsky
1st Party Dad
Sidney Lassick
Peppy the Clown
Joel Murray
Milkman
Bob Nickman
Gas Station Owner
Shane Ricci
Obnoxious Kid at Party
Johnny Silver
Clown Tailor
Cary Smith
Mom at Party
Danielle Spencer
Boots the Clown
Tony V.
Broken Saddle Bouncer
Donald Paul Pemrick
Tom Scott
Paige Gosney
Billy

Critic Reviews for Shakes the Clown

All Critics (20) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (12) | DVD (7)

Basically a redneck drive-in movie in style and delivery.

May 22, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

—

Shakes the Clown has been photographed as poorly as it was conceived.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Top Critic

The movie plays like a series of scene outlines -- ideas for how the movie should progress -- that needed more writing and revision before the actors were called in.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

A bizarre comedy that stretches its central gimmick thinner than watered-down carnival taffy.

May 22, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Extra credit for beating up mimes!

March 15, 2008 Comment

Michael A. Smith

Nolan's Pop Culture Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Great idea for a tasteless short, but not enough for a feature.

January 12, 2006 Comment

Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

The tagline is true - and so are the rumors.

July 4, 2003 Comment

Karina Montgomery

Cinerina

When it works, it's uniquely funny. When it doesn't, it's uniquely bad.

April 21, 2003 Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Sporadically, but hilariously, funny. Goldthwait is great as the alcoholic, mime-hatin' clown.

March 21, 2003 Comment

Brian Mckay

eFilmCritic.com

A must-see for clown haters.

February 13, 2003 Comment

Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

Shake this one back into the film can and let it rot there.

December 17, 2002 Comment

Bob Bloom

Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

It's weird, but it's not really funny.

September 10, 2002 Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal

| Comment

Kevin N. Laforest

Montreal Film Journal

A wonderfully weird two hours.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle

| Comment

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Shakes the Clown is sick but whether it's a joke is a matter of taste. And this film is about as tasteless as they come.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City

| Comment

Chris Hicks

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Shakes the Clown

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This movie is a bit weird, but that's what I love about it. Goldthwait has a weird dark sense of humor, and it really makes this movie unique. There is also an interesting cast, as you can see on here, it's made up of a bunch of people you never expected to see in a film together. Anyway, if you like strange comedies, you'll like this one.

September 6, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

The movie takes place in the town of Palookaville, where are friend Shakes is always trying to just get by. This movie had a wonderfully funny cast in Bobcat Goldthwait, Adam Sandler, Tom Kenny (Spongebob VA), and Robin Williams. The direction was well used, though some editing flaws do occasionally appear. The

October 13, 2011

Stephen Ownby

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Latest News for Shakes the Clown

June 19, 2008:

Robin Williams, Bobcat Goldthwait Team Up for World's Best Dad
Robin Williams has agreed to star in World's Best Dad, a comedy written and directed by Bobcat...

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