Vulgar (film)

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Vulgar
Directed by	Bryan Johnson
Produced by	Monica Hampton Scott Mosier Kevin Smith
Written by	Bryan Johnson
Starring	Brian O'Halloran Bryan Johnson Jerry Lewkowitz Ethan Suplee Matthew Maher
Distributed by	Lions Gate Films
Release date(s)	April 26, 2000
Running time	91 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Vulgar is a 2000 film, produced by View Askew Productions and featuring a few actors from the View Askewniverse of Kevin Smith. However, the film is apparently set outside of the View Askewniverse. It was released to absolutely no critical acclaim. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Plot

Will Carlson a.k.a Flappy the Clown a.a.k.a. Vulgar the Clown (played by Brian O'Halloran) is a clown that performs for children. Like many clowns, he gets no respect and even less work. Will loves clowning so much that he refuses to get a realistic sturdy 9-to-5 job with a steady paycheck. He wants to stick it out and make clowning work for him. Sounds nice, but it doesn't seem very likely or possible at all.

Almost everyone in town tortures and ridicules him for fun, winos loiter on his property and throw beer bottles at him, he's got no money and lives in a hovel. His mentally ill (who's in a nursing home which he has to pay for) mom hates him, his car will break down any second and he lives in a bad part of town. Will is a good guy and has a friend named Syd (played by director/writer Bryan Johnson).

Desperate for jobs, Will decides to try doing a bachelor party: when the man of the night is expecting a girl to come in, he'll get--Flappy! (and then, of course, he leaves and the real show arrives) Syd think he's nuts, asks him if he's on crack, and tells him that what he's proposing is vulgar. Will seizes on that and remonikers himself "Vulgar the Clown" for his older audiences.

But things go wrong when he gets scammed--his very first gig and it turns out that the "bachelor" is a dirty old (late fourties?) drug-addict of a man, his mentally retarded sons and Will is tortured, drugged and anally raped on a video camera.

After Will is raped, he hits rock bottom and all but loses his will to live. He happens to be on his way to a children's party gig (he can't bear let a child down on his birthday--especially one who's so eager to see him) and his lackluster will to live, he's willing to throw himself into a dangerous life-threatening situation. He manages to save the life of a young girl who's being held hostage by her psychotic father, and becomes famous--he gets his own show: "Flappy's Funhouse". However, after he wins his fame, Will's former "assaulters" call with a plot of blackmail, and Will decides to do something drastic...

[edit] Production

• After the success of such films as Clerks., Chasing Amy, and Dogma, Kevin Smith financed three films (Drawing Flies, A Better Place, and this one).

• The film was written and directed by Smith's long time friend Bryan Johnson. Vulgar the Clown was also the View Askew Productions logo at one time.

• The lead rapist, Ed Fanelli, was inspired by Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet."

• The Fanelli sons, Frankie and Gino, were inspired by the rapists of "Deliverence."

• The movie was written in 28 days, filmed in 26.

• The role of Will Carlson was written specifically for Brian Christopher O' Halloran.

• Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier executive produced this film and "Good Will Hunting" back-to-back."

• Many of the grips, assistants and film crew took bit parts in the movie (due to the incredibly tight budget).

• The film was edited at Skywalker Sound.

• Howard Stern got a copy of the film before it was released. His producer, Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate is a big fan of Kevin Smith, so Scott Mosier sent a copy to him. After Gary saw (some of) it, he gave it to Howard, because he heard a clown is raped in it, he was expecting a silly campy comedy. When he got to it and he saw how serious it was, he was disgusted and repulsed by what he saw. He turned it off in revoltion and threw the tape in the garbage. He ranted on about it on the radio and had Kevin Smith on the show to ask him what he was thinking. He let out a paticularly scathing review about it, but this just inspired people (including his own radio cast) to see the movie.

[edit] External links

• Vulgar at the Internet Movie Database
• View Askew Productions
  • Vulgar subsite

v • d • e Kevin Smith
Films
The View Askewniverse: Clerks | Mallrats | Chasing Amy | Dogma | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Clerks II Upcoming: Untitled Horror Project | Ranger Danger and the Danger Rangers | Clerks: Sell Out Other: Jersey Girl | An Evening with Kevin Smith | An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder Abandoned: The Green Hornet | Superman Lives
Comics
Clerks | Chasing Dogma | Bluntman and Chronic | Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do | Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target
Notable characters
Jay and Silent Bob | Dante | Randal | Banky | Alyssa | Leonardo | Bluntman and Chronic | Mooby | Buddy Christ | Brodie | Willam | Minor characters
Miscellaneous
View Askew Productions | View Askewniverse motifs | The Flying Car | Clerks: The Animated Series | Clerks: The Lost Scene | Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash | Silent Bob Speaks | Trooper Clerks