Vulgar (2000)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Bryan Johnson

Writer:

Bryan Johnson (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Everybody loves a clown... some more than others.

Plot:

A man who performs as a children's birthday party clown tries to piece his life back together after being gang-raped.

Plot Keywords:

Clown | Blackmail | Bum | Briefcase | Cult

Cast

Brian O'Halloran	...	Will Carlson / Flappy / Vulgar (as Brian Christopher O'Halloran)
Bryan Johnson	...	Syd Gilbert
Jerry Lewkowitz	...	Ed Fanelli
Ethan Suplee	...	Frankie Fanelli
Matthew Maher	...	Gino Fanelli (as Matt Maher)
Don Gentile	...	Sleepy Bum
Thomas W. Leidner	...	Large Bum (as Thom Leidner)
Michael Tierney	...	Skinny Bum
David Gilbert	...	Delinquent #1
Erik Johnson	...	Delinquent #2
Scott Schiaffo	...	Travis Lee
Darin Johnson	...	Boy #1
Brian Hartsgrove	...	Boy #2
Aaron Hakeem	...	Cop #1
Jamie Schutz	...	Cop #2
Susanna Jolly	...	Jill
Debra Karr	...	Mother (as Debbie Karr)
Ceton Tate	...	Ashley
Gertrude Johnson	...	Old Lady
Paris Petrick	...	Nurse Ratchet
Jay Petrick	...	Wilma Carlson
Michael DeNigris	...	Sam Mosier
Robert Hawk	...	Old Man (as Bob Hawk)
Jill Robertson	...	Shongo
Kiven Wiedmyer	...	Irate Motorist
Brian Quinn	...	Traffic Cop
Kevin Smith	...	Martan Ingram
Tim Miller	...	Gillian
Walter Flanagan	...	Caddy
Scott Mosier	...	Scotty
Tobias Carroll	...	Toby
Diana Devlin	...	Sultry Audience Member
David Klein	...	Cinnamon
Melissa Rayworth	...	Kelly Fanelli
Deanna Rowe	...	Jenny Fanelli
Edgar Johnson	...	Diaper Boy
Bob Farley	...	Barron
Joe Mullins	...	Joe-Joe
Jason Mewes	...	Tuott the Basehead
John Sobestanovich	...	Beggar (as Soby)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kim Chapman	...	Rose Anderson - Pissy Mom in Diner
Zoe Daelman Chlanda	...	Sexy mom / fan
Renee West	...	Sexy Mom
Jeff Anderson	...	Surly Duck (voice) (uncredited)
Chris Cullen	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Monica Hampton	...	Hot woman sitting at table (uncredited)
Ralph Lambiase	...	Clumsy Cop (uncredited)
Sean Marquis	...	Dirty Junkie (uncredited)
Chris Parry	...	Criminal Clown #3 (uncredited)
Darren Ross	...	Neighborhood Kid (uncredited)

Directed by
Bryan Johnson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bryan Johnson		written by

Produced by
Monica Hampton	....	producer
Scott Mosier	....	executive producer
Kevin Smith	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ryan Shore

Cinematography by
David Klein

Film Editing by
Bryan Johnson
Scott Mosier

Casting by
Paris Petrick

Production Design by
Lisa Mareiniss		(as Lisa Beth Mareiniss)

Costume Design by
Shari Lyn 'Chuck' Hipschman

Makeup Department
Paris Petrick	....	key hair stylist
Paris Petrick	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Ian G. MacGregor	....	production manager (as Ian MacGregor)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adam Hammel	....	second assistant director
David Kurman	....	second second assistant director
Jamie Schutz	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Christine Ditrio	....	poster artist
Douglas Edwards	....	assistant property master
Aaron Hakeem	....	set dresser
Mike Hansen	....	graphic designer
Ralph Lambiase	....	storyboard artist
Chad Westphal	....	property master
Kyle V. White	....	leadman

Sound Department
Jennifer Barin	....	assistant sound editor
Phil Benson	....	dialogue editor
Alfred J. Caragay	....	sound recordist (as Jay Caragay)
Melissa Casumbal	....	boom operator
Alex Ghershini	....	foley artist (as Alex Chersini)
David Glaser	....	supervising sound editor
J.R. Grubbs	....	sound effects editor
Michael Hansen	....	boom operator
Paul Holly	....	foley artist
David Kurman	....	boom operator
Sean McAuliffe	....	foley artist
John Moros	....	boom operator
Scott Mosier	....	dialogue editor
Tom Myers	....	sound designer
Matthew O'Connor	....	assistant sound editor
Gene Radzik	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Gary Rizzo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Taub	....	sound mixer
Kevin Weiss	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Ralph Lambiase	....	special effects makeup artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin Boyle	....	assistant camera
Matt Gavin	....	camera loader
William Hyatt	....	dolly grip
Alan Jacobsen	....	rigger (as Alan Jacobson)
Paul Kaye	....	key grip
David Klein	....	camera operator
Delores Lusitarua	....	unit photographer (as Dolores Lusitana)
Emily Mackley	....	first assistant camera
Sean Marquis	....	best boy electric
John Moros	....	camera production assistant
Michael 'Rodi' Rodia	....	rigger
Bill Scalzitti	....	gaffer (as William Scalzitti)
Joshua Solson	....	rigger (as Josh Solson)
Erik Swift	....	electrician
Peter Vietro-Hannum	....	rigger (as Peter Vietro Hannum)

Casting Department
Kristen Oliver	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Courtney Grogan	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Alan Scher	....	assistant editor
Pete Spataro	....	color timer (as Peter Spataro)

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	music editor
Ethan Fiks	....	musician
Arron Goldberg	....	musician (as Aaron Goldberg)
Ron Jackson	....	musician
Lawrence Manchester	....	score mixer
Lawrence Manchester	....	score recordist
Nick Mancini	....	musician
Elliot Mason	....	musician
Justin Mullens	....	musician
Scott Pingel	....	musician
Tim Ries	....	musician
Andy Sanesi	....	musician
Ryan Shore	....	orchestrator
Johannes Weidenmuellen	....	musician
Martin Wind	....	musician

Other crew
Tobias Carroll	....	key craft service (as Tobias A. Carroll)
Christopher Cram	....	production assistant
Chris Cullen	....	office production assistant
Liz Finn-Arnold	....	script supervisor (as Lizbeth Finn Arnold)
Robin Gold	....	production assistant
David Gross	....	production assistant
Olof Källström	....	workprint conform editor (as Olaf Kallstrom)
Thomas W. Leidner	....	location manager (as Thomas Leidner)
Elizabeth Lewis	....	production assistant
Steven P. McVey	....	production assistant (as Steven McVey)
Daniel Milner	....	production coordinator
Dan Milner	....	production coordinator
Amanda Nanawa	....	script supervisor
Janelle Ashley Nielson	....	workprint conform editor
Matt Nycz	....	office production assistant
Vincent Pereira	....	workprint conform editor
Ganielle Roeser	....	assistant location manager
Alan Scher	....	assistant production coordinator
Kevin Weiss	....	production assistant

Thanks
Phil Benson	....	thanks
Scott Mosier	....	thanks
Gary Rizzo	....	thanks
Kevin Smith	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Chango Productions
• Shongo Filmworks Ltd.
• View Askew Productions

Distributors

• Lions Gate Films (North America)

Special Effects

• Drew Jiritano Special Effects

Other Companies

• Back Pocket Recording Studios  recording studio (as Back Pocket Studios)
• Film Effects, New York  titles
• Gizmo Post  sound post-production
• Great Northern/Reiff & Associates  insurance
• K.A.S. Lighting  lighting
• Lab-Link Inc.  laboratory services
• N & D Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• Republic National Bank of New York  funding
• Road Shore Studios  mixing studio
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services
• Sloss Law Office  legal services

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing sexual violence, some shootings and strong language.

Runtime:

87 min | Canada:91 min | USA:85 min (edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Red Bank, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Chango Productions

Trivia:

Kevin Smith's character Martan Ingram is a play on Malcolm Ingram, who directed Drawing Flies (1996), which Smith produced.

Goofs:

Continuity: Will's left hand is supposedly cut after holding a piece of broken mirror, but a minute later the hand is perfectly fine.

Quotes:

Martan Ingram: First of all, it's not a "what", it's a WHO. And HE is making a big splash, orca-style.

Movie Connections:

References Mallrats (1995)

Soundtrack:

Bad Situation

Something very different from View-Askew. Glad I saw it...

by Dane Youssef

Bryan Johnson shows amazing talent and depth as a first-time greenhorn filmmaker. There's more than just one worthwhile film here. There's two.

"Vulgar" plays out like a scrappy, slapped-together little campy comedy and then shifts wildly into much darker territory. And then back again. And back...

Johnson seems to have a natural wild indie touch and while it has touches of some of the darkest nature ever uncovered on the screen, it also has some nice Jersey-blue collar comedy.

Now here's a movie Tarantino would enjoy. It's kinda like a soup. It plays out like a stew of movies, styles and ideas. European avant-garde cinema, indie film and campy, low-budget comedy. It's a shame this movie didn't play in Europe and France. Or college kids. This is the kind of thing they all gobble up.

I'm glad I bought a copy. It gives me hope as an aspiring filmmaker... and joy and thrills as a movie-lover who loves off-kilter stuff.

Brian O' Halloran is touchingly determined and vulnerable as the clown. He scrapes out a meager existence as a "party whore" and lives in his hovel of a home, living on s*** wages, barely making ends meet. His landlord is understanding and sympathetic and lets him "mow the lawn or do some maintenance" and knocks off a few.

Ethan Suplee and Matt Mawer are effective and creepy as his inbred and mentally-retarded sons who seem to have been phoned right out of "Deliverence."

Jerry Lewkowitz is just plain frightening and disturbing as Ed Fanelli. With his portly beer-belly, bug-eyes, raspy voice and bad wig that looks like a little boy's hair. I heard that the inspiration for this character was Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet." He's one of the scariest villains (or any kind of characters) to pop up on any kind of cinema in history.

The rape sequence with Will is just horrifying. It outdoes the whole scene in "Blue Velvet" and literally makes you BELIEVE and FEEL what this poor guy who just wants to entertain little kids is feeling.

The morning after where he has his emotional breakdown is just as strong. Will confides in Syd about the whole evening and Syd begs him to go to the cops, but Will swears him to secrecy. These scenes all shows strength, talent and feeling with both O' Halloran's acting and Johnson's directing.

Johnson himself, like Tarantino and producer Kevin Smith, once jockeyed in a video store. He gives the movie the flavor of a lot of low-budget films and masters past. He gives some "Kevin Smith" flavor in the dialouge and the juice of other great filmmakers', but he also gives it his own signature style. You'd have to see it to know what I mean.

Johnson has never been within 200 miles of a film school, so he seems to have gotten all of whatever film education and knowledge from Smith and Mosier.

You can tell Johnson is emulating Smith as a filmmaker, like the film's dialouge has an overwritten, over-articulate Kevin Smith-ness to it. Not to mention Smith's one-shot camera set-up. Still, there are moments that generate pain beyond words and conversation that Smith has never shown us.

And anyway, this is NOT a Kevin Smith film. I love the man, but this is another cup of tea altogether. Many will see because of the "Kevin Smith" name on the marquee. Which means they;ll be in for some serious shock and disappointment.

Johnson's only real mistake, in my opinion (and this is one that hurts the movie more than anything else) is his decision to act in it as the clown's only friend. You see why Smith only gave him bit-parts as Steve-Dave. He's no actor. He tends to mumble a lot of the time.

Look, read the other "user reviews" on IMDb about Johnson's "Vulgar." Listen to them describe it. YOU know if it's the movie for you. It all depends on your taste. Go to the site's OFFICIAL WEB PAGE and read the interview with Johnson. After hearing him, does it sound like your type of movie?

All in all, this is a hell of a debut. I liked Johnson's different stories and juggling them all at once. Comedy, drama, horror, working-class stories...

And at the center of it all, View Askew's poster boy--Flappy the Clown.

Have you ever wondered the real story about that clown? Here it is...

Don't see this because Kevin Smith produced it. See it because this is your taste. Read the reviews. Does this sound like your brand of poison? You know who you are.

SPECIAL NOTE: Jerry Lewkowitz deserves particularly special acclaim. Speaking as someone who has seen far more than his share of movies, Lewkowitz is the most frightening villain I've ever seen.

And as Ed Fanelli, he should be placed next to Michael Rooker in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" and Charlize Theron in "Monster." His role as the horrifying Ed Fanelli will stay with you to the grave...

by Dane Youssef