Punching the Clown

2010 "Comedy is often misunderstood."
7.2| 1h31m| en
Details

A satirical songwriter comes to Los Angeles and puts his life's work in jeopardy.

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Reviews

Wordiezett So much average
Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
swanwoods Funny, heartfelt and deep. A good luck at life on the road, the art of entertaining and making a career in Hollywood. Henry is great and very deadpan funny. He is sweet guy and we come to care for him over the course of the film. Also, a good cast of funny side characters, everyone is properly subtle and not overblown. Not cliché or 'typcial Hollywood' this show is more independent, many of the stories are based off real life encounters. Great humor is found at the insanity of Hollywood life. Henry's songs are great too, he is dark and brutal and unflinchingly awesome. So yes, it is an indie film, but it is very well made and full of great moments. Recommended.
BrynnP I rented the DVD on netflix after reading some of the customer reviews and rottentomatoes. I laughed pretty much the whole way, except when I wanted to cry. It's a beautiful movie and also an intelligent comedy.This movie is so funny and sweet to me. It doesn't go for the same old jokes. Well, sometimes it looks like it's going there, but there's a surprise at the last minute and it takes you in a totally new and crazy direction. I could just watch this kind of humor forever.The weird folk songs are amazing. Not just funny, but really good songs. My roommate was eavesdropping from the kitchen and came in to join me during a funny song, even though we usually have incredibly different tastes in movies, especially comedy-wise.Just had a great evening. Try to see this movie with friends, especially if you're feeling down and you need a real pick-me-up.
Duane Pal Here's a good one for you, if you want something new. Punching the Clown. Yes, the title means what you think it means, but that's not what the film is about... Well, yes, it IS about a clown of sorts (a comic) that rolls with the punches... but nothing immature here. Trust me, I know immature!Anyway, I loved it. My favorite characters apart from Henry Phillips were his useless but loving manager (Ellen Ratner, she reminded me of my mom... Bonus: she does the commentary track with the director and the star. There are some very funny deleted scenes too.), his amazing failed actor brother (Matt Walker) and the extremely realistic record company guy (Guilford Adams). There are plenty of other great characters. Most of them are surprisingly true to life. Without giving too much away, it's about a singer/comic who decides to move to LA because his luck dried up singing at one too many pizza joints on the road. In Hollywood, he gets a record deal a little too quickly, and then... life happens. The plot is fun (though not 100% fresh) but the way it plays out is about as fresh as anything I've seen on a screen, big or small. Henry's songs are hilarious, which is refreshing. Kind of like a young Tom Waits. The movie is expertly directed, avoiding cliché's, keeping the story moving the entire time. It will suck you in. It won the audience award at the Slamdance film festival and a bunch of other awards, and I can see why. It's got a high rating (rotten tomatoes). It's got my vote too.
behzad29 This is the first review I'm writing on IMDb.That's because of the unreasonably low (6.6) rating this movie has on this website.This movie is easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.It contains a lot of good jokes and one liners in the songs as well as in the script. The atmosphere and character interactions are well thought out and authentic.But don't take my word for it.YouTube Henry Phillips (who plays himself in this movie) or Punching the Clown and you will see! Do not miss this clever and hilarious film!