Punching the Clown (2009)

Winner of the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, this uproarious and smart new comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way ... See full summary »

Director:

Gregori Viens

Writers:

Henry Phillips, Gregori Viens

Stars:

Henry Phillips, Ellen Ratner, Matthew Walker

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Henry Phillips	...	Henry
Ellen Ratner	...	Ellen Pinsky
Matthew Walker	...	Matt
Audrey Siegel	...	Becca
Guilford Adams	...	Fabian
Evan Arnold	...	Don Chase
Mark Cohen	...	Stupid Joe
Mik Scriba	...	Joel
Eddie Pepitone	...	Eddie
Derek Waters	...	Dave the intern
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Babish	...	Owen
Robert Balderson	...	Jack
Rick Batalla	...	Lucas Cascos
Eddie Berke	...	Bartender
Simone Carter	...	Fan

Storyline

Winner of the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, this uproarious and smart new comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fundraiser, he decides he's hit rock bottom. Seeking to shake things up, he moves to L.A. where his luck changes overnight. Thanks less to his inept manager than to a wild case of mistaken identity, he falls backwards into a string of packed gigs, a record deal and even the promise of love. But he who lives by the whimsy of show business dies by it, and reality hits him like a fist in the face: an innocent miscommunication over a bagel brands him a neo-Nazi in the world of tabloid journalism. Luckily, somewhere between rock bottom and nowhere lies the perfect terrain for his dark and hilarious songs. Hailed by comedy icon Sarah Silverman as "the best...

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Taglines:

What he takes from his life, he gives back through his art. So far he's taken nothing but shit.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Official Sites:

Offical Site Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 2010 (USA)

Box Office

Budget:

$140,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Viens Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Henry: One time I was watching a documentary on hallucinogenic drugs... ah, which I think is really the best way to watch a documentary, if you get a chance.

User Reviews

Very funny & interesting besides

I expected to like this, but my wife and I loved it. There are laughs from the opening scene all the way through the credits. There are also a lot of weird but believable characters and situations throughout the movie that I imagine accurately reflect the life of a struggling musician, comedian, or artist. We also met Mr. Phillips after the movie was shown and he is as laid back and funny off the cuff as he is in the movie. He handled some really oddball questions from the audience very smoothly and had us laughing as much then as during the movie. Seems like a nice guy. It appears that a creative bunch of friends made this movie, which may be why it seemed so unique and refreshing - it was not a typical Hollywood movie because you didn't see the humor or strange situations coming from a mile away. I can see why it won several awards. Highly recommended because it really adds up to a lot more than we expected going in.