To date the only feature-film written and directed by the fascinating Bryan Johnson, "Vulgar" is one of those strange cult-releases that never really found an audience and has been more-or-less forgotten by the majority of fans and film-goers. Released seventeen years ago in the early- 2000's heyday of low-budget, independent and direct-to- video films, it's actually quite surprising that such a unique experience fell through the cracks... especially with indie-god Kevin Smith attached as a producer. "Vulgar" is a twisted and distressing thriller that pushes the audiences buttons in the best of ways. And yet... in my life I've never met anyone else whose actually seen it. Which is a shame, because despite the fact it does suffer from a cripplingly low budget and some occasion aimlessness in the structure, I found it quite enjoyable.
"Clerks" star Brian O'Halloran plays Will Carlson- a kid's party clown who loves entertaining children, but is struggling to make ends meet while getting absolutely no respect. In a desperate bid to make more money, he adopts the new moniker of "Vulgar the Clown" to serve as a prank entertainer for bachelor parties, and he takes on his first clients... only to find himself savagely attacked and gang raped by a ruthless father-and-son trio (Jerry Lewkowitz, Ethan Suplee, Matthew Maher) who abuse him over and over. Stuck in a crippling depression following his attack, Will is eventually given salvation after saving a child's life and becomes an overnight media darling, gaining the love and adoration he always wanted. However, his attackers learn about his new-found fame and threaten to release video of his attack to the public unless he will "perform" for them again. And so, Will must struggle with his own personal feelings of regret and guilt as he asks himself whether he will go through with it... or if he has it somewhere in him to try and murder his attackers...
The film is almost beyond the concept of genre, and defies many conventions of film. It's a unique experience that takes elements of 70's exploitation, grim revenge thrillers and overt shades of horror, all while subverting it with instances of humor and lightness. A big part of why the film worked for me was it's uniqueness and strangely grounded approach to such a strange concept. The plot is a bit ridiculous, but the film plays it straight and treats the characters as real people. And it leaves you feeling truly shaken by the moments of violence and sexual assault. Many people who have gone into this film have emerged disturbed and disgusted by it, and I think a big part of that has to do with the fact that the film constantly defies expectations and goes into darker directions than you could possibly imagine. You really can't go into the movie with any pre-conceived notions. This movie is a love-letter to the twisted and the deranged, and you need to be completely open to it.
The cast all do incredibly well, and the movie is a great showcase for their talents. O'Halloran continues his low-budget winning streak following his breakout hit "Clerks", and the performance he pulls in is truly remarkable. Director Johnson has a minor supporting role as Will's best friend Syd, as does Kevin Smith as an ad executive, and they are both a lot of fun. And the trio of Lewkowitz, Suplee and Maher are just wild as our villainous presence. The three are among the most slimy and disgusting characters of the past twenty years and are insanely underrated. Lewkowitz in particular being just deliciously evil and depraved. You'll love to hate them. I was also quite taken by Johnson's visual direction and sharp ear for dialog. Despite having little money to work with, Johnson has a dynamic eye for composition and flow and his guidance of the material is very well accomplished. And his writing and handling of character is sharp, witty and very efficient. It really is a shame he hasn't written or directed another film since. I'd be fascinated to see him work on a new project given the potential he shows in "Vulgar."
Unfortunately, there are some major issues at play and they do bring the film down a bit for me. With a budget of only about $100,000, there's a lot of practical limitations and cost-cutting measures that needed to be made, and yet the movie doesn't seem to understand this. They try to show too much, and it becomes hard to buy a lot of what you're seeing. Everything looks a bit cheap and hokey, especially around the film's mid-point. Most blatantly being that there are a few too many sets that are clearly just made of paper and foam core. It created a bit too much of an aesthetic gap between myself and the film and it was hard to ignore. The film's audio is also questionable. While Ryan Shore's score is fantastic, the rest of the audio is very "off", and most scenes eventually have the dialog drifting and lagging behind, giving the film a strangely "dubbed" look. And I do think the movie meanders a bit too much. It loses focus on the narrative in a few key sequences that feel aimless and out of place.
But ultimately... I'd be lying if I said these problems ruined the film for me. The characters are identifiable and our protagonist is endlessly likable. The performances are unanimously excellent and there's no "sore thumbs" in the entire cast. The film's grim tone is suitably oppressive and hammers home the dark themes exceptionally well. And it's generally well made outside of the issues brought about by the low budget. "Vulgar" is most certainly not a film for everyone, and it might have been forgotten by the majority. But as someone who enjoys the strange and the macabre and the weird, I'd highly recommend it to open-minded audiences. I give it a pretty decent 7 out of 10.
"Clerks" star Brian O'Halloran plays Will Carlson- a kid's party clown who loves entertaining children, but is struggling to make ends meet while getting absolutely no respect. In a desperate bid to make more money, he adopts the new moniker of "Vulgar the Clown" to serve as a prank entertainer for bachelor parties, and he takes on his first clients... only to find himself savagely attacked and gang raped by a ruthless father-and-son trio (Jerry Lewkowitz, Ethan Suplee, Matthew Maher) who abuse him over and over. Stuck in a crippling depression following his attack, Will is eventually given salvation after saving a child's life and becomes an overnight media darling, gaining the love and adoration he always wanted. However, his attackers learn about his new-found fame and threaten to release video of his attack to the public unless he will "perform" for them again. And so, Will must struggle with his own personal feelings of regret and guilt as he asks himself whether he will go through with it... or if he has it somewhere in him to try and murder his attackers...
The film is almost beyond the concept of genre, and defies many conventions of film. It's a unique experience that takes elements of 70's exploitation, grim revenge thrillers and overt shades of horror, all while subverting it with instances of humor and lightness. A big part of why the film worked for me was it's uniqueness and strangely grounded approach to such a strange concept. The plot is a bit ridiculous, but the film plays it straight and treats the characters as real people. And it leaves you feeling truly shaken by the moments of violence and sexual assault. Many people who have gone into this film have emerged disturbed and disgusted by it, and I think a big part of that has to do with the fact that the film constantly defies expectations and goes into darker directions than you could possibly imagine. You really can't go into the movie with any pre-conceived notions. This movie is a love-letter to the twisted and the deranged, and you need to be completely open to it.
The cast all do incredibly well, and the movie is a great showcase for their talents. O'Halloran continues his low-budget winning streak following his breakout hit "Clerks", and the performance he pulls in is truly remarkable. Director Johnson has a minor supporting role as Will's best friend Syd, as does Kevin Smith as an ad executive, and they are both a lot of fun. And the trio of Lewkowitz, Suplee and Maher are just wild as our villainous presence. The three are among the most slimy and disgusting characters of the past twenty years and are insanely underrated. Lewkowitz in particular being just deliciously evil and depraved. You'll love to hate them. I was also quite taken by Johnson's visual direction and sharp ear for dialog. Despite having little money to work with, Johnson has a dynamic eye for composition and flow and his guidance of the material is very well accomplished. And his writing and handling of character is sharp, witty and very efficient. It really is a shame he hasn't written or directed another film since. I'd be fascinated to see him work on a new project given the potential he shows in "Vulgar."
Unfortunately, there are some major issues at play and they do bring the film down a bit for me. With a budget of only about $100,000, there's a lot of practical limitations and cost-cutting measures that needed to be made, and yet the movie doesn't seem to understand this. They try to show too much, and it becomes hard to buy a lot of what you're seeing. Everything looks a bit cheap and hokey, especially around the film's mid-point. Most blatantly being that there are a few too many sets that are clearly just made of paper and foam core. It created a bit too much of an aesthetic gap between myself and the film and it was hard to ignore. The film's audio is also questionable. While Ryan Shore's score is fantastic, the rest of the audio is very "off", and most scenes eventually have the dialog drifting and lagging behind, giving the film a strangely "dubbed" look. And I do think the movie meanders a bit too much. It loses focus on the narrative in a few key sequences that feel aimless and out of place.
But ultimately... I'd be lying if I said these problems ruined the film for me. The characters are identifiable and our protagonist is endlessly likable. The performances are unanimously excellent and there's no "sore thumbs" in the entire cast. The film's grim tone is suitably oppressive and hammers home the dark themes exceptionally well. And it's generally well made outside of the issues brought about by the low budget. "Vulgar" is most certainly not a film for everyone, and it might have been forgotten by the majority. But as someone who enjoys the strange and the macabre and the weird, I'd highly recommend it to open-minded audiences. I give it a pretty decent 7 out of 10.