With the character first appearing in Slasher House, then his own movie Cleaver: Rise Of The Killer Clown, he’s become a real cornerstone of the burgeoning Mychoverse.
So is this Cleaver razor sharp? Or is the whole thing getting rusty?
Read on...
CLEAVERS: KILLER CLOWNS (2019)
Dir: MJ Dixon
Stars: Georgie Smibert, Gemma Louise Troughton, Paul Rogers, Jessica Michelle Smith, Holly-Anne Dodkins, Kimberley Lasi, Matthew Baunsgard, Derek Nelson, Olivia Krys, Jimi James, Ben Manning, Chloe Badham
SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk. Also, this is a direct sequel to Cleaver: Rise Of The Killer Clown, so it will spoil that movie. You have been warned.
Continuing shortly after the blood-thirsty events of the first Cleaver, the film opens in 1995 as police officers Jody-Ann (Georgie Smibert) and her partner Hatcher (Jimi James) are on the trail of notorious murderer Carlton Layton (this time played by Paul Rogers). Upon locating his battered old ice-cream truck, the officers fall afoul of Cleaver and his recently recruited daughter Mary-Beth (Holly-Anne Dodkins).
Five years later Jody-Ann is still searching for her missing partner, causing a great deal of discomfort with local law enforcement in each town she stops at.
The situation only worsens when she is responsible for the capture of a woman named Misty (Gemma Louise Troughton) who claims to have inside knowledge as to the whereabouts of Cleaver. Out for revenge herself, Misty wants out of jail in exchange for the information - putting Jody-Ann in a tough position.
Meanwhile recovering drug addict Tanya (Jessica Michelle Smith) is on a trip through the Mid West with her family, inept dad Larry (Matthew Baunsgard), oafish brother Artie (Derek Nelson), Artie’s infuriating girlfriend Chase (Olivia Krys) and bossy new stepmother Tiffany (Kimberly Lasi) who is just a couple of years older than Tanya.
With tensions already running high, the family cross paths with a seemingly lost and innocent Mary-Beth. As they descend on an isolated farmhouse, they have no idea what awaits them...
Stars: Georgie Smibert, Gemma Louise Troughton, Paul Rogers, Jessica Michelle Smith, Holly-Anne Dodkins, Kimberley Lasi, Matthew Baunsgard, Derek Nelson, Olivia Krys, Jimi James, Ben Manning, Chloe Badham
SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk. Also, this is a direct sequel to Cleaver: Rise Of The Killer Clown, so it will spoil that movie. You have been warned.
Continuing shortly after the blood-thirsty events of the first Cleaver, the film opens in 1995 as police officers Jody-Ann (Georgie Smibert) and her partner Hatcher (Jimi James) are on the trail of notorious murderer Carlton Layton (this time played by Paul Rogers). Upon locating his battered old ice-cream truck, the officers fall afoul of Cleaver and his recently recruited daughter Mary-Beth (Holly-Anne Dodkins).
Five years later Jody-Ann is still searching for her missing partner, causing a great deal of discomfort with local law enforcement in each town she stops at.
The situation only worsens when she is responsible for the capture of a woman named Misty (Gemma Louise Troughton) who claims to have inside knowledge as to the whereabouts of Cleaver. Out for revenge herself, Misty wants out of jail in exchange for the information - putting Jody-Ann in a tough position.
Meanwhile recovering drug addict Tanya (Jessica Michelle Smith) is on a trip through the Mid West with her family, inept dad Larry (Matthew Baunsgard), oafish brother Artie (Derek Nelson), Artie’s infuriating girlfriend Chase (Olivia Krys) and bossy new stepmother Tiffany (Kimberly Lasi) who is just a couple of years older than Tanya.
With tensions already running high, the family cross paths with a seemingly lost and innocent Mary-Beth. As they descend on an isolated farmhouse, they have no idea what awaits them...
THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): As I wrote in my recent review for Mycho’s fantastic Bannister DollHouse, the rapidly expanding Mychoverse affords the company plenty of opportunities to diversify their genre offerings. The original Cleaver was a babysitter in peril flick that paid loving homage to the grandfather of that sub-genre, Halloween. CleaverS branches out into another popular Slasher domain, the grimy grindhouse road trip, as inspired by the classic Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
It’s an inspired touch, giving the movie a completely different yet still cohesive feel to what has come before. This is in no small part due to Dixon’s assured direction. CleaverS is clearly another labour of love for the microbudget maestro, and that care practically radiates out of the screen.
Considering their decidedly meagre resources, the films in the Mychoverse are always great looking. Mycho movies often have a Bava or Argento-esque style of lighting, with bold colour palettes and striking framing. There are shots in this movie, such as the moment in which the police officers discover Cleaver’s seemingly abandoned ice cream truck, that are among the very finest Dixon has ever shot.
Of course, visuals alone are not enough to carry a film - it requires a strong plot. CleaverS is one of the most complex storylines to come from the minds of the folks at Mycho, as evidenced by the sizeable cast. More importantly, each character serves a purpose other than to ratchet up the body count. There are proper character arcs for everybody and more than a few surprises along the way.
CleaverS also explores some fascinating themes, especially that of fatherhood and the role a dad should play in protecting his children. This is best evidenced in the contrasts between cheery but weak Larry and his dysfunctional family and the psychotic but doting Layton.
One might not expect a movie titled CleaverS: Killer Clowns to tackle such weighty subjects, but Mycho has and done it well to boot.
Of course, this is a horror movie - and a killer clown one at that -so it’s not all gentle chin-stroking and stirring monologues about the futility of it all. We get plenty of kills along the way, with Cleaver and his little protege showing off their warped sense of humour with a series of deadly ‘prank’ style traps. Cleavers are all well and good but strategically placed piano wire shows true artistry!
These kills would be for naught if we don’t care about the characters getting offed, and despite the size of the cast, Dixon does a pretty good job of getting us onboard (or dead set against) them.
It helps that he has assembled such a strong cast - especially in his core group of leading ladies.
Smibert, Troughton, Smith, and Lasi are all fantastic, each bringing something different to the film, but complementing one another perfectly. I for one hope we will see plenty more from this talented group of actresses.
The same can be said for Dodkins who is clearly having a ball in her Harley Quinn-like role. I've got a sneaking suspicion the folks at Mycho aren’t done with her just yet, and I thoroughly approve.
I was also glad to see familiar Mycho face Chloe Badham pop up again. It’s little more than an extended cameo, but she is great once again.
And it’s not just the female cast members that bring their A-game.
Baunsgard is awesome, bringing several layers to his portrayal of Larry, and nailing it throughout.
Rogers also delivers in a major way.
(Ok, you’ll have to forgive this one but I’ve been dying to make this pun ever since I heard the role of Cleaver was being recast ) with Andrew M Greenwood stepping down as the lead antagonist, Rogers had some, ahem, ‘big shoes’ to fill.
Thankfully he does not disappoint. He manages to channel the essence of the character so the transition is not too jarring, but he also manages to bring some fresh ideas to the part, making it his own rather than a pale imitation.
Rogers is just one more reason why CleaverS connects.
More than any other movie in the Mychoverse to date, CleaverS feels most like an ensemble piece. This means the characters tend to get more to do, and also ups the danger levels as we are never truly sure who will make it out alive. It’s this level of danger and breakneck pave that propel us on towards some very dark revelations - including one that hints at some fascinating possibilities for the series moving forward.
Finally, I think real credit is due to Dixon for so effectively portraying his locations as those on an entirely different continent. I don’t think it will come as a huge surprise to hear that he didn’t fly his cast and crew over to the Mid West to shoot the film, instead cleverly using smartly dressed British rural locations and some expert tweaks on the colour scale to capture that sun-baked feeling. It’s truly masterful sleight of hand and warrants appreciation.
Bravo!
THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): A regular point I have to make when reviewing indie horror flicks is that the comparatively low budgets can often leave movies feeling decidedly less slick than the sort of James Wan produced/directed multiplex offerings you’ll find on nationwide release. So consider that point raised here.
Also, do please bear in mind that, while I praised CleaverS for making use of a sizeable and talented cast, the brisk pace of the film did leave me wishing that I could have seen a little more of some of them. Still, it’s a surefire sign of a good thing if you’re left wanting more!
Speaking of the cast, there are a couple of occasions on which this very British group of actors wobble with their American accents. However, I think it’s a testimony to their ability that these times are so few and far between.
Now, while not a weakness per se, I do feel a need to once again stress that this is a sequel. As such, some familiarity with its predecessor is definitely necessary to get the most out of CleaverS. It’s not impossible to keep up - and the clever opening scene does a pretty great job at bringing any newcomers up to date - but I’d recommend this as part of a double-Bill before calling a stand-alone. So why don’t you pick up a region-free copy of the superb Cleaver here before checking out the sequel at Horror-on-Sea in January?
Finally, and this is very much an issue of personal taste, it feels like CleaverS could have been a bit gorier. The title lends itself to plenty of bloody onscreen carnage, as does the throwback feel to genre classics such as TCM and The Hills Have Eyes. It’s not that the film is bloodless - far from it, in fact, it features a couple of decidedly graphic kills - it just feels like it could have been a bit more splatter.
Also, do please bear in mind that, while I praised CleaverS for making use of a sizeable and talented cast, the brisk pace of the film did leave me wishing that I could have seen a little more of some of them. Still, it’s a surefire sign of a good thing if you’re left wanting more!
Speaking of the cast, there are a couple of occasions on which this very British group of actors wobble with their American accents. However, I think it’s a testimony to their ability that these times are so few and far between.
Now, while not a weakness per se, I do feel a need to once again stress that this is a sequel. As such, some familiarity with its predecessor is definitely necessary to get the most out of CleaverS. It’s not impossible to keep up - and the clever opening scene does a pretty great job at bringing any newcomers up to date - but I’d recommend this as part of a double-Bill before calling a stand-alone. So why don’t you pick up a region-free copy of the superb Cleaver here before checking out the sequel at Horror-on-Sea in January?
Finally, and this is very much an issue of personal taste, it feels like CleaverS could have been a bit gorier. The title lends itself to plenty of bloody onscreen carnage, as does the throwback feel to genre classics such as TCM and The Hills Have Eyes. It’s not that the film is bloodless - far from it, in fact, it features a couple of decidedly graphic kills - it just feels like it could have been a bit more splatter.
THE VERDICT: Right up until I watched CleaverS, I said that Mycho had never disappointed me.
After watching CleaverS... that STILL holds true! It’s a slick, sick, killer clown flick that highlights everything right with the Mychoverse. It looks great, it builds and expands on its own already fascinating universe and it doesn’t scrimp on the scares either! There are still places that this story can go, and I cannot wait for MJ, Anna and all the other good folk at Mycho to take us there.
That not one but two great Mycho flicks should come along at once is incredible - that CleaverS and Bannister DollHouse should deliver while being so very different from one another is nothing short of a wonder. Attendees at Southend’s Horror-on-Sea Festival have a real treat in store this January. Want to be one of them? Well, you can buy tickets at www.horror-on-sea.com.
Meanwhile, keep up with CleaverS news at Mycho’s official website at https://mycho.weebly.com. And check out their Patreon here.
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Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.
