hyped garbage

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Blistering performances.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

No idea what to expect and was pleasantly, hilariously surprised. What starts out as a simple narration on a personal lifestyle choice evolves into an example of the eternal struggle between yellow, squishy goodness and the apparent evil of a cocky adversary! Then the road takes an inspirational twist when our two brave combatants must put aside their differences and unite against the true enemy, the ignorance of handsome Hollywood hooligans! My fear of clowns may not be erased, but never again will I fear a giant banana clown hybrid or a massive furry penis with killer dance moves! Embrace the differences! Love your fellow (giant novelty) man. Oh yeah, loved the music too!! Kudos to everyone involved! Gotta split now, take care luv Raelynne x

What better a metaphor for life than a clown? Especially a sad clown. The more depressed, decrepit, broken-down, busted-up, and bruised the clown is, the better a metaphor for life. Perhaps this is where the majority of coulrophobia stems from. Nobody wants to look a metaphor in the eye, now do they? The truth hurts! Bananas, on the other hand, don't tend to incite fear. A banana is a nice fruit. A good fruit. Yellow, aesthetically pleasing, and smooth. Sometimes, people slip on their peels and hurt themselves, much to the merriment of all. Honest, clean fun - yes, who doesn't like bananas? What better way, then, to clean up a clown than to cross-breed it with a banana? "Madness!" you say? Well, it's not madness to Ishmael, for he is the Clownana. "The Plight of Clownana" is a short film, 16 minutes long if I was counting correctly. Written and directed by Chris Dowling, and produced by Chris and his friend Jensen Ackles, it tells the story of an ice cream store mascot, the Clownana, doing his part to repair the crappy rep of those dreaded clowns that nobody wants to look in the eye. He dances, wearing a hybrid banana-clown suit, on the corner of Olive and Beachwood, and yes he is good. It is his calling, his passion, his essence. He is bringing joy to passers-by with his awesome moves. All is peachy until a sex shop opens across the street, sending forth its own dancing mascot in the form of a giant furry dildo. Dildo man is good too. He's real good. And so begins a petty rivalry. As Clownana starts to doubt his purpose in life, he philosophizes like some kind of plushie Voltaire, his faith tested as was Candide's. At his lowest point, provoked by four jerks in a jeep, Ishmael snaps, dragging one of those insufferably smug meatheads out of the car for a throw-down. Well, I'm not going to ruin the glorious ending of this wonderful film for you. High-brow and tongue-in-cheek, "The Plight of Clownana" delivers a little shot of inspiration coupled with more than a dash of absurdity. Camus once said, "The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth." Absurd like clowns, bananas, giant fuzzy penises, dance-offs, street-fighting jocks and...absurd like, well, life.

If you are from the planet Earth, and you do not see this movie, then you should be from some other planet, like Pluto...far far away from cool people. However if you are from the planet Earth, and you HAVE seen this movie...then shame on you for wasting time reading this when you could be telling others about the joy of the Clownana. Honestly, the film is just a joy to watch. I actually viewed it at the Arclight in Holllywood, California, and was very surprised with everything about it, from the directing, to the acting, to the voice over narration, to the very idea and storyline of the film. I do not want to give away some of the films bigger surprises, but if at all possible, I absolutely recommend seeing this film...which should be possible. Just google the title and go to the website. At the end of the day, a great film for a great time!

Funny as hell. Extremely original. Certainly an independent film. For a film done with no dialogue, but all voice over, the pacing is right on. Early on in the film, the are slight lulls, but it gives you time to love The Clownana, and it pays off at the end. The acting is fine. The characters come to life without uttering a single word. The two leads are very expressive and capable. The dancing is funny and professional. The script and delivery are perfect. Clownana's deadpan narrative sets the tone from the very beginning. I definitely recommend watching this short with a group of friends or a whole theater as I did in Atlanta. As a whole, this thing is great...and prepare yourself for the dance-off.