Urban myth concerning 'Gags the Clown' is revealed to have foundation in reality
In 2016, a found-footage indie movie named "Gags" marked the beginning of a chilling trend that would grip the nation. Released before Andy Muschietti's 2017 "It," "Gags the Clown" came out in 2018, setting the stage for a horror genre that would be dominated by menacing clowns for years to come.
The short film, directed by Adam Krause, was a catalyst for the "killer clown" craze and clown sightings phenomenon in the United States. The viral test footage and short film led to a real-life frenzy of clown appearances and copycat behavior, including some alarming incidents involving clowns luring children.
The short film's viral marketing and eerie footage helped ignite public hysteria, which became known as the "Clownpocalypse" in 2017. Inspired by the short and its marketing, numerous people began dressing as menacing clowns, leading to public panic, police investigations, and media coverage.
The clown sightings captured public imagination as an internet-fueled urban legend, demonstrating how viral content can create real-world behavioral trends and hysteria. The short film helped revitalize the killer clown trope in horror, influencing later films and media about scary clowns, including Krause’s feature film.
The feature film, "Gags the Clown," builds on the short film’s premise of a menacing clown causing chaos in a small Wisconsin town over one night. A clown hunt ensues amidst rising hysteria and copycats. The film debuted at Cinepocalypse in 2018 and was released widely in 2019 through genre sites like Bloody Disgusting, further cementing its place in horror media culture.
The acting in "Gags the Clown" is somewhat uneven, but the character's aura of menace is effective. The film emits psychological terror through his mere presence and lack of movement, making him a chilling antagonist. The film is assembled through found footage from various sources, following several groups reacting to the clown phenomenon, including a determined reporter, bored teens, cops, a right-wing podcaster, and more.
Today, "Gags the Clown" is available to stream on Shudder, joining other clown-themed horror movies such as "Clown in a Cornfield" and multiple "Hell House, LLC" movies, which also feature Art the Clown, a character that would later achieve mainstream monster status. The first appearances of Art the Clown can be found in "All Hallows' Eve."
It's fascinating to look back and trace the origins of the clown sightings that occurred nearly a decade ago, first in the U.S. and then across the globe. An article published in the Green Bay Press Gazette on August 10, 2016, revealed that local clown sightings were part of an online marketing campaign for the short film "Gags."
While the first "Terrifier" came out in 2016, Art the Clown didn't achieve mainstream monster status until its sequel in 2022. Today, the horror genre continues to explore the menacing world of killer clowns, with "Clown in a Cornfield" set to arrive on Shudder and AMC+ August 8. The creepy clown epidemic of 2016 can be traced back to "Gags the Clown," a found-footage indie movie that sparked a nationwide panic and forever changed the horror genre.
- Articles on io9 and Gizmodo discussed the lasting impact of the 2016 found-footage indie movie "Gags the Clown" on the technology-driven entertainment landscape, as it ignited the chilling trend of the 'killer clown' genre.
- The viral success of "Gags the Clown" and its sequel "Clown in a Cornfield" on streaming platforms like Shudder demonstrate the enduring popularity of the horror genre focused on menacing clowns, showcasing the power of online content to influence cultural trends.
- Movies and TV shows in the "movies-and-tv" category, such as "Hell House, LLC" and "Terrifier," have embraced the killer clown trope, with characters like Art the Clown achieving mainstream horror icon status, tracing back their origins to "Gags the Clown," the found-footage indie movie that sparked a nationwide panic in 2016.
