Deconstructing Art: Anatomy of a Killer Clown

by

MAKEUP

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of horror icons, from Freddy Krueger to Michael Myers. But none have sent shivers down my spine quite like Art the Clown. I remember the first time I encountered him in the Terrifier films – it was a chilling experience that left me sleepless for days.

Applying Art’s makeup requires approximately two and a half hours. Leone, the artist responsible, explains that he intended for it to be a prosthetic rather than simple greasepaint on an actor. To create Art’s facial features, he blended witch and devil characteristics. Additionally, he made Art appear gaunt, enhancing his zombie-like appearance by emphasizing his eye sockets and cheekbones. If you look closely, you can also discern similarities to The Joker.

COSTUME

Leone explains, “The straightforward nature of Art, its use of just black and white, is a consequence of avoiding any resemblance to Tim Curry’s Pennywise, as portrayed in the 1990 It miniseries. Pennywise was the iconic murderous clown at the time I created Art in 2006. With his flamboyant red wig and red nose, he is so vibrantly colored. To differentiate myself when playing within the realm of killer clowns, I decided to distance my character as far as possible from his.

HAT

As for my character’s miniature fedora, I affectionately refer to it as “Happy Cappy.” This playful hat is a tribute to Captain Spaulding’s tiny stovepipe hat from Rob Zombie’s films and Harpo Marx’s signature beaver fur hat. Art, according to me, is the illegitimate offspring of Harpo Marx and Freddy Krueger. Here’s an interesting tidbit I discovered not too long ago: Harpo’s real name was Arthur!

CHEMISTRY

The success of Art largely hinges on a suitable director casting the perfect actor for the role. As Leone remembers, during auditions in New York City, he asked actors to portray killing a victim while appearing joyful. Thornton was the sixth to try and when the 6-foot-2 man entered, Leone felt instinctively that he would excel as Art. His performance exuded a chilling enjoyment of sadism, making it seem like fate had chosen him for the part. That’s what Leone recalls.

AX

A woodsman’s ax is merely one of Art’s versatile tools for causing harm – all of which he always carries with him in a black trash bag. Thornton points out that Art isn’t like Michael Myers or Jason who are famed for their signature weapons. Instead, Art has a collection. He can select whatever weapon he requires from that bag, which I find quite intriguing.

TEETH

Art’s false teeth, custom-made acrylic dentures, sit atop his real teeth. He comments on his improved dental care. Leone remarks, “They appear decayed because it makes him seem more revolting, unsavory, and eerie.

SHOES

One consistent aspect of Art’s character since his debut in 2008, appearing in a series of direct-to-video short films, has been his unique shoes – an oversized black pair originally sourced from a clown website by Leone. As Thornton notes, “We haven’t been able to find another pair like them.” Art’s character famously sustained an injury in the first part where he was stabbed in the foot with a railway spike, leaving a hole in these shoes. With the shoes now hanging on by a thread and Leone feeling it’s time for a change, they may soon be retired.

In the October 23 edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, this tale was published. To keep up with more such stories, consider subscribing by clicking here.

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2024-10-24 19:55