Halloween pranks turn deadly when a group of friends finds themselves stalked by a killer clown.
THE CLOWN MURDERS
It started as a joke...
A group of young professionals decides to play a practical joke on one of their ex-girlfriends who married a rich man who is about to close a major real estate deal. They plan to kidnap her and mess up the deal. Unfortunately, the joke becomes deadly serious.
Quick Answer
The Clown Murders is a 1976 Canadian drama, mystery, and thriller film directed by Martyn Burke about four friends whose Halloween prank of kidnapping a businessman's wife spirals out of control when real violence and a mysterious clown enter the mix.
Programmer's Pick
Who knew a Halloween prank could unravel this badly? With business deals, exes, and clown costumes in the mix, The Clown Murders delivers a uniquely Canadian dose of chaos—and yes, that's John Candy before he went full comedy legend.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Why This Matters
This early Canadian horror film features one of John Candy's first screen appearances and was executive produced by Stephen Stohn, who would go on to produce the influential Degrassi: The Next Generation TV series.
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
The film features not just prankster clowns, but a mysterious, possibly murderous clown who turns the night into a deadly game.
A seemingly harmless Halloween joke involving kidnapping quickly descends into real danger and violence.
Catch John Candy in a rare dramatic turn, long before his comedy superstardom.
Shot in English in the 1970s, this independent Canadian film weaves real estate and revenge into a tense, atmospheric mystery.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Halloween prank kidnapping
Mysterious killer clown
Violence and escalating danger for the kidnappers
Nighttime around Halloween
Questions from the Vault
Who directed The Clown Murders? +
The Clown Murders was directed by Martyn Burke.
How long is The Clown Murders? +
The Clown Murders has a runtime of 96 minutes.
What genre is The Clown Murders? +
The Clown Murders is a drama, mystery, and thriller.
When was The Clown Murders released? +
The Clown Murders was released in 1976.
Why do the friends target their ex-girlfriend for the prank? +
They target her because she married a rich man who is about to close a major real estate deal, and the group hopes to disrupt both her marriage and the business deal.
Who is the outside party in a clown costume stalking the group? +
The identity and motives of the outside party in a clown costume remain unknown in the setup, but their presence escalates the danger for the pranksters.
