Clay Pigeons (1998)

Synopsis

Title: Clay Pigeons (1998)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Rating: R (Adult Situations, Violence, Profanity, Adult Humor)
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Director: David Dobkin
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Phoenix, Janneane Garafolo, Georgina Cates, Scott Wilson, Vince Vieluf
Plot: Out in the country of Montana, an ordinary guy is mistaken by the FBI as a serial killer. As several people close to him wind up dead, he ironically is the one there to report to the sheriff’s office, which is hilariously naïve. The actual serial killer, Lester Long, eventually befriends Clay and it is a roller coaster of a ride from there.



My Take
Clay Pigeons was a directorial debut for David Dobkin. Before Clay Pigeons, he gained notoriety as a music video director. Another person involved in the movie but not mentioned is Ridley Scott who was the executive producer of the movie. Now I’m generally not a fan of black comedies, but I actually liked this movie. Often times black comedies are extremely weird and the plot makes no sense at all. Often times black comedies have no comedic moments whatsoever, but while Clay Pigeons had its weird moments I was able to follow the story and there were some comedic acting and dialogue. I am a big fan of both Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix so maybe that is part of the reason why I liked this movie. I also like Vince Vieluf. He does a perfect job as the dumb deputy Barney. I very much enjoyed watching this film.

What About Vince?
Vince played a very weird character in this movie. He played Lester (the molester) Long who was a serial killer who stabbed numerous woman to death. This role for Vince was different then his past roles which was nice to see. He was a cowboy who had a strong accent and had a very strange persona. While I liked him, I found his fake laugh to be annoying. I concede that it did add to the quirkiness of his character, so I’m sure it was intentional, but it was a little over the top. Other than that though, I liked his performance. He is starting to show some versatility and his performance in this movie has not gone unnoticed by fans of him and the movie.

Should You Watch???
This movie is not for everyone. Firstly, note the rating as there is some sexuality, violence and profanity. Secondly, not everyone enjoys the black comedy genre. I am usually included in that crowd, but for some reason I found myself enjoying the subtle comedy and plot twists. If you are looking for something a little different, check it out. If you are a fan of black comedies, chances are you’ll absolutely love this one.

Popcorn Rating

Kettle Corn