116 reviews
Clay Pigeons is, to put it mildly, a very strange movie. That could be just me though, as this is the first dark comedy I've seen. Despite that I had fun watching it, from the first scene (which, by the way, gives you an awesome view of Joaquin Phoenix's beautiful eyes) up till the very last. Joaquin Phoenix, once again, delivered a memorable performance as Clay. He said his lines with conviction and the right amount of emotions at the right places. I don't know if Vince Vaughn was supposed to be hilarious but he cracked me up. I don't fancy Vince much but I like him in this movie. The plot is pretty unpredictable, and even though it doesn't grip your heart with tension it will maintain your interest until the very end cause you'll be dying to find out what happens to Clay.
Overall this film is definitely worth a watch.
Overall this film is definitely worth a watch.
"Clay Pigeons" is a black comedy centering on a young man named Clay Birdwell, who works as a Montana gas station attendant. He is having an affair with his best friend's wife, Amanda. His best friend, Earl, knows about this, however. Thus he kills himself one day, and cleverly frames Clay for the murder. Clay, feeling both afraid and awkward, covers this incident up by making the death look like a suicide. The police fall for it and Clay puts this mess behind him. This film, both written and directed by newcomer David Dobkin, is the most original movie I have seen in a long while. Think about it, we haven't had a movie this clever and blackly comic since "Fargo," possible one of the best movies I have ever scene. The characters are so unique, while they don't generate much sympathy from the audience; they still are extremely fun to watch.
The performances are another great element in the movie. Vince Vaughn portrays Lester Long like he did in the recent "Psycho" remake. His style, giggle, attitude, and presence are all priceless. Joaquin Phoenix takes us though a funny joyride as he gets into more and more trouble as Clay. Let's not forget Georgina Cates, as the slutty wife of Earl. She plays cocky character who everyone loves to hate. The only character I could find is Janeane Garofalo's, who was surly inspired by Frances MacDormand from "Fargo."
The film's soundtrack is of the best there is, with songs that not only further the character's motives, but are also catchy and even describe some of the movie's plot at times. I have owned the soundtrack even before I saw the movie, which is quite unusual. But once I heard the theme song to "Clay Pigeons": "The Ballad of Lester Long," I had to get it.
I do think that this movie could have been better, however. If it had left a few more elements to the imagination, like the guilt or innocence of Clay Birdwell, and the explicit murder and sex scenes, maybe the viewer would be l bit more involved into the story. A little less plot and a little fewer characters would have also been nice.
But those are but minor complaints. I was looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time, and I was not that disappointed. "Clay Pigeons" is one of the years most entertaining and original films.
The performances are another great element in the movie. Vince Vaughn portrays Lester Long like he did in the recent "Psycho" remake. His style, giggle, attitude, and presence are all priceless. Joaquin Phoenix takes us though a funny joyride as he gets into more and more trouble as Clay. Let's not forget Georgina Cates, as the slutty wife of Earl. She plays cocky character who everyone loves to hate. The only character I could find is Janeane Garofalo's, who was surly inspired by Frances MacDormand from "Fargo."
The film's soundtrack is of the best there is, with songs that not only further the character's motives, but are also catchy and even describe some of the movie's plot at times. I have owned the soundtrack even before I saw the movie, which is quite unusual. But once I heard the theme song to "Clay Pigeons": "The Ballad of Lester Long," I had to get it.
I do think that this movie could have been better, however. If it had left a few more elements to the imagination, like the guilt or innocence of Clay Birdwell, and the explicit murder and sex scenes, maybe the viewer would be l bit more involved into the story. A little less plot and a little fewer characters would have also been nice.
But those are but minor complaints. I was looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time, and I was not that disappointed. "Clay Pigeons" is one of the years most entertaining and original films.
"Clay Pigeons" was a pleasant surprise to discover. Director David Dobkin, working with Matt Healye's screen play, has created a film with a western flavor in which a young man has the bad fortune of being around when different dead bodies are found; it doesn't take too long when Clay will be implicated in them.
Clay is an auto mechanic who made the mistake of having an affair with one of his buddies' wife. Earl reminds Clay at the beginning of the film when he decides to kill himself. He is convinced his death will have "Clay" written all over it. What's more, his widow, Amanda, the young and sexy woman who had the affair with Clay wants to continue the relationship now that her old man is gone. Clay, who has been scared out of his mind with what he had witnessed wants to be millions of miles apart from Amanda, who keeps pressuring the young man for sex.
One night at the local tavern, Lester Long, a stranger to the town, witnesses how Clay slaps Amanda in front of everyone because he has had it with her. Lester, who appears to be a friendly guy, strikes a conversation with Clay and invites him to go fishing in a nearby lake. That same lake is the place where Clay had taken the corpse of Gloria, who was killed while having sex with him by the deranged Amanda. Little does Clay know who his new friend really is.
When the FBI is called to investigate Amanda's own death, things begin to spiral for Clay. Everything is out of control. Agent Shelby thinks Clay is the one responsible for Amanda's killing and a string of others like it in the area. Clay puts two and two together and he realizes who is the killer and puts a plan into action. The last thing we see is Clay leaving town and driving in the opposite direction.
Joaquin Phoenix makes Clay come alive in a great reading of this character. Mr. Phoenix is at times the confused man who is perplexed and wonders how anyone can be accusing him of the crimes he supposedly committed. Vince Vaughn is perfect as the reptilian Lester Long. He adds a layer to his character with the nervous laugh he doesn't seem to control. Janeane Garofalo plays FBI agent Shelby with good results. Scott Wilson is seen as Sheriff Mooney who believes in Clay's innocence.
The excellent music score provided by John Lurie serves the movie well as does the cinematography of Eric Edwards. David Dobkin directed with assurance, making this film become a good way to spend some time.
Clay is an auto mechanic who made the mistake of having an affair with one of his buddies' wife. Earl reminds Clay at the beginning of the film when he decides to kill himself. He is convinced his death will have "Clay" written all over it. What's more, his widow, Amanda, the young and sexy woman who had the affair with Clay wants to continue the relationship now that her old man is gone. Clay, who has been scared out of his mind with what he had witnessed wants to be millions of miles apart from Amanda, who keeps pressuring the young man for sex.
One night at the local tavern, Lester Long, a stranger to the town, witnesses how Clay slaps Amanda in front of everyone because he has had it with her. Lester, who appears to be a friendly guy, strikes a conversation with Clay and invites him to go fishing in a nearby lake. That same lake is the place where Clay had taken the corpse of Gloria, who was killed while having sex with him by the deranged Amanda. Little does Clay know who his new friend really is.
When the FBI is called to investigate Amanda's own death, things begin to spiral for Clay. Everything is out of control. Agent Shelby thinks Clay is the one responsible for Amanda's killing and a string of others like it in the area. Clay puts two and two together and he realizes who is the killer and puts a plan into action. The last thing we see is Clay leaving town and driving in the opposite direction.
Joaquin Phoenix makes Clay come alive in a great reading of this character. Mr. Phoenix is at times the confused man who is perplexed and wonders how anyone can be accusing him of the crimes he supposedly committed. Vince Vaughn is perfect as the reptilian Lester Long. He adds a layer to his character with the nervous laugh he doesn't seem to control. Janeane Garofalo plays FBI agent Shelby with good results. Scott Wilson is seen as Sheriff Mooney who believes in Clay's innocence.
The excellent music score provided by John Lurie serves the movie well as does the cinematography of Eric Edwards. David Dobkin directed with assurance, making this film become a good way to spend some time.
I usually don't read many comments here at IMDb before I have seen a certain film, I only read a few. But before I saw "Clay Pigeons" I read them all and after having done so I didn't exactly expect much when I pushed "play" on the remote control. I'm not saying that that is the only reason why I liked this movie so much, because I really thought that it was a good film. Not a masterpiece of course, but the script is witty, the acting great, and the movie in itself is quite entertaining -- it's never boring. I really, really like Joaquin Phoenix, he is one of the best young actors around now, and he didn't disappoint me in this film -- far from it. He's quite brilliant. Vince Vaughn must have had a great time playing Lester Long, you can see that he is comfortable with his character and Vaughn is better than I'd ever expected, however, for me it's Phoenix's film. He truly is amazing. As for Janeane Garofalo, she's certainly not bad, but neither very good, but that's mainly because she's in the shadow of Vaughn and Phoenix. Overall, an entertaining and rather funny film, way better than I expected. (7/10)
Before striking gold by teaming with Vince Vaughn in last year's Wedding Crashers, director David Dobkin tabbed him for his debut Clay Pigeons. The movie had some buzz behind it upon its release in 1998, however I never got around to checking it out. A few months ago, while listening to my podcast of choice, the movie review show Cinecast (recently renamed as Filmspotting), Pigeons was brought back into my consciousness. It is a well-made effortdark subject matter mixed with pitch black humor. This is vintage Vaughn who really lights up the screen with his infectious smile; even the high-pitched hyena laugh stays in tact as he must not have been asked to tone it down as it seems his more recent films have required. Joaquin Phoenix plays a man who seems to not be able to catch a break. How many times must one character take care of dead bodies that he hasn't even killed? Everyone has something to hold over him so that he must cover up the chaos happening in the town. Pigeons is shot well and nicely paced. It's a shame Dobkin seems to have forgone the edge this film contains for more general fare like Crashers and the forthcoming Vaughn vehicle Joe Claus. He shows some nice flare and hopefully will continue making entertaining movies.
- jaredmobarak
- Jul 21, 2006
- Permalink
A young man ,Clay, who lives in a small town witnesses a friend commit suicide because of affairs Clay has had with his girlfriend. Clay covers the suicide up to make it look like an accident, however death and murder continue when Clay becomes involved with an affable but murderous cowboy.
Joaquin Phoenix is very good in his role and works extremely well on screen with Vince Vaughn who is always great to see in anything. The cinematography is top notch and the music works incredibly well to all round create an off beat, interesting and watchable effort. The ending could have been better but this an enjoyable 'independent' film none the less.
Joaquin Phoenix is very good in his role and works extremely well on screen with Vince Vaughn who is always great to see in anything. The cinematography is top notch and the music works incredibly well to all round create an off beat, interesting and watchable effort. The ending could have been better but this an enjoyable 'independent' film none the less.
I've now seen 'Clay Pigeons' three times and yet I'm still not totally sure how best to describe it, or know what exactly I've even watched! However, at least I must like it... whatever it is.
It's a story which doesn't really fit easily into any particular genre. It's not really thrilling enough to be a thriller. It doesn't have any element of a 'who-dun-it' as every death is pretty much self explanatory and there's certainly no action in it. Perhaps the best category – if this IS even a category – is 'serial killer' film... as there are plenty of bodies piling up here and there.
It's about a man – Clay, played by Joaquin Phoenix – who just seems to attract death and destruction all around him. He can't seem to go a day in his small American town without someone he knows getting killed – normally horribly. And this trend is set to get worse when he meets Lester, played by (a slim) Vince Vaughn, who also seems to just want to kill pretty much everyone in his way.
What follows isn't your average story. There are no 'damsels in distress' who conveniently need to be rescued in the final act. And, talking of final acts, there isn't the traditional stand-off between hero and villain in some dramatic place, like the top of a high-rise building. Perhaps that's why the film has such an odd feel to it. It doesn't really conform to any sort of blueprint. You just follow the lives of these – murderous – characters and see where it takes you.
If you like the sound of that, you should get something out of this film. It has the feel of a film-maker's early work where he's still allowed enough freedom not to conform to every Hollywood convention. However, a word of caution, if you're looking for 'relatable' characters then you probably won't find any here. All of them, even Clay, are hardly the sort of people you'd want to hang around with. But then that's why you probably won't mind seeing them bumped off one by one.
It's a story which doesn't really fit easily into any particular genre. It's not really thrilling enough to be a thriller. It doesn't have any element of a 'who-dun-it' as every death is pretty much self explanatory and there's certainly no action in it. Perhaps the best category – if this IS even a category – is 'serial killer' film... as there are plenty of bodies piling up here and there.
It's about a man – Clay, played by Joaquin Phoenix – who just seems to attract death and destruction all around him. He can't seem to go a day in his small American town without someone he knows getting killed – normally horribly. And this trend is set to get worse when he meets Lester, played by (a slim) Vince Vaughn, who also seems to just want to kill pretty much everyone in his way.
What follows isn't your average story. There are no 'damsels in distress' who conveniently need to be rescued in the final act. And, talking of final acts, there isn't the traditional stand-off between hero and villain in some dramatic place, like the top of a high-rise building. Perhaps that's why the film has such an odd feel to it. It doesn't really conform to any sort of blueprint. You just follow the lives of these – murderous – characters and see where it takes you.
If you like the sound of that, you should get something out of this film. It has the feel of a film-maker's early work where he's still allowed enough freedom not to conform to every Hollywood convention. However, a word of caution, if you're looking for 'relatable' characters then you probably won't find any here. All of them, even Clay, are hardly the sort of people you'd want to hang around with. But then that's why you probably won't mind seeing them bumped off one by one.
- bowmanblue
- Feb 28, 2015
- Permalink
- michaelRokeefe
- Dec 30, 2006
- Permalink
- Anonymous_Maxine
- Jun 26, 2003
- Permalink
- rmax304823
- Feb 5, 2007
- Permalink
- strangerdave-2
- Aug 26, 2006
- Permalink
In a small town out west, a target practice outing with a friend kicks off a chain of bizarre events that lead a man to involvement with murder and an unsolicited alliance with a person of, shall we say, `questionable' character in `Clay Pigeons,' directed by David Dobkin. Joaquin Phoenix is Clay Birdwell, a regular guy whose lack of judgment and discretion catches up with him unexpectedly in this dark, maddening tale of morality and fate that is sometimes morose and disturbing, at other times darkly humorous, as it deftly examines the trappings of the tangled webs we humans weave. Clay has become mired in a moral dilemma from which there seems to be no escape, when he meets and is befriended by Lester Long (Vince Vaughn), a trucker passing through town one night. At a local bar, Lester observes that Clay doesn't exactly have a way with women; it gets Lester's attention, which leads to a game of pool and, later on, a casual fishing trip that, like the target practice outing, proves to be a life-altering experience for Clay. Phoenix is perfectly cast as Clay, ably conveying the effects of the dark quagmire into which he is cast by circumstances he is unable to control. His performance enables you to feel him sinking ever deeper as the story moves along, and to empathize with him and experience what he is going through. You realize that he understands his situation, and it becomes a matter of waiting to see if he will make the right decisions, regardless of the inevitable consequences. It creates a tension that makes you want to yell at the screen to tell him what to do. Vaughn is excellent as well as the cowboy trucker with the winning smile, robust laugh and a closet full of dark secrets. There's a menace behind the good-natured facade he puts on that becomes more pronounced as the events unfold. Pretty early on you know what this guy is all about, but somehow it only enhances the anxiety of the whole situation as it becomes a cat-and mouse game (with some unexpected twists) between Clay and Lester. Another notable performance comes from the charismatic Janeane Garofalo, who is surprisingly effective and credible as F.B.I. agent Dale Shelby, who comes to town when things take a turn and begin to heat up. It's a credit to her talent and versatility that she can pull this character off so well. The supporting cast includes Georgina Cates (Amanda), Scott Wilson (Sheriff Mooney), Vince Vieluf (Deputy Barney), and Monica Moench (Kimberly). There are moments in this movie that absolutely make you want to tear your hair out, a credit to the way Dobkin put this project together and delivered it. `Clay Pigeons' is a nail-biter that will keep you going right up to the end (which is terrific); Clay and Lester are characters you're going to remember, and just to make sure there's a brief, inspired reminder at the end of the credits (so stay with it all the way). Relatively overlooked during it's original release, this film should gain new life on video, and deservedly so; this is one you'll be glad you took a look at. I rate this one 9/10.
- view_and_review
- Nov 27, 2020
- Permalink
This is a mean little almost-neo-noir movie. Wickedly fun. Vince Vaughn's Lester Long is irresistible. Janeane Garofalo -- fabulous as always. (Can we call this woman "luminous" rather than all the mediocre new "It"-girl actresses?) Their scene together is quite possibly the best of the film. Great music that fit beautifully with the overall atmosphere of the film, too. However, the end is a huge disappointment. Someone should have told David Dobkin to scrap the test audiences' annoying penchant for neatly wrapped up endings, and to go with his instincts. All around, a great two hours in the theatre.
A story of double-double-cross and serial killing in Montana. From the first shot the film engages and won't let go. Joaquin Phoenix, Janeane Garofalo and Vince Vaughn take us on a trip that's simultaneously entertaining and harrowing.
Great music by John Lurie (aka Lounge Lizard, Down by Law, etc.), and featuring oldies that carry the merciless momentum of the film. Ridley Scott co-produced.Cinematography is evocative of My Own Private Idaho (it was filmed in Utah).
Director David Dobkin has his own strong signature, particularly his deft pulling together of the characters and the light comedy, but there were also elements of Jarmusch and Van Sant. Fine cast and an excellent film.
Great music by John Lurie (aka Lounge Lizard, Down by Law, etc.), and featuring oldies that carry the merciless momentum of the film. Ridley Scott co-produced.Cinematography is evocative of My Own Private Idaho (it was filmed in Utah).
Director David Dobkin has his own strong signature, particularly his deft pulling together of the characters and the light comedy, but there were also elements of Jarmusch and Van Sant. Fine cast and an excellent film.
- Beatrice-3
- Sep 16, 1998
- Permalink
Before David Dobkin directed Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights, he did this, his first feature film. Now, while I would rather run nude through the mall (sorry for that image) than admit I have ever watched these two films, I have to admit that he did a great job with this one.
Casting Vince Vaughn as the villain was brilliant, as I see him that way, and I was most impressed with Joaquin Phoenix; more than I have ever been.
The supporting cast was brilliant also: Janeane Garofalo from The West Wing as an FBI agent; Scott Wilson from C.S.I as the sheriff; Georgina Cates and Nikki Arlyn (who we see way too little of) as the victims.
The soundtrack was so good, I headed to Amazon.com to get it immediately.
Great thriller with some great characters. Worth your time.
Casting Vince Vaughn as the villain was brilliant, as I see him that way, and I was most impressed with Joaquin Phoenix; more than I have ever been.
The supporting cast was brilliant also: Janeane Garofalo from The West Wing as an FBI agent; Scott Wilson from C.S.I as the sheriff; Georgina Cates and Nikki Arlyn (who we see way too little of) as the victims.
The soundtrack was so good, I headed to Amazon.com to get it immediately.
Great thriller with some great characters. Worth your time.
- lastliberal
- May 20, 2007
- Permalink
I really wanted to like this movie more than I did, especially since I love Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix. But it took an awfully long time to get going. The situation seemed flat, the action slow, and the characters neither compelling nor especially believable. Things really picked up, though, when Janeane Garofalo came on the scene. What an inspired piece of casting! No one can deliver a dead-pan sarcastic one-liner the way she can. Yet she stays completely and believably in the character. After her arrival, it became a completely new movie, and I wound up enjoying it in the end. The gorgeous countryside didn't hurt either. Worth seeing.
Clay Bidwell's (Joaquin Phoenix) life is getting complicated. His best friend Earl (Gregory Sporleder), having discovered that Clay has been sleeping with his wife Amanda (Georgina Cates), goes about committing suicide right in front of Clay's eyes; and making it appear that Clay was in fact responsible. When turning to Amanda for help proves futile, Clay takes it upon himself to roll his friend's car off a cliff, burning any incriminating evidence. But despite her husband's body not yet even being cold, and Clay's clear disgust, Amanda tries in vain to continue pursuing a relationship of infidelity. Her outrage over Clay's rejection is further fuelled when he begins seeing local waitress, Gloria (Nikki Arlyn). In retaliation Amanda shoots Gloria
. And Clay's life just gets messier and messier as he is forced to dispose of her body as well, for fear of Amanda exposing the truth behind Earl's death to the police.
Amidst all this chaos, Clay meets Lester (Vince Vaughn), and finds in this stranger an amiable fishing-buddy Amanda also finds him to be a substitute for Clay. But while on a fishing trip with Lester, both come across a dead girl's body floating in the river; neither are particularly shocked by the discovery. For Clay that makes a hefty body count of 3, and as he is forced to report his finding, the police believe him to have now discovered 2 bodies in the last week. Things are not looking good. And the added discovery of a very dead Amanda is not helping Clay much when a detective is called in from out of town, Agent Shelby (Janeane Garofalo) who believes him to be a serial killer who has already racked up a body count of 7 across the state. Now Clay not only has to prove his own innocence, but also try and stop the man he knows to be the killer .none other than his deranged fishing buddy, Lester the molester.
'Clay Pigeons' is entertaining, but slightly less so that other movies of its genre.
The cast is strong; though you really can't go wrong with Vince Vaughn as a psycho killer and Joaquin Phoenix as the brooding protagonist. Garofalo however gives a somewhat lack-luster performance, in which she is just going though the motions in a monotone voice. Not even her normally shining humor or quick-wit is wholly present.
There are also times in the film when humor would be much appreciated. More specifically though, blatant humor, so that there was no confusion of where the appropriate laughs are intended. It's a fine line since your not entirely sure whether to be deeply disturbed or in stitches of laughter by Lester. With a charismatic yet sinister laugh and hilarious cow-boy getup, the film's bad guy is a sort of oxymoron. Do we laugh at him? Do we hate him? Its just a little confusing when you have a famous comedian like Garofalo, and an actor known for his comedic roles, Vaughn; but your made to believe that the film is actually a crime thriller. It feels like Joaquin should have played the bad guy; with his pointed stare and dark, ominous presence. And while there is a sense of hilarity with the situation Clay finds himself in; whatever amusement can be drawn is dampened with somewhat gruesome scenes of deaths and decaying bodies.
Still, the film's climax is thrilling and unpredictable. And, overall, it is worth a watch. Just don't expect to be blown away.
Amidst all this chaos, Clay meets Lester (Vince Vaughn), and finds in this stranger an amiable fishing-buddy Amanda also finds him to be a substitute for Clay. But while on a fishing trip with Lester, both come across a dead girl's body floating in the river; neither are particularly shocked by the discovery. For Clay that makes a hefty body count of 3, and as he is forced to report his finding, the police believe him to have now discovered 2 bodies in the last week. Things are not looking good. And the added discovery of a very dead Amanda is not helping Clay much when a detective is called in from out of town, Agent Shelby (Janeane Garofalo) who believes him to be a serial killer who has already racked up a body count of 7 across the state. Now Clay not only has to prove his own innocence, but also try and stop the man he knows to be the killer .none other than his deranged fishing buddy, Lester the molester.
'Clay Pigeons' is entertaining, but slightly less so that other movies of its genre.
The cast is strong; though you really can't go wrong with Vince Vaughn as a psycho killer and Joaquin Phoenix as the brooding protagonist. Garofalo however gives a somewhat lack-luster performance, in which she is just going though the motions in a monotone voice. Not even her normally shining humor or quick-wit is wholly present.
There are also times in the film when humor would be much appreciated. More specifically though, blatant humor, so that there was no confusion of where the appropriate laughs are intended. It's a fine line since your not entirely sure whether to be deeply disturbed or in stitches of laughter by Lester. With a charismatic yet sinister laugh and hilarious cow-boy getup, the film's bad guy is a sort of oxymoron. Do we laugh at him? Do we hate him? Its just a little confusing when you have a famous comedian like Garofalo, and an actor known for his comedic roles, Vaughn; but your made to believe that the film is actually a crime thriller. It feels like Joaquin should have played the bad guy; with his pointed stare and dark, ominous presence. And while there is a sense of hilarity with the situation Clay finds himself in; whatever amusement can be drawn is dampened with somewhat gruesome scenes of deaths and decaying bodies.
Still, the film's climax is thrilling and unpredictable. And, overall, it is worth a watch. Just don't expect to be blown away.
- Sweet_Ophelia
- Mar 26, 2005
- Permalink
CLAY PIGEONS is yet another in a long line of movies that has received its British television premiere channel 4 at an ungodly hour . If you stay up late to watch one of these very late scheduled movies wondering why channel 4 has waited to the wee small hours to broadcast it you eventually end up going to bed at dawn usually wondering Channel 4 showed it in the first place since they're nearly always crap art house movies . This movie however is different because while not being a great movie is at least watchable
Joaquin Phoenix plays Clay Bidwell who's best friend commits suicide before the title credits come up , so Clay is at a loose end and he befriends a drifter called Lester Long in a bar . One day the new friends go fishing and discover a woman's body , the first in a series of bodies that that are starting to turn up in town .
This is often very entertaining , especially for film fans as they play spot the reference . When a body turns up in a river we here banjo music playing , the same tune that was played during the banjo duel in DELIVERENCE . A female/male team from the FBI arrive to investigate the burgeoning death toll a bit like in THE X-FILES and most self referential of all Clay pushes a truck over a cliff and curses when it doesn't explode because as everyone knows when a mode of transport crashes in a movie it ALWAYS explodes
Everything is set for a very memorable black comedy but the script stops the movie from achieving its full potential . You often have to suspend disbelief for a movie to work but CLAY PIGEONS relies far too much on coincidence to work , like FBI agent Shelby realising who the murderer is because she comes across a cigarette butt , or the murderer visiting Clay in prison because he knows the sheriff deputy is asleep , how would he know this . But right from the start I was puzzled by a niggling plot hole very early into the movie where a victim of gunshot wounds is found dead in a burned out truck . No matter how fierce the fire or how hard the impact of a car crash if someone has been shot dead before the crash then the bullet wounds would still so up in a post mortem . This plot hole isn't helped by the low budget where after the truck has exploded in a massive fireball all the subsequent scenes show a truck that while bashed about a bit shows no scorch marks ! . Obviously this scene was filmed before the truck blew up
Joaquin Phoenix plays Clay Bidwell who's best friend commits suicide before the title credits come up , so Clay is at a loose end and he befriends a drifter called Lester Long in a bar . One day the new friends go fishing and discover a woman's body , the first in a series of bodies that that are starting to turn up in town .
This is often very entertaining , especially for film fans as they play spot the reference . When a body turns up in a river we here banjo music playing , the same tune that was played during the banjo duel in DELIVERENCE . A female/male team from the FBI arrive to investigate the burgeoning death toll a bit like in THE X-FILES and most self referential of all Clay pushes a truck over a cliff and curses when it doesn't explode because as everyone knows when a mode of transport crashes in a movie it ALWAYS explodes
Everything is set for a very memorable black comedy but the script stops the movie from achieving its full potential . You often have to suspend disbelief for a movie to work but CLAY PIGEONS relies far too much on coincidence to work , like FBI agent Shelby realising who the murderer is because she comes across a cigarette butt , or the murderer visiting Clay in prison because he knows the sheriff deputy is asleep , how would he know this . But right from the start I was puzzled by a niggling plot hole very early into the movie where a victim of gunshot wounds is found dead in a burned out truck . No matter how fierce the fire or how hard the impact of a car crash if someone has been shot dead before the crash then the bullet wounds would still so up in a post mortem . This plot hole isn't helped by the low budget where after the truck has exploded in a massive fireball all the subsequent scenes show a truck that while bashed about a bit shows no scorch marks ! . Obviously this scene was filmed before the truck blew up
- Theo Robertson
- Aug 27, 2005
- Permalink
Ok I was pretty much on a real bad run with my films after watching big let downs like Underworld, Bad Boys 2, Out Of time etc etc... so when Clay Pigeons came along, I really wasn't expecting much, especially as I hadn't heard anything about it before. So after watching it, I have to say this is without a shadow of a doubt one of the MOST , or possibly the BIGGEST under-rated movie ever!. Honestly I really can't think of any negative to say about it at all, the plot was gripping, funny, intense & the acting...Oooh the acting was OUTSTANDING! I mean Vince Vaughan was brilliant in his role of Lester Long, his character will have to go down as probably the funniest, creepiest & craziest bad guy ever! he definatly should have got an oscar for this performance!. Joaquin Phoenix played his part brilliantly also, this too I think is his best performance ive seen ( And i thought he was superb in Gladiator) The movie does have everything, it's run-time is 104mins, and geez they have managed to fit alot of story in that space of time, it's so fast paced, you can't take your eyes off it! Sadly though there is no region 2 dvd out for it yet, so i had to buy it region 1 which I try not too do, but for a movie of this quality it's worth it. Im sure there's loads out there that have't seen this, but I strongly suggest you do, Its 10x better than most of this garbage that Hollywood are throwing at us right now!
9/10
9/10
"Dumb" describes everything and everyone in this movie. The characters all act dumb and this includes, incredibly, even Janeane Garafalo's FBI agent. The clay pigeon's actions are stupid although his initial ones might be attributed to panic. As for law enforcement, the Lester Long character is all over the town, in the bar and pool hall, picking up waitresses at the restaurant, etc., and no-one can corraborate his presence nor the existence of his 16 wheeler? And when the company whose name is on the rig is called and a representative denies the existence of a driver with the suspect's name, this ends the matter? Has no-one ever heard of phony names? And what was the big, authoritative looking assistant to Garafolo's agent doing in this picture? One has the impression that his role was initially intended to be much larger but halfway through the filming, the director got tired and just threw some kind of ending together. Altogether, a dumb movie.
Have seen this numerous times over the years, and it's still fun every time. Phoenix was perfect (as usual) as Clay in all his wonderful naivete. We knew then he was destined for greatness (between this and "To Die For"... it was
more than obvious).
To me this was one of Vince Vaughn's best roles (IMO there are very few), and was a tour de force on his part. It's actually how I picture him to this day, this role.
Finally, Janeane Garafolo. What can I say... she was perfectly cast. To this day I picture her admonishing the deputy to stop doing something (I won't say what here, it's just so deadpan and perfect)... I think this role was one of her best.
I have this on DVD in a box somewhere, and now I'm going to dig it out and re-watch... again.
To me this was one of Vince Vaughn's best roles (IMO there are very few), and was a tour de force on his part. It's actually how I picture him to this day, this role.
Finally, Janeane Garafolo. What can I say... she was perfectly cast. To this day I picture her admonishing the deputy to stop doing something (I won't say what here, it's just so deadpan and perfect)... I think this role was one of her best.
I have this on DVD in a box somewhere, and now I'm going to dig it out and re-watch... again.
This movie avoids a 6 rating only because of the acting of Vince Vaughn. I am very impressed by his ability and range. Because of mister Vaughn's presence in the picture, it lands a 7 rating.
I did find the story to be entertaining, if not a little confusing. I must state outright that I did'nt like the begining one bit. If something like that was to happen to me, I would go straight to the police, as one should'nt have anything to worry about under the circumstances. I also found that the movie did'nt really kick into high gear until about an hour into it. But, once it kicked in, it really was enjoyable.
It was worth the rental price. Not a masterpiece, but a good movie.
I did find the story to be entertaining, if not a little confusing. I must state outright that I did'nt like the begining one bit. If something like that was to happen to me, I would go straight to the police, as one should'nt have anything to worry about under the circumstances. I also found that the movie did'nt really kick into high gear until about an hour into it. But, once it kicked in, it really was enjoyable.
It was worth the rental price. Not a masterpiece, but a good movie.
- jerry_dean67
- Dec 28, 1999
- Permalink
It's some time before Janeane Garofalo appears on screen, and it's not until then that the film becomes intermittently bearable. Only intermittently. What a bunch of unappealing, flat, poorly drawn characters! Lester is one of the most irritating people one could hope to meet, and maybe he's meant to be, but surely not in this way: he's meant to charm OTHER people, after all, yet it's hard to see how anyone could endure his presence for more than thirty seconds. Clay is remarkable as a central protagonist who spends most of the film doing absolutely nothing - the kind of person who responds to moral dilemmas by saying, "Yeah, whatever," although by giving even this description I may be reading too much into the script - and when more minor characters reveal some of their thoughts it actually comes as a bit of a shock - it was hard to think of them as having any. And what's with the title? Yes, obviously it has something to do with the fact that the central character is called "Clay", but I don't think anyone had a particular pun in mind. It makes as much sense as calling "The Third Man", say, "Lime Light". (On reflection, less sense.) A lazily conceived turkey with too many bad country-and-Western songs.