User reviews

I wasn't amused with "Amusement".The laughable synopsis on the cover goes like that: Tabitha,Shelby and Lisa.They're longtime friends on separate life paths.But they share a horrific destination when a seemingly innocent incident from their school days comes back to terrify them.Someone wants payback:warped vengeance...mind-games vengeance...taunting,shredding,slashing vengeance.Inside a stone-walled chamber of prison cells and mechanisms of doom,the three women and other victims face a fierce fight to survive."Amusement" is terrible.With dumb plot and zero scares it offers nothing even remotely interesting even for seasoned horror fan.The killer is an underdeveloped cliché with truly annoying laugh.There is only one effectively creepy scene in which the emerging female lead is confronted with a room stuffed with dolls and clowns.The violence is tame so gorehounds and slasher fans will be disappointed.4 out of 10.

This movie started off decently, then slowly after about five minutes it just goes down hill. The film has terrible acting and the characters make the most idiotic choices. The plot, which no one can even comprehend by the end of the movie, is just awful. Nothing makes sense and you will be left scratching your head. The only scary part about this movie is the clown. The clown is creepy and looks very original and cool. If they would have focused on the clown, had a more defined plot structure, and better acting...well it wouldn't have gone straight to video. The whole film is just completely ruined, and with their budget and scenery it could have actually been scary and cool. This is a complete waste of your time, so please don't spend any money on this garbage.

After languishing for so long in 2008, Amusement is finally making its debut on DVD. I had high hopes for the movie after watching the trailer but it is nowhere near what I had expected it to be.

The movie can be summarized as a series of vignettes.Each vignette tells the tale of three women and their encounter with a psychotic killer, out to get them for they had done to him in the past. The plot is similar to Valentine (2001) but the movie was weighed, measured and found wanting.

For starters the editing could have been a lot better. The movie starts off with the Shelby story when it could have been much better placed when the psychiatrist questions Tabitha about Shelby. Another scene in which Lisa tries to enter the hotel and accidentally breaks a bottle, when the psycho steps out the bottle is still on the steps untouched and in one piece.

The story was not impressive at all. The whole Tabitha portion of the story of her babysitting her cousins and being attacked by the clown was very similar to Halloween (1978). The back-story which told why the psycho had such an animosity towards the girls in the first place should have been well explained.

The characters where not plausible at all. For instance, when Lisa sends her boyfriend to check on her friend at the hotel and when he doesn't come out, she doesn't call the cops, she goes in herself. I mean how stupid can you get. The movie is nothing more than a compilation of several slasher movies made in the past all jumbled up into one movie. No wonder why this movie never made it to the big screen.

If you want to watch a good horror movie rent out Halloween(1978), Psycho(1960) or The Changeling(1980)because this movie is nothing more than another futile attempt by Hollywood to create a decent, original horror movie.

To give this movie an above average rating is a waste of stars. Sure, visually the movie looks nice and like most people mentioned the Clown Segment is pretty creepy... BUT like everything else in this movie its totally ripped off and leads nowhere. The whole basic premise of "Amusement" with the subplots just doesn't work at all... Car lost in the woods, Babysitter home alone and stalked by crazy guy, old abandoned hotel with crazy people in it... you've seen it all before and it isn't even bound together by a clever script. Far from that... Chicks get abducted by some crazy guy, then some strange interrogation in a FBI Cell takes place ... I guess just because they needed some reason for the flashback sequences. Beside that the whole part is idiotic... how could a psychologist fall for a crazy guy in FBI dress with an interrogation room in an old flooded cellar??

"Amusement" is basically just a collection of ideas stuffed into a messy script... Let's make a horror movie with beautiful chicks and a crazy guy! OK, but I want a clown in there and Joyride was fun, so let's also put that in and have some people being stabbed in the eye. If we make the crazy guy an inventor with killer gimmicks and some Dr. Giggles laughter I am in! OK, deal... but we need a psychologist in there plus some unexpected twist and a moral ending to at least make it look smart on first sight.

Phew...things build up, the whole reason for the movie title is unfolded and pretty meaningless, the characters get killed in most uninspired ways possible, the flashbacks are clumsy and don't explain much and we never learn why people are sown into mattresses or crazy guy has a fetish for pulling living things open. It just happens.. random shreds of stolen ideas like in a cheesy clip show.

THIS IS A MESS!! For the few scenes that work its 90 Minute too much wasted and the ending should make anybody angry. Avoid!

Here's the thing,

If you give this movie a low rating, you haven't seen more than 90% of the low-budget horror movies that get released these days.

"Amusement" script is pretty hollow, but the cinematography, the photography, the ambiance and some of the acting make up for the lack of a strong story.

There are some good frightening moments, and the tension is there from beginning to end.

If you like slashers with some suspense do give it a go.

Besides, there's a killer clown in it, and that alone makes it worth the watch.

This was a really good movie. Some good twist and turns that really wasn't expected. Had trouble connecting everything together until the end, but they tied it all together pretty nicely in the finish. Very creepy at times with some good scares. The acting was well done and so were the effects. Can't really say this was a B movie as it was written, directed and acted in much, much better than most other B movies are. Will probably watch this again to pick up on things I may have the first time. Definitely would recommend this to a horror lover if they had some time to kill, and almost even as a must see. Surprisingly good movie! I wasn't expecting that...

I thought this movie might be something, but even from the beginning not only was it bad, it had so many plot holes! I don't think this will spoil anything for anyone because it wouldn't make any sense anyways so there's no way to guess any of it. in the first scene, when the "amusement" guy is sneaking up on the "bad" man talking in the house, why would the truck driver (the one on the phone) be inside the house because for one thing, it's not his. And two, later on we find out it's the "amusement" guys house (i'm sorry if i'm not making sense with the "amusement"/"bad" guy titles but the movie wasn't significant enough for me to remember their names. Also wrong with this scene is, because it relies on the crazy girl throwing herself out of the truck, how would anybody have known that she was going to do that? There is no logical reason the "amusement" guy could have known she was going to throw herself out. Later on, there's a therapist who's interviewing the blonde girl, and in the middle of the interview she discovers (the therapist) that shes in the trap of one of her old patients (the "amusement" guy) she tries to escape but is killed, but how could she not know that she wasn't in an FBI station when there's a maze of pathways to get out, some of which lead to dangerous situations. She would have to be a complete dolt not to recognize it as a trap. I've tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. I tried to say she thought it was a crime scene, but then why would they give the blonde girl trauma therapy on site? Why was the "amusement" guy so stupid? Why does he leave his weapons lying around where his "subjects" can easily get them? It was stupid, boring, confused, and a complete waste of time. I'm glad I only rented it. I could keep going about plot holes, but I won't because i'd be here all day.

It seems that a lot of reviewers are critical of this movie, but I rather liked it. I would say it's fairly original, though perhaps most of it's various components have been done in prior movies. What do you expect from the horror genre, new and completely original ideas for the dozens of movies appearing every year? I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about thinking this movie is a rehash of a prior movie plot, because I don't believe it is. I didn't really know where the story was headed and it kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I thought the acting, direction and overall production were excellent. I would recommend this film to just about any horror fan and I think everyone will find something to enjoy.

The only criticisms that I can make has been mentioned by a couple of others already, which is the editing and screenplay. The story doesn't fit together very well, until the very end and then you can understand what they were trying to create. The real problem here is that there seems to be parts missing from the story, which you can fill in fairly well for yourself, but the film never really attempts to detail these out for you. It's hard to really describe without giving spoilers, but it's like the film Saw in it's intricacy at times, but with a multimillion dollar price tag to all the gadgets. I suppose a deranged killer can have a lot of disposable income, but you just don't imagine him spending it all on an apparent one time event.

Again, it's easy to pick apart the missing pieces of this film, but while I was watching it I felt it was nicely done and well worth my time.

Back when I was a young lad and got my first computer, all I did was visiting horror-movie-themed forums and websites.

I remember "Amusement" being advertised in one of the forums; they didn't post the trailer, just the poster and a couple of production stills, but the little I could see looked enticing enough.

Anyway, the movie was never brought to my country's cinemas and I eventually forgot about it, until...

Cinemax decided to air it.

They had several airings scheduled for the week, but I missed the first 3, because I was too damn tired and had school the next day.

Turns out the fourth and last airing was very late into the night, and I had to go to school, but I outright REFUSED to miss it again.

And so, I saw it...

Staying up late and falling asleep in Chemistry, was it worth it?

No.

I'm no cinephile and certainly wasn't one at 14, but I was so dissapointed, I honestly hated it and could not find a single thing to enjoy.

Why I am here, you may ask.

Well, now that I'm older and have a job, I've been collecting movies like there is no tomorrow.

I figured that I could make some shelf space for low-rated, almost-universally panned movies, because why not? I need to shut off the brain and let it rest every once in a while.

That's how "Amusement" found a space in my library.

And you may wonder, does this guy like it now that he's older?

I...think I do, not gonna lie!

My point still mostly stands, the movie is filled with plot holes (now that's ironic, Alanis), the plot makes little to absolutely no sense and the acting is subpar.

But, this thing is entertaining and doesn't overstay its welcome, so few positive points here.

I also enjoyed the production design and settings; again, the place where the climax takes place and that one student house make absolutely no sense, but they're visually appealing.

However, it was completely lacking in the scare/tension department, but that one scene with the phone call (you know the one), is genuinely chilling, so at least there's one thing to look forward to.

I didn't know up until now, but apparently Warner Bros rushed the production, then shelved the movie, and then tossed it to home video almost 2 years later of its completion, with little to no fanfare...and it shows.

Those of you who might be thinking of seeing it, use this as a warning if you don't enjoy stupid movies. But if you do, be my guest.

I must admit that I've already seen it twice this year, and it will definitely be in the line-up for this year's Halloween movie marathon.

You could say it grew on me...like a rash, but it grew nonetheless.

This movie was a big disappointment for a number of reasons. As iterated in other comments, the DVD contains story elements that are entirely absent from the film itself (i.e. the clown!) I thought the whole film would be about that clown! well, not so my friends! The film has no cohesive sense at all. Brainless. It was just sort of thrown together haphazardly and without any thought. Also, as noted by other reviewers, the characters were totally one dimensional, surfacey, and straight up archetypes completely lacking in any development, depth, or uniqueness.

To me, it seems like a really bad indie film that somehow got a lot of funding and made it into DVD market. I feel like I can't really make any comment on the acting because, honestly, I can't imagine any actors or actresses who would be able to give this film the animation and depth that it so sorely lacks.

In short, save your money and your time, and don't see it.

While driving in a side road following a truck with her boyfriend Rob (Tad Hilgenbrink), there is a strange accident and Shelby (Laura Breckenridge) is abducted by a deranged driver. Tabitha (Katheryn Winnick) is kidnapped from her uncle's house by a man dressed of clown. Lisa (Jessica Lucas) is caught in an old pension by a twisted man. The three women are former school friends from Briar Hills and sooner they find themselves in an underground prison; further, they discover that the abductor is a former school mate that had psychological problems and is seeking revenge against them.

The plot of "Amusement" is so unreasonable (actually absurd) that irritates. The first segment (Shelby) is dumb with unexplained attitudes that do not make sense. For example, who is the girl in the truck; why she writes a note asking for help and jumps from the truck immediately after? Who would chase a truck with a dangerous kidnapper in the middle of nowhere leaving the girlfriend and a wounded girl behind on the secondary road? Why the truck driver runs over Rob? Why did he stop in a creepy house if he was close to the gas station? Tabitha's segment is the best and slightly inspired in the 1979 "When a Stranger Calls", but uses the bad clichés with the woman running from a backyard to a closed space and finding the body of the babysitter. Lisa's segment is also terrible, and who would sneak in a frightening place after the disappearance of her best friend Cat and her boyfriend Dan inside the house? The annoying and insane criminal is not developed and the viewer never knows how he got the isolated underground facility and why the psychiatrist of Briar Hills would visit a patient in a visibly abandoned spot. Last but not the least, the re-creation of the art boxes by the maniac is simply ridiculous. The good points of this flick are the cinematography and the acting, but that is not enough to save the story. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Diversão Macabra" ("Macabre Diversion")

Please please don't watch this film.

I'll get to the point.

1. Its really slow (the film is only 1.5 hours. 1 hour of it is needless padding).

2. Its dull (it has 3 separate stories, each of which take about 10-15 minutes to get going, and then the "horror" part lasts about 1-2 minutes) 3. Its cliché (there is nothing you haven't seen before, which can be OK, except its SO cliché, there is no fear factor) 4. It has no scary bits (there is no suspense and because its slow, dull and cliché, its hard to feel scared. Even my girlfriend fell asleep and she scares really easy). The scariest part of this film is the cover.

5. It would be hard to direct a film more poorly than this. The director has attempted to copy other films and done so with no innovation or interest factor at all. This film probably will (and should) ruin the directors career. I don't like to be horrible, so if the director were prepared to openly apologise for this film, I'd gladly give him another chance. Otherwise he owes me 1.5 hours of my life).

6. Its the first film to make me feel angry at the waste of my life 7. Oh and its dull.

Please please don't watch this film. You will be disappointed.

I don't understand why all the reviewers of this movie seem to dislike it so much. Nobody hates (and hates on) as many movies as I do and I thought it was a fairly entertaining horror picture!

I decided to see this movie based on the director's previous film Freeze Frame, which I think to be a superior thriller. I began to have my doubts about Amusement when I caught site of the actress who starred in that boring piece of garbage, Hit And Run. My fears were unfounded, for I thought this was actually pretty good.

I think it did a good job of pacing the action and suspense and keeping things interesting by showing the viewer a series of seemingly random attacks by apparently various madmen and asking the less lazy among us to try to piece it together.

The movie's twists are amusing but not altogether surprising. There are plenty of illogical moments as well. Don't expect an Academy Award winner and you'll probably be entertained.

I thought this film was actually quite surprising for a b list film, I went into this film thinking that it would the same as the rest a big disappointment and leaving me wondering how I'm going to get that 1.5hrs back in my life. But this film truly surprised me, it all starts with a road trip with a young girl and her petrol head boyfriend who gets a thrill out of making his own convoys with other drivers on a long journey. After stopping at a petrol station you are introduced to a couple of the members of the convoy, one is a trucker and the other a dad of three (or so you think) as with most horror movies you come to think straight away that you know who the killer is as at the beginning all the signs point to the trucker in the convoy, but you are very much surprised. The story then switches to concentrate on the main character and heroine Katheryn Winnick ... Tabitha and her babysitting roll. And her childhood friend and her boyfriend on they way back from a club her room mate goes missing so they try to find the guy who she went home with, so end up going to this creepy looking hostel. I am not going to say any more about the story line as I really want your guys to watch this and see what you think so don't want to give anything away. All I have to say is this is a good horror flick and much better than most of the big budget a list films around at the moment. It has some very interesting twists and turns, I have to admit that in some places this film can become a bit predictable but I always except that with any horror film really but the plot really makes up for this as at some point you start to think ' hold on a minute what's going on??'

This instantly forgettable piece of generic, modern horror sees a giggling psycho (known as The Laugh) wreaking revenge on three beautiful young women who, years before, failed to find his school project—a diorama featuring a mutilated rat—as amusing as he had hoped.

The film opens in an innovative enough manner, with each girl's abduction being shown as a 'story within a story', but soon descends into mediocrity as the focus of the plot becomes the standard woman in peril garbage that we have seen countless times before. To make matters worse, director John Simpson's visuals suffer from the grimy 'torture porn' look and feel that is all the rage these days, and Jake Wade Wall's script is packed with so many plot holes, clichés, and dumb characters that taking the film seriously is very hard indeed.

Admittedly, Simpson does manage to create quite a bit of tense atmosphere during one effective section of the film involving a room full of creepy toy clowns, but the premise is hardly original, and one does have to question how a killer in a creepy clown costume can enter a house completely unnoticed.

Thank heavens for the presence of hottie Katheryn Winnick (the lovely renaissance slut from Satan's Little Helper) as lead victim Tabitha, for without her as diverting eye-candy, Amusement would have been a whole lot more difficult to endure.

My girlfriend and I have just watched this gem of a movie. The acting was pretty good and the clown was really creepy as many other reviews have stated. There were some parts that were a little predictable but this definitely does not outweigh the overall quality of the movie. I do not understand why this film had so many bad reviews. There were times that made my girlfriend and I jump out of our skin! Overall we enjoyed this film thoroughly and both of us thought a 5/10 was not a fair rating. After a very long time we have seen such a creepy film. If you enjoy horror films you should like this one... I sometimes thought it was a little like a "tame" Saw movie. Of course only with a few similarities but it still reminded me of it somewhat. Enjoy!!

This movie was pretty good, regardless of what other people on IMDb claim. There wasn't many plot holes, the acting was pretty good and the 'clichés' people complain about are about as cliché as cop movie containing cops and guns, not really clichés but more like necessary genre devices.

In my opinion, before claiming there is an abundance of plot holes and inconsistencies, one should first pay close attention to the movie before making incorrect statements, otherwise, one might look like a twit. I can see why some people might get confused during the movie, some explanations are suttle, sometimes, the plot isn't fully revealed with big billboards and 'plotlines for dummies' pamflets. I conpletely grasped everything that is going on; i had no issues understanding what so ever.

The story was original and the sequence in which the events unfolded was different than most linear horror movies. The gore was pretty good and the killer was believable, even with his 'cliche' laugh.

The cinematography was good, it didn't have that handy cam feel that many indie films do. In all, the film was well put together and worth a watch, just pay attention.

I was kind of hesitant watching the movie due to the excessive poor reviews I read here but I learned a long time ago to pay little attention to what other IMDb users say. Just from reading some of the reviews you can clearly tell that many aren't even real horror fans, just upset people who were expecting something more formulaic and Hollywood.