RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Vulgar
Vulgar

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Vulgar (2002)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
23 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:26

Fresh:6

Rotten:20

Average Rating:3.2/10

Consensus: Vulgar more than lives up to its title.

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: First-time writer-director Bryan Johnson may be best known as a member of filmmaker Kevin Smith's View Askew universe (he played Steve-Dave in MALLRATS and DOGMA), but those expecting VULGAR to be... First-time writer-director Bryan Johnson may be best known as a member of filmmaker Kevin Smith's View Askew universe (he played Steve-Dave in MALLRATS and DOGMA), but those expecting VULGAR to be another version of CLERKS might be surprised by this off-kilter drama that is best described as Bozo the Clown meets DELIVERANCE. Brian O'Halloran (Dante from CLERKS) plays Will, aka Flappy the Clown, an earnest, downtrodden guy desperately trying to make a living as a clown. Will is a constant target of abuse--from the drunks flinging projectiles on his ratty lawn to his nursing home-bound mother's streams of vitriol. Barely scraping by, Will has an "epiphany" about how to make more money--by hiring himself out for bachelor parties as Vulgar, a clown sporting a bustier and garters. On his first outing, Will instead finds himself in a terrifying situation with the psychotic Ed (Jerry Lewkovitz) and his two inbred sons. After a life-changing violation that Will only reveals to his friend, Syd (Johnson), some luck finally comes his way via a television executive (a cameo from Kevin Smith). However, more trouble awaits the put-upon clown in Johnson's dark, disturbing tale. [More]

Starring: Brian O'Halloran, Brian Christopher, Bryan Johnson, Jerry Lewkowitz

Starring: Brian O'Halloran, Brian Christopher, Bryan Johnson, Jerry Lewkowitz, Ethan Suplee, Matthew Maher, Jason Mewes, David Klein, Kevin Smith

Director: Bryan Johnson

Director: Bryan Johnson
Producer: Monica Hampton
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Vulgar

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Imagine John Waters remaking Deliverance starring Bozo the Clown, and that's Vulgar.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
08/19/02
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
10/08/02
Rachel Sanders
Rachel Sanders
Apollo Guide

Makes for a pretty unpleasant viewing experience.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/07/01
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Boxoffice Magazine

With cheap camera work, a script that's so awful it makes porn dialogue sound like Shakespeare and scenes that suggest some especially unsavory snuff films, there's no reason to go near this flick in the first place.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
04/26/02
E! Online

It’s the movie equivalent of a sweaty old guy in a rain coat shopping for cheap porn.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/01/02
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Fairly inept stuff.

comment Comment
04/02/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/17/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Imagine Kevin Smith, the blasphemous bad boy of suburban Jersey, if he were stripped of most of his budget and all of his sense of humor. The result might look like Vulgar.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment 1 Comment
05/03/02
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly

I'm sure there's a teenage boy out there somewhere who's dying for this kind of entertainment.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/25/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

The premise of this film is as audacious as they come.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
09/04/02
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

A tale of horror and revenge that is nearly perfect in its relentless descent to the depths of one man's tortured soul.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/06/03
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Unspeakable, of course, barely begins to describe the plot and its complications. Vulgar is too optimistic a title.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
04/26/02
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

[A] mess.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
04/26/02
Henry Sheehan
Henry Sheehan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Being unique doesn't necessarily equate to being good, no matter how admirably the filmmakers have gone for broke.

Full Review Source: Movie Poop Shoot | comment Comment
05/17/02
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
Movie Poop Shoot

"Vulgar" is as far away from "Jay and Silent Bob" as you could possibly imagine, so if you are going to watch the film, try and forget there was ever a Jay, a Bob, a Dante, a Holden, a Banky and a woman named Amy, and you might get something a little more

Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment Comment
09/17/02
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Johnson has, in his first film, set himself a task he is not nearly up to.

comment Comment
04/25/02
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
New Times

For those willing to risk being made very uncomfortable, this instant cult classic announces the arrival of a distinctive new talent behind the camera.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
04/26/02
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Too campy to work as straight drama and too violent and sordid to function as comedy, Vulgar is, truly and thankfully, a one-of-a-kind work.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
04/26/02
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's hard to imagine any recent film, independent or otherwise, that makes as much of a mess as this one.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
04/26/02
Gene Seymour
Gene Seymour
Newsday

As unseemly as its title suggests.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/10/02
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Peter Jackson Talks Hobbit, LotR Blu-ray Source: Collider.com
1
  • Woman Jailed for Filming New Moon Screening Source: Chicago Sun-Times
0
  • McG Has Plans for Fifth and Sixth Terminator Movies Source: Gizmodo
3
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
22
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
162
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
79
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
55
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
36
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
28
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
23
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
30
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Vulgar at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Vulgar at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.