Stitches, Are We Happy...or Dead?

When I lived in Maryland, my family and I attended a traditional Baptist church that decided to go the contemporary way.  Gone was the choir, and in was the praise band.  Also, in order to reach the mentally deranged among us for Christ, was a clown ministry.  Children were frightened to tears and parents decided to skip the worship service and hang out in the gym.  In 2012's "Stitches," Kate (Gemma-Leah Devereux) remarks, "Not every party ends with a dead clown."  Too bad....gone are the days of Bozo.  In today's paranoid society, most of us conjure up images of Stephen King's fiend from the novel "It" when we think of clowns. Let us take a look at a gory offering from Ireland, "Stitches."

Stitches (Ross Noble) the clown, a very rude sort, shows up drunk at 10 year old Tom's birthday party.  The smart-alec kids taunt him and cause an accident which results in a very bloody demise for Stitches.  Six years later, the kids are now very attractive high school students, and Tom (Tommy Knight) is on meds because of the shock at his 10th birthday party. With his mom out of town for his 16th birthday party, Tom's pals arrange for a party at his house.  Practically the whole school shows up...and because of a weird, magical clown rite, Stitches busts out of his grave.  As we all know, a clown cannot rest if he left a party unfinished.

16 year old Tom is very insecure and his childhood crush, Kate has blossomed nicely.  Kate and Tom are still sweet on each other, and it is very cute.  Their goo-goo eyes are quite the contrast to the revenge Stitches is about to dish out.  Drugs, alcohol, and pre-marital sex permeates this party, which seals the fate for some great looking kids.  The resurrected Stitches goes after some bullies first, as he rips the limbs off Paul (Hugh Mulhern). Paul's hot GF (Roisin Barron) will meet a similar fate at the hands of Stitches' umbrella. As Kate and Tom try to rekindle their relationship, Stitches goes through Tom's pals like crap through a goose on his way to our two lovebirds. As Tom figures out his tormentor has returned from the grave, he has a mad-cap idea on how to defeat him.  This plan will take him and Kate into the evil clown lair where their chances of success are unknown.

Will Tom kill Stitches, on purpose this time, and win over the beautiful Kate?  Is Stitches a mere metaphor for the dumbing down of churches, and many other pillars of western civilization, in this new millennium?  The kills are incredibly gory, and also quite humorous.  Many might be reminded of the "Leprechaun" franchise as they witness the wit of our monster here.  Direction by Conor McMahon, and terrific acting, especially by Mr. Knight and Ms. Devereux help make this a must-see horror-comedy.  Available on Netflix, enjoy "Stitches."