Klown Blu-ray - Frank Hvam

(aka "Klovn: The Movie" )

directed by Mikkel Nørgaard
Denmark 2010

Formulaic yet irreverently raunchy and genuinely funny, KLOWN: THE MOVIE - based on the 2005-2009 Danish TV series of the same name - follows the travails of Frank (writer Frank Hvam) to prove his "fatherhood potential" when his girlfriend Mia (Mia Lyhne) is pregnant and had not told him because she has her doubts about his abilities as a parent. She is not unjustified in her doubts since Frank leaves her nephew Bo (Marcuz Jess Petersen) - staying with them while his remarried mother is on her honeymoon - behind when a prowler breaks into their house. An incensed Mia means to take Bo with her to his grandparents' but Frank ends up with that task when attempts to give her a "pearl necklace" (look it up) but tends up temporarily blinding her mother. Desperate to prove that he can be a good father, he kidnaps Bo and takes him along on his planned camping trip with best friend Casper (Casper Christensen) hoping to work in some wholesome activities in what is actually Casper's "Tour de Pussy" including a bit of camping (and sex with high school girls), some drug use at a music festival, and climaxing in a visit to the "Alley Cat" brothel (an EYES WIDE SHUT-esque establishment that only opens for one night a year.

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: 16 December 2010 (Denmark)

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Comparison:

Arrow Films - Region 2 - PAL vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the DVD Review!

1) Arrow - Region 2 - PAL LEFT

2) Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Arrow Films Region 2 - PAL	Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:29:27 (4% PAL speedup)	1:29:31.840
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.71 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.85:1 1080i Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 40,556,866,342 bytes Feature: 21,464,767,872 bytes Video Bitrate: 24.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Bitrate Blu-ray
Audio	Danish Dolby Digital 5.1	DTS-HD Master Audio Danish 3515 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3515 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles	English, none	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Arrow Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • Start-up trailers for 'The Taste of Money', 'Exit', and 'A Hijacking'. DVD Release Date: March 31st, 2014 Amaray Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Arrow 1.85:1 1080i Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 40,556,866,342 bytes Feature: 21,464,767,872 bytes Video Bitrate: 24.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Commentary by director Mikkel Nørgaard and writer-actors Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen • Klown: It s a Jungle Down There, an episode from the original television series, co-written by Lars von Trier (25:03) • Klown from Behind, a making of documentary (40:06) • Crafting The Willie , a featurette on the film s prosthetics (2:19) • Inside Castello Alleycat, scenes from film's brothel set (3:34) • Deleted scenes (12:55) • Alternative opening sequence (1:39) • Outtakes (6:03) • Gallery • 5 Trailers/Teasers • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Danny Hellman FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Sergio Angelini Blu-ray Release Date: June 5th, 2017 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters: 13

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (June 2017): I'm still investigating why the Arrow is in 1080i (PAL running time) unless that is how it was originally shown (Dec 2010). I believe that the Image Entertainment, Region 'A', Blu-ray of Klown HERE was 1080P! We understand that the Finnish BD is also 1080i. The Arrow looks fine - marginally in advance of their own SD. It's clean, colors are tighter, and there is some depth.

Arrow use a very robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround (24-bit) benefitting the score by Kristian Eidnes Andersen (Ida, Nymphomaniac, The Hunt, Antichrist) and all effects sounds clean, tight and carry depth. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'B'-locked Blu-ray disc.

Extras seem to duplicate the US Image Entertainment Blu-ray with the commentary by director Mikkel Nørgaard and writer-actors Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen, the 25-minute Klown: It's a Jungle Down There, episode from the original television series, co-written by Lars von Trier. There is a 40-minute making of documentary entitled Klown from Behind. Crafting The Willie is a brief featurette on the film's prosthetics and Inside Castello Alleycat, are some scenes from film's brothel set. There are also deleted scenes, an alternative opening sequence and amusing Outtakes (Bloopers). There is a gallery and 5 trailers/teasers. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Danny Hellman and for the first pressing (only) an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Sergio Angelini.

Klown is very adult (often embarrassingly so) and equally funny. I really enjoyed it and will revisit. The substantial extras give this significant value over the DVD. Those overly sensitive to this style of humor should prepare themselves and we still, absolutely, recommend!

***

ON THE DVD: Although barebones, Arrow Films has given this Danish production a dual-layer encode and have also preserved the original 5.1 mix in Dolby Digital (unlike some of their TV acquisitions). The transfer is attractive for the most part, but subject to the limitations of the production (the music festival scenes are not as slick-looking, but the camera work also adapts a more shaky-cam, zoom-happy approach during these captured-on-the-go scenes). The 5.1 track is largely restrained until the music festival scenes where it explodes to life.

The only extras are a trio of start-up trailers. Some contextual information on the TV series on which it is based would have been nice to one could judge whether it was an adaptation of the show's storylines, a direct continuation of them, a suitable resolution to the show or even a tangential companion piece.

An Image Entertainment, Region 'A', Blu-ray of Klown HERE is available.

- Eric Cotenas

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Arrow Region 'B' - Blu-ray

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Screen Captures

Subtitle sample

1) Arrow - Region 2 - PAL TOP