Video on Demand — July 2012
Klown
Long considered one of the funniest shows in Scandinavia, the television series Klown features Danish comedians Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam playing Curb Your Enthusiasm-style variations on themselves, getting into hysterically awkward encounters with friends and strangers, loved ones and frenemies, including other Danish celebrities such as actress Iben Hjejle (High Fidelity, The Boss of It All) and Jørgen Leth (the co-director, with Lars von Trier, of The Five Obstructions). Running for six seasons, it propelled the comic duo to the heights of Danish celebrity and mainstream popularity. Now there is a film version of Klown directed by Mikkel Nørgaard, who conceived and directed much of the series with Christensen and Hvam, an uproarious and vulgar and sneakily sentimental comedy, playing like an odd riff on the significantly inferior The Hangover series. Whether it is a canoe trip from hell or the single most unforgettable masturbation joke/set piece you’ll likely ever see, the film contains a wealth of golden comedic moments. (Brandon Harris)