Mr. Jingles (2006)

Mr. Jingles is a 2006 horror film directed by Tommy Brunswick, and written by Todd Brunswick. It was followed by a 2009 sequel entitled Jingles the Clown.

Plot
Young Angie Randall witnesses a spree killing clown named Mr. Jingles murder her parents, before he is shot to death by Officers Baines and Guinness. Before dying, Jingles tells Angie, "I'll be back for you!" The traumatized Angie is institutionalized until she is a teenager, at which point she is released into the care of her aunt Helen Jameson, and cousins Dylan and Heidi.

At the local cemetery, a visitor is killed by someone dressed as Jingles. Baines (who is now mayor) and Guinness are called to the graveyard by the man who found the body. The stranger tells them that this is just the beginning, and reveals he knows that Baines and the police force (excluding Guiness) covered up the fact that Jingles was wrongly lynched and imprisoned when Angie's father and several others thought he tried to abduct Angie at her fourth birthday party, when in reality he had saved her from an actual child predator. After the three men leave, two of Dylan's delinquent friends are slain by Jingles while trying to steal his tombstone for a prank they, Guinness's daughter Melanie, and a reluctant Dylan intend to play on Angie at a birthday party Heidi is setting up for her.

In his home, the stranger tells Guinness that he believes that it is not a copycat, and that Jingles has actually come back from the dead. The stranger (who reveals he was once employed at penitentiary where Jingles was placed, and witnessed the tortures inflicted on Jingles that drove him mad) presents occult objects that he found in Jingles's prison cell as evidence, prompting Guinness to remember that Jingles did chant something in a strange language as lay dying. The two grab the items necessary to banish Jingles, who confronts them as they go to leave, killing the stranger, and wounding Guinness.

While Angie, Heidi, and Heidi's friends are partying in the Jameson house, Melanie dresses up like Jingles with the intent of crashing the celebration, only to be axed by the real Jingles. Jingles breaks in and kills Heidi, Dylan, and the rest of the revelers, leaving only Angie. An unknown amount of time later, Baines and two police officers enter the house, and find a hysterical Angie clutching Jingles's axes, making it appear as if she is the murderer. As she is being hauled away by a police officer, Angie is saved by Guinness, while Jingles attacks Baines and another officer.

Cast

 * Karen Turner as Mrs. Randall
 * Dave Cunningham as James Randall
 * Rudy Hatfield as David R. Ness/Mr. Jingles
 * Kelli Jensen as Angie Randall
 * Chris Peters as Bill Guinness
 * Tom Reeser as Mayor Baines
 * Jon Manthei as Doctor Rudolph/Cop 1
 * Nicole Majdali as Helen Jameson
 * Chrissy Reeser as Mayor's Assistant
 * Doug Kolbicz as Chris
 * Nathanial Ketchum as Dylan Jameson
 * Heather Doba as Melanie Guinness
 * Brian Zoner as Curtis
 * Jessica Hall as Heidi Jameson
 * John Anton as Stranger
 * Michael Patrick Pilson as Cemetery Man
 * Novelle Neechi as Trisha
 * Amber Whelan as Jennifer
 * James Block as Parker
 * Jacob Bailey as Rusty
 * Jason Ryan as Jason
 * Shaun Buckley as Cameron
 * Tommy Brunswick as Cop 2

Reception
Critical response to Mr. Jingles has been almost entirely negative, with Dread Central giving it a zero, and calling it a "no budget, no talent slasher flick" with "awful acting, lame scripting, bad directing, mediocre gore f/x, inconsistent audio..." DVD Talk gave it one star, stating "This flick gets it all wrong: acting, writing, lighting, lensing, pacing, killing... It's pretty amazing, actually".

A one was also awarded by Slasherpool, which leveled many of the same criticisms against the film, but offered mild praise to the gore effects and score. While DVD Verdict admitted "Mr. Jingles isn't a total brain-stabbing. The gore is fun and it doesn't take itself very seriously" it still concluded "The good parts, however, are overwhelmed by the bad—garbage acting, a nonsense story, an irritating villain, accursed video quality—leading to a net negative".