I remember watching a film when I was younger. It was on TV. I couldn't have watched it any later than 1998. So it was definitely made before then.

I'm not sure what it was about, but it featured a scene where this scary clown or circus guy was chasing this kid through a circus; around the big tents, under cables and storage areas, and in the truck area etc. I can't remember if he was a clown or a circus guy with a top hat and a monicle, but he was really creepy looking - probably a clown as this is what gave me a fear of clown. I think. My memory is not so clear about this.

That's all I remember. It was dark, at night when this chase happened. I got the feeling it was in a European city, maybe Budapest or Moscow, but it could have been anywhere. It was on TV in the UK when I was younger, so it wouldn't have been an obscure foreign film, it must be a US or UK-produced film, and despite it being scary, I feel it was made for kids.

Any ideas?

I really want to find what movie this was, but I have nothing really to offer you to help me. Perhaps I can change my sig? I know this might interest people that despise me..any takers?

PS: It wasn't I.T.. Although that also contributed to my fear of clowns.

maybe ?

Could you please use words. I cannot view youtube as I'm in China. Thanks

or this one, starting at 28:45, but there's no chase...

first clip is the trailer for "something wicked this way comes", second one is the full movie "the other" (1972).

but reading your first post again, i now doubt that it's "the other"...

also "the 7 faces of dr. lao" comes to my mind but it must be more than 20 years since i've last seen this.

Ok, great guesses, really good. The Other seems like an adult movie, so it can't be that, and I distinctly remember a circus in the movie I am looking for, and The Other doesn't appear to have that. Also it's too old.

The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, again no circus, and the film I am looking for wasn't about a Chinaman.

But Something Wicked This Way Comes...now you may be on to something here! The date (1983) is perfect, and the circus thing is great, and it centers on two young boys. I've had a look at the IMDB page and the visuals are not bringing anything back to me, but the story sound spot on, or the theme at least. It was a kids movie too, so that would fit the Sunday afternoon TV time that I watched it. I'll have to look on Youtube or search for some images to fully make sure.

I vaguely remember a dog in this movie. The boy had a dog. Again, this is vague. He may not have, and I've seen thousands of movies since, so my memory could be corrupted by these other movies.

take a look at the review index of this site: http://www.kindertrauma.com/

KINDERTRAUMA is about the movies, books, and toys that scared you when you were a kid. It’s also about kids in scary movies, both as heroes and villains. And everything else that’s traumatic to a tyke!

I've just watched the trailer for Something Wicked This Way Comes and I don't think it is the correct movie, although the searching for the boys aspect is spot-on. I think it was more of a clown searching for them, in fact I'm certain of that now.

I'll check out that site for sure. Thanks

The Funhouse (1981)?
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)?
Clownhouse (1989)?

i watched the funhouse a few months ago, and there's a subplot involving a boy checking out a carnival at night. but there's no dog or a clown as far as i remember. the bad guys are a mutated freak and his father. the subplot involving the boy is dropped in the middle of the movie and instead we get a rather standard slasher flick involving teens, one of them is the boy's sister.

.

My memory of the film is not super focused, but maybe it is Clownhouse by Victor Salva?

EDIT: Which I see Price already mentioned.

Nope. All these 3 movies were made for adults. The film I am looking for was made for kids, and I'm not even sure if the scene I described is the overall theme of the movie, it just happened to have that scene. It's obviously about this kid being captured by someone, but the clown part might not be the main villain, I just cannot remember enough about it.

I remember that the clown was creepy, though. Creepy, not explicitly nasty (no blood or anything that would be in a "horror" movie). It was the way he moved, looking under trucks and around corners to find this boy. The boy was scared, running away and hiding. I think I remember that the scene peters out and the boy gets away, but there are a few close encounters. I also think the chase starts at a circus and later continues at the circus when the boy returns (why he would do that, I do not know, but kids are stupid sometimes).

Now I'm starting to doubt that it was even a clown. But NO, I have to be sure about this. It definitely was. Perhaps it was a direct-to-video release, so perhaps try not to think of big theatrically released movies..

Air Bud has an evil clown.

Just a thought, but does anything similar to what I've explained happen in a Pee Wee Herman movie?

in "pee wee's big adventure" pee wee has a nightmare after his bike gets stolen and we see a group of creepy clowns doing mischievous things to his bike. it's not a real suspense scenario though involving hide and seek.

Ok. Can't be that then. I just remember that when I was younger, I also didn't like watching Pee Wee movies because of some irrational fear either, so thought they may be the same movie or something. I guess not though.

This clown movie is still bugging me. I think it may have been a TV movie or DTV movie shown on TV.

Lol. Too modern, I think. Also, the film I am looking for is darker in tone.

Air Bud came to mind first for me too. It's not too modern, it was 1997 so it would have made it onto to kids tv by 98 sometime.. I know Problem Child ends with a chase at the circus.

I wouldn't rule out an adult film, I'm sure you snuck in a few adult films that your parents thought might be more aimed at kids when you were younger.

I saw tons of adult films when I was younger, but I remember seeing this on a Sunday afternoon on the TV. I'm pretty sure the BBC or ITV wouldn't show an R-rated movie (15 or 18 in the UK) on a Sunday afternoon when children are at home, regardless of how much it may have been cut.

It's funny you say about Problem Child, because it's very much in that era of movies when I saw it, and whenever I think of that movie, I also think of Problem Child. I know it's not Problem Child, though, as that was a comedy and I can remember that as plain as day because I love that movie. The chase in Problem Child happens in daylight too.

Maybe Dr. Giggles, that ends I think in a funhouse in an amusement park. He's not a clown but he was a creepy fuck who laughed alot

Could it be a TV series instead of a movie?

Like the episode The Tale Of The Crimson Crown from the Are You Afraid Of The Dark TV series's that ran from 1990-1996?

Totally could be Are you afraid of the Dark, there's an episode in a hospital with crazy vampires that scared me when I was a kid. Or Goosebumps