Clay Pigeons (1998) User Reviews

How strange...

[tripwires · 8/10 · 2 March 2001]

Clay Pigeons is, to put it mildly, a very strange movie. That could be just me though, as this is the first dark comedy I've seen. Despite that I had fun watching it, from the first scene (which, by the way, gives you an awesome view of Joaquin Phoenix's beautiful eyes) up till the very last. Joaquin Phoenix, once again, delivered a memorable performance as Clay. He said his lines with conviction and the right amount of emotions at the right places. I don't know if Vince Vaughn was supposed to be hilarious but he cracked me up. I don't fancy Vince much but I like him in this movie. The plot is pretty unpredictable, and even though it doesn't grip your heart with tension it will maintain your interest until the very end cause you'll be dying to find out what happens to Clay.

Overall this film is definitely worth a watch.

One of the year's most entertaining and original movies. *** out of ****

[Movie-12 · 8/10 · 24 February 1999]

"Clay Pigeons" is a black comedy centering on a young man named Clay Birdwell, who works as a Montana gas station attendant. He is having an affair with his best friend's wife, Amanda. His best friend, Earl, knows about this, however. Thus he kills himself one day, and cleverly frames Clay for the murder. Clay, feeling both afraid and awkward, covers this incident up by making the death look like a suicide. The police fall for it and Clay puts this mess behind him. This film, both written and directed by newcomer David Dobkin, is the most original movie I have seen in a long while. Think about it, we haven't had a movie this clever and blackly comic since "Fargo," possible one of the best movies I have ever scene. The characters are so unique, while they don't generate much sympathy from the audience; they still are extremely fun to watch.

The performances are another great element in the movie. Vince Vaughn portrays Lester Long like he did in the recent "Psycho" remake. His style, giggle, attitude, and presence are all priceless. Joaquin Phoenix takes us though a funny joyride as he gets into more and more trouble as Clay. Let's not forget Georgina Cates, as the slutty wife of Earl. She plays cocky character who everyone loves to hate. The only character I could find is Janeane Garofalo's, who was surly inspired by Frances MacDormand from "Fargo."

The film's soundtrack is of the best there is, with songs that not only further the character's motives, but are also catchy and even describe some of the movie's plot at times. I have owned the soundtrack even before I saw the movie, which is quite unusual. But once I heard the theme song to "Clay Pigeons": "The Ballad of Lester Long," I had to get it.

I do think that this movie could have been better, however. If it had left a few more elements to the imagination, like the guilt or innocence of Clay Birdwell, and the explicit murder and sex scenes, maybe the viewer would be l bit more involved into the story. A little less plot and a little fewer characters would have also been nice.

But those are but minor complaints. I was looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time, and I was not that disappointed. "Clay Pigeons" is one of the years most entertaining and original films.

The laughing cowboy

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 26 December 2005]

"Clay Pigeons" was a pleasant surprise to discover. Director David Dobkin, working with Matt Healye's screen play, has created a film with a western flavor in which a young man has the bad fortune of being around when different dead bodies are found; it doesn't take too long when Clay will be implicated in them.

Clay is an auto mechanic who made the mistake of having an affair with one of his buddies' wife. Earl reminds Clay at the beginning of the film when he decides to kill himself. He is convinced his death will have "Clay" written all over it. What's more, his widow, Amanda, the young and sexy woman who had the affair with Clay wants to continue the relationship now that her old man is gone. Clay, who has been scared out of his mind with what he had witnessed wants to be millions of miles apart from Amanda, who keeps pressuring the young man for sex.

One night at the local tavern, Lester Long, a stranger to the town, witnesses how Clay slaps Amanda in front of everyone because he has had it with her. Lester, who appears to be a friendly guy, strikes a conversation with Clay and invites him to go fishing in a nearby lake. That same lake is the place where Clay had taken the corpse of Gloria, who was killed while having sex with him by the deranged Amanda. Little does Clay know who his new friend really is.

When the FBI is called to investigate Amanda's own death, things begin to spiral for Clay. Everything is out of control. Agent Shelby thinks Clay is the one responsible for Amanda's killing and a string of others like it in the area. Clay puts two and two together and he realizes who is the killer and puts a plan into action. The last thing we see is Clay leaving town and driving in the opposite direction.

Joaquin Phoenix makes Clay come alive in a great reading of this character. Mr. Phoenix is at times the confused man who is perplexed and wonders how anyone can be accusing him of the crimes he supposedly committed. Vince Vaughn is perfect as the reptilian Lester Long. He adds a layer to his character with the nervous laugh he doesn't seem to control. Janeane Garofalo plays FBI agent Shelby with good results. Scott Wilson is seen as Sheriff Mooney who believes in Clay's innocence.

The excellent music score provided by John Lurie serves the movie well as does the cinematography of Eric Edwards. David Dobkin directed with assurance, making this film become a good way to spend some time.

Surprisingly good

[AKS-6 · 7/10 · 11 June 2000]

I usually don't read many comments here at IMDb before I have seen a certain film, I only read a few. But before I saw "Clay Pigeons" I read them all and after having done so I didn't exactly expect much when I pushed "play" on the remote control. I'm not saying that that is the only reason why I liked this movie so much, because I really thought that it was a good film. Not a masterpiece of course, but the script is witty, the acting great, and the movie in itself is quite entertaining -- it's never boring. I really, really like Joaquin Phoenix, he is one of the best young actors around now, and he didn't disappoint me in this film -- far from it. He's quite brilliant. Vince Vaughn must have had a great time playing Lester Long, you can see that he is comfortable with his character and Vaughn is better than I'd ever expected, however, for me it's Phoenix's film. He truly is amazing. As for Janeane Garofalo, she's certainly not bad, but neither very good, but that's mainly because she's in the shadow of Vaughn and Phoenix. Overall, an entertaining and rather funny film, way better than I expected. (7/10)

Clay Pigeons

[jaredmobarak · 6/10 · 22 July 2006]

Before striking gold by teaming with Vince Vaughn in last year's Wedding Crashers, director David Dobkin tabbed him for his debut Clay Pigeons. The movie had some buzz behind it upon its release in 1998, however I never got around to checking it out. A few months ago, while listening to my podcast of choice, the movie review show Cinecast (recently renamed as Filmspotting), Pigeons was brought back into my consciousness. It is a well-made effort—dark subject matter mixed with pitch black humor. This is vintage Vaughn who really lights up the screen with his infectious smile; even the high-pitched hyena laugh stays in tact as he must not have been asked to tone it down as it seems his more recent films have required. Joaquin Phoenix plays a man who seems to not be able to catch a break. How many times must one character take care of dead bodies that he hasn't even killed? Everyone has something to hold over him so that he must cover up the chaos happening in the town. Pigeons is shot well and nicely paced. It's a shame Dobkin seems to have forgone the edge this film contains for more general fare like Crashers and the forthcoming Vaughn vehicle Joe Claus. He shows some nice flare and hopefully will continue making entertaining movies.

Quirky and enjoyable

[tresdodge · 21 October 2004]

A young man ,Clay, who lives in a small town witnesses a friend commit suicide because of affairs Clay has had with his girlfriend. Clay covers the suicide up to make it look like an accident, however death and murder continue when Clay becomes involved with an affable but murderous cowboy.

Joaquin Phoenix is very good in his role and works extremely well on screen with Vince Vaughn who is always great to see in anything. The cinematography is top notch and the music works incredibly well to all round create an off beat, interesting and watchable effort. The ending could have been better but this an enjoyable 'independent' film none the less.

I still don't know what this is

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 1 March 2015]

I've now seen 'Clay Pigeons' three times and yet I'm still not totally sure how best to describe it, or know what exactly I've even watched! However, at least I must like it... whatever it is.

It's a story which doesn't really fit easily into any particular genre. It's not really thrilling enough to be a thriller. It doesn't have any element of a 'who-dun-it' as every death is pretty much self explanatory and there's certainly no action in it. Perhaps the best category – if this IS even a category – is 'serial killer' film... as there are plenty of bodies piling up here and there.

It's about a man – Clay, played by Joaquin Phoenix – who just seems to attract death and destruction all around him. He can't seem to go a day in his small American town without someone he knows getting killed – normally horribly. And this trend is set to get worse when he meets Lester, played by (a slim) Vince Vaughn, who also seems to just want to kill pretty much everyone in his way.

What follows isn't your average story. There are no 'damsels in distress' who conveniently need to be rescued in the final act. And, talking of final acts, there isn't the traditional stand-off between hero and villain in some dramatic place, like the top of a high-rise building. Perhaps that's why the film has such an odd feel to it. It doesn't really conform to any sort of blueprint. You just follow the lives of these – murderous – characters and see where it takes you.

If you like the sound of that, you should get something out of this film. It has the feel of a film-maker's early work where he's still allowed enough freedom not to conform to every Hollywood convention. However, a word of caution, if you're looking for 'relatable' characters then you probably won't find any here. All of them, even Clay, are hardly the sort of people you'd want to hang around with. But then that's why you probably won't mind seeing them bumped off one by one.

You've heard of a chick magnet...how about a dead chick magnet?

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 31 December 2006]

This black comedy is just down right wicked. Clay(Joaquin Phoenix)is just an unimposing fellow that has a lot of bad luck. His best friend commits suicide and hopes the blame falls on Clay as payback for sleeping with his wife Amanda(Georgina Cates). Amanda is a cold hearted sex machine that doesn't want to let Clay go. Clay is befriended by a cowboy buffoon, Lester(Vince Vaughn)that knows a dark secret. Both Clay and Amanda are worried; but Amanda is found hacked to death. Soon its like a dead girl marathon and it appears Clay is the prime suspect...after all he keeps finding dead bodies. Scott Wilson is the Mercer, Montana Sheriff that believes Clay is innocent. Janeane Garofalo plays the FBI Agent that finds it hard to believe Clay is not a serial killer. A decent soundtrack features Don Gibson, Pat Boone and Elvis Presley.

An excellent thriller that comes out of nowhere.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 9/10 · 27 June 2003]

Clay Pigeons is one of those movies that I only rented because I worked at a video store when it was released and I got movie rentals for free and would go through every movie that came out. I'm glad I rented it, too, because this is one of the best thrillers I've seen in years. Like it's title, there's nothing really complex or intricate about it, and it even follows pretty close to the usual thriller plotline, but it is so well acted and written that it thrills and entertains throughout the entire film.

The characters are made up mostly of caricatures. Caricatures, in this case, oddly enough, of the actors performing them rather than the role that needed to be filled in the story. Janeane Garofalo plays the part of an FBI agent assigned to investigate the various murders that begin turning up in a small town. Like most of her characters, she is disillusioned, sarcastic, and continually amazed at the sheer idiocy with which she is surrounded. Vince Vaughn delivers a wonderful performance as the villain, with his endless charm making him the perfect actor to play the part of a serial killer. 'They're all charming,' as they say.

As is often the case, Joaquin Phoenix also plays a rather unenviable role, as he did in movies like 8MM, To Die For, and Gladiator. He is a good guy in Clay Pigeons, but after you watch the movie it becomes obvious that this guy must just have a serious problem with bad luck. A good friend of Clay's (Phoenix) kills himself in a remote location early in the film because of an affair that Clay has been having with his wife, forcing Clay to alter the scene to make it look like an accidental death in order to avoid looking like he did it to get rid of him so that he could be with his wife.

It's strange to notice the absolute absence of any kind of remorse or sadness that this wife shows after her husband kills himself. Clay is freaking out, and this vicious bitch wants to continue their sexual escapades as though nothing has even happened. When Lester Long (Vaughn) shows up, he strikes up a friendship with Clay and, through a bizarre fishing incident, becomes irreversibly intertwined with Clay's murders. Basically they are stuck working together for the rest of the movie no matter how much Clay's hatred for Lester grows. You'll just have to watch the movie to see why.

I thought that the ending was a tiny bit of a copout, if only because it involves a situation at a distant roadside diner/café that ends too perfectly. This situation just had way too many variables that could have happened to have come off exactly as it was expected to, but the movie was still so good that it is more than worth it. If you are looking for a great thriller (and you've already seen The Way of the Gun), Clay Pigeons is the way to go.

Nice job with unpromising material.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 6 February 2007]

I kind of liked it. Oh, it's leisurely and the plot is nothing special, but the overall impact on the viewer is likely to be positive.

The acting, for instance, is pretty good. Joaquin Phoenix seems to have gotten bonier as he's matured and has acquired some character. He's alright, and the director gives him room. When his ex-girl friend shoots his current lover, he throws the perpetrator against a wall and pressing her with his left forearm he repeatedly punches his right fist against the wood panel next to her head. Then he pauses, his triceps quivering, holds the position for an unusually long period, and then he delivers another blow to the smashed wood. It's a tiny wordless explosion of impotent rage, and it's perfectly timed. Phoenix is suspected of multiple murders actually committed by a recent acquaintance. He's afraid to go to the police because, well, things would look a little fishy, what with his knowing the victims and having struck one of them just before she disappeared.

Janeane Garofalo is petite and not strikingly beautiful as an FBI agent who smokes grass and then eats pizza, and all the while the gears in her brain are still whirling. She's businesslike, utters clipped, sarcastic remarks, and has a smile full of dazzlingly white teeth that belong in a commercial for Bright Strip. Okay. Strictly routine. But then we see her in a bar, getting into some scotch, and she is getting hit on by Vince Vaughn who, unbeknownst to her, is the serial killer she's searching for. Here's the thing about that scene. Considering what we've seen of her character so far, we fully expect her to advise Vaughn to take up residence in a place where the sun don't shine -- but no! Like an actor in a Greek drama, she holds up another persona. She becomes girlish and responsive, flattered by Vaughn's clumsy and overobvious attention, and playful with him before he hustles off with his next victim, leaving Garafolo clearly a little unhappy. Again, it isn't much, not a display of thespian fireworks, but it TELLS us something we wouldn't have guessed about her. She's a woman under that badge and behind that gun. Her character has acquired another dimension. She's no longer a stereotype. And the scene impresses on us the fake rapport that the killer can generate in strangers.

Vince Vaughn has the showiest role, a big, affable, charming, slightly dumb cowboy with a yen for cutting up cute girls into little pieces. His performance, alas, is as bland as his face, although it's professional. He doesn't blow it. He just doesn't bring much to the party.

Scott Wilson is the local sheriff. He's turned into a decent character actor, light years away from his murderer in "In Cold Blood." He's feeble, shuffling, spare of speech, and a little morose, as if filled with guilt for having slaughtered the Clutter family.

The score is quite original too. None of it is what you'd expect from a movie about a serial murderer. There are some country and western tunes in the background, Elvis Presley, "Moon Over Montana," reflecting the rather dreary social atmosphere of the town. As Vaughn says at one point, "Country music is an acquired taste." (Garofalo's reply: "No it isn't. I've listened to it and hated it from the beginning. Scotch is an acquired taste.") But then the underscore comes up with some strange sounds indeed. Tympani are repeatedly swept up and down as if rolling over Montana's hills. Odd, unexpected clicks and clacks. It doesn't distract the viewer and it comes across as apt in a queer way. But the score isn't of a piece either. It's made up of multiple discordant riffs drawn from different quarters and pasted together.

It's a nicely judged piece of work, striking a neat mean between being loud and edgy and being soft and dull. The script itself may be routine but the actors and the director lend it fresh dimensions.

Entertaining, But Flawed

[strangerdave-2 · 5/10 · 27 August 2006]

Clay Pigeons has all the ingredients of a first rate film; Outstanding acting by Joaquin Phoenix (before he became a superstar) and Janeane Garafaolo (before she became a left wing stooge); Vince Vaughan in one of the great performances of his or any career; a leitmotif of outstanding country music that perfectly sets the mood throughout the picture; laugh out loud dialog; and, last but not least, gorgeous half-naked women.

Alas, the movie's shortcomings, from start to finish, are too great to overlook. The incident upon which the whole plot depends is a suicide that the victim has made to look like a murder by Clay (Phoenix), who had been having an affair with the dead man's wife. Never mind that the victim's fingerprints are all over the gun - Clay panics and pushes the victim and his truck over a cliff rather than admit to the affair and report the truth. What makes this decision all the more ludicrous is that we later learn that the sheriff and Clay are old buds. When evidence from two murders that happen consequential to the initial incident point definitively to Clay as the killer, the sheriff still refuses to believe that he is guilty.

Everything else about the story is pretty ridiculous, too. How did the murder weapon get into Clay's fireplace? And, wouldn't the murderer have placed it in a more obvious location, since his whole point was to set up Clay? How does Clay know where to find the murderer when he escapes from jail? How does Agent Shelby (Garafaolo) know where to go, and why would she go alone after a serial killer who's about twice her size? Why does Clay misdirect Shelby when she gets there? Why is the last bit of trickery, when Lester(Vaughan) thinks he's taking a ride to New Mexico with "Robert" necessary? And on and on.

If you're looking for a night's worth of entertainment, you can do a lot worse than Clay Pigeons. The problem is, Clay Pigeons is a lot worse than it should have been.

Dark Humor Drives Engrossing Story

[jhclues · 9/10 · 11 September 2000]

In a small town out west, a target practice outing with a friend kicks off a chain of bizarre events that lead a man to involvement with murder and an unsolicited alliance with a person of, shall we say, `questionable' character in `Clay Pigeons,' directed by David Dobkin. Joaquin Phoenix is Clay Birdwell, a regular guy whose lack of judgment and discretion catches up with him unexpectedly in this dark, maddening tale of morality and fate that is sometimes morose and disturbing, at other times darkly humorous, as it deftly examines the trappings of the tangled webs we humans weave. Clay has become mired in a moral dilemma from which there seems to be no escape, when he meets and is befriended by Lester Long (Vince Vaughn), a trucker passing through town one night. At a local bar, Lester observes that Clay doesn't exactly have a way with women; it gets Lester's attention, which leads to a game of pool and, later on, a casual fishing trip that, like the target practice outing, proves to be a life-altering experience for Clay. Phoenix is perfectly cast as Clay, ably conveying the effects of the dark quagmire into which he is cast by circumstances he is unable to control. His performance enables you to feel him sinking ever deeper as the story moves along, and to empathize with him and experience what he is going through. You realize that he understands his situation, and it becomes a matter of waiting to see if he will make the right decisions, regardless of the inevitable consequences. It creates a tension that makes you want to yell at the screen to tell him what to do. Vaughn is excellent as well as the cowboy trucker with the winning smile, robust laugh and a closet full of dark secrets. There's a menace behind the good-natured facade he puts on that becomes more pronounced as the events unfold. Pretty early on you know what this guy is all about, but somehow it only enhances the anxiety of the whole situation as it becomes a cat-and mouse game (with some unexpected twists) between Clay and Lester. Another notable performance comes from the charismatic Janeane Garofalo, who is surprisingly effective and credible as F.B.I. agent Dale Shelby, who comes to town when things take a turn and begin to heat up. It's a credit to her talent and versatility that she can pull this character off so well. The supporting cast includes Georgina Cates (Amanda), Scott Wilson (Sheriff Mooney), Vince Vieluf (Deputy Barney), and Monica Moench (Kimberly). There are moments in this movie that absolutely make you want to tear your hair out, a credit to the way Dobkin put this project together and delivered it. `Clay Pigeons' is a nail-biter that will keep you going right up to the end (which is terrific); Clay and Lester are characters you're going to remember, and just to make sure there's a brief, inspired reminder at the end of the credits (so stay with it all the way). Relatively overlooked during it's original release, this film should gain new life on video, and deservedly so; this is one you'll be glad you took a look at. I rate this one 9/10.

Promise you'll stop finding dead people.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 21 May 2007]

Before David Dobkin directed Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights, he did this, his first feature film. Now, while I would rather run nude through the mall (sorry for that image) than admit I have ever watched these two films, I have to admit that he did a great job with this one.

Casting Vince Vaughn as the villain was brilliant, as I see him that way, and I was most impressed with Joaquin Phoenix; more than I have ever been.

The supporting cast was brilliant also: Janeane Garofalo from The West Wing as an FBI agent; Scott Wilson from C.S.I as the sheriff; Georgina Cates and Nikki Arlyn (who we see way too little of) as the victims.

The soundtrack was so good, I headed to Amazon.com to get it immediately.

Great thriller with some great characters. Worth your time.

You Shoot All the Husbands, and I'll Stab All the Wives

[bayoutom · 5/10 · 1 October 1998]

This is a mean little almost-neo-noir movie. Wickedly fun. Vince Vaughn's Lester Long is irresistible. Janeane Garofalo -- fabulous as always. (Can we call this woman "luminous" rather than all the mediocre new "It"-girl actresses?) Their scene together is quite possibly the best of the film. Great music that fit beautifully with the overall atmosphere of the film, too. However, the end is a huge disappointment. Someone should have told David Dobkin to scrap the test audiences' annoying penchant for neatly wrapped up endings, and to go with his instincts. All around, a great two hours in the theatre.

Edgy psychological thriller with great script, comedic touch and strong sound track.

[Beatrice-3 · 17 September 1998]

A story of double-double-cross and serial killing in Montana. From the first shot the film engages and won't let go. Joaquin Phoenix, Janeane Garofalo and Vince Vaughn take us on a trip that's simultaneously entertaining and harrowing.

Great music by John Lurie (aka Lounge Lizard, Down by Law, etc.), and featuring oldies that carry the merciless momentum of the film. Ridley Scott co-produced.Cinematography is evocative of My Own Private Idaho (it was filmed in Utah).

Director David Dobkin has his own strong signature, particularly his deft pulling together of the characters and the light comedy, but there were also elements of Jarmusch and Van Sant. Fine cast and an excellent film.

Not sure what to make of it

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 28 November 2020]

I don't quite know what to make of this movie. It was entertaining as well as confusing. The opening scene has a guy committing suicide right in front of his friend because his friend Clay (Joaquin Phoenix) was sleeping with his wife. Instead of Clay calling the police he goes straight to the guy's wife Amanda (Georgina Cates) who is anything but upset about the loss of her husband.

Two more dead bodies later and the addition of the mercurial serial killer Lester (Vince Vaughn) and we had ourselves a movie. It had drama even if it was confusing. By the time it wrapped up I didn't know what to make of it. I suppose I liked it a little because of the Vince Vaughn character, but not enough to overlook its flaws.

Quirky murder-mystery

[Sweet_Ophelia · 7/10 · 27 March 2005]

Clay Bidwell's (Joaquin Phoenix) life is getting complicated. His best friend Earl (Gregory Sporleder), having discovered that Clay has been sleeping with his wife Amanda (Georgina Cates), goes about committing suicide right in front of Clay's eyes; and making it appear that Clay was in fact responsible. When turning to Amanda for help proves futile, Clay takes it upon himself to roll his friend's car off a cliff, burning any incriminating evidence. But despite her husband's body not yet even being cold, and Clay's clear disgust, Amanda tries in vain to continue pursuing a relationship of infidelity. Her outrage over Clay's rejection is further fuelled when he begins seeing local waitress, Gloria (Nikki Arlyn). In retaliation Amanda shoots Gloria…. And Clay's life just gets messier and messier as he is forced to dispose of her body as well, for fear of Amanda exposing the truth behind Earl's death to the police.

Amidst all this chaos, Clay meets Lester (Vince Vaughn), and finds in this stranger an amiable fishing-buddy… Amanda also finds him to be a substitute for Clay. But while on a fishing trip with Lester, both come across a dead girl's body floating in the river; neither are particularly shocked by the discovery. For Clay that makes a hefty body count of 3, and as he is forced to report his finding, the police believe him to have now discovered 2 bodies in the last week. Things are not looking good. And the added discovery of a very dead Amanda is not helping Clay much when a detective is called in from out of town, Agent Shelby (Janeane Garofalo) who believes him to be a serial killer who has already racked up a body count of 7 across the state. Now Clay not only has to prove his own innocence, but also try and stop the man he knows to be the killer….none other than his deranged fishing buddy, Lester the molester.

'Clay Pigeons' is entertaining, but slightly less so that other movies of its genre.

The cast is strong; though you really can't go wrong with Vince Vaughn as a psycho killer and Joaquin Phoenix as the brooding protagonist. Garofalo however gives a somewhat lack-luster performance, in which she is just going though the motions in a monotone voice. Not even her normally shining humor or quick-wit is wholly present.

There are also times in the film when humor would be much appreciated. More specifically though, blatant humor, so that there was no confusion of where the appropriate laughs are intended. It's a fine line since your not entirely sure whether to be deeply disturbed or in stitches of laughter by Lester. With a charismatic yet sinister laugh and hilarious cow-boy getup, the film's bad guy is a sort of oxymoron. Do we laugh at him? Do we hate him? Its just a little confusing when you have a famous comedian like Garofalo, and an actor known for his comedic roles, Vaughn; but your made to believe that the film is actually a crime thriller. It feels like Joaquin should have played the bad guy; with his pointed stare and dark, ominous presence. And while there is a sense of hilarity with the situation Clay finds himself in; whatever amusement can be drawn is dampened with somewhat gruesome scenes of deaths and decaying bodies.

Still, the film's climax is thrilling and unpredictable. And, overall, it is worth a watch. Just don't expect to be blown away.

Pleasing in the end

[Eli-28 · 6/10 · 20 March 1999]

I really wanted to like this movie more than I did, especially since I love Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix. But it took an awfully long time to get going. The situation seemed flat, the action slow, and the characters neither compelling nor especially believable. Things really picked up, though, when Janeane Garofalo came on the scene. What an inspired piece of casting! No one can deliver a dead-pan sarcastic one-liner the way she can. Yet she stays completely and believably in the character. After her arrival, it became a completely new movie, and I wound up enjoying it in the end. The gorgeous countryside didn't hurt either. Worth seeing.

Let Down By The Forensic Plot Holes

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 28 August 2005]

CLAY PIGEONS is yet another in a long line of movies that has received its British television premiere channel 4 at an ungodly hour . If you stay up late to watch one of these very late scheduled movies wondering why channel 4 has waited to the wee small hours to broadcast it you eventually end up going to bed at dawn usually wondering Channel 4 showed it in the first place since they're nearly always crap art house movies . This movie however is different because while not being a great movie is at least watchable

Joaquin Phoenix plays Clay Bidwell who's best friend commits suicide before the title credits come up , so Clay is at a loose end and he befriends a drifter called Lester Long in a bar . One day the new friends go fishing and discover a woman's body , the first in a series of bodies that that are starting to turn up in town .

This is often very entertaining , especially for film fans as they play spot the reference . When a body turns up in a river we here banjo music playing , the same tune that was played during the banjo duel in DELIVERENCE . A female/male team from the FBI arrive to investigate the burgeoning death toll a bit like in THE X-FILES and most self referential of all Clay pushes a truck over a cliff and curses when it doesn't explode because as everyone knows when a mode of transport crashes in a movie it ALWAYS explodes

Everything is set for a very memorable black comedy but the script stops the movie from achieving its full potential . You often have to suspend disbelief for a movie to work but CLAY PIGEONS relies far too much on coincidence to work , like FBI agent Shelby realising who the murderer is because she comes across a cigarette butt , or the murderer visiting Clay in prison because he knows the sheriff deputy is asleep , how would he know this . But right from the start I was puzzled by a niggling plot hole very early into the movie where a victim of gunshot wounds is found dead in a burned out truck . No matter how fierce the fire or how hard the impact of a car crash if someone has been shot dead before the crash then the bullet wounds would still so up in a post mortem . This plot hole isn't helped by the low budget where after the truck has exploded in a massive fireball all the subsequent scenes show a truck that while bashed about a bit shows no scorch marks ! . Obviously this scene was filmed before the truck blew up

Most Under-rated movie ever?...

[Thumpski · 9/10 · 19 February 2004]

Ok I was pretty much on a real bad run with my films after watching big let downs like Underworld, Bad Boys 2, Out Of time etc etc... so when Clay Pigeons came along, I really wasn't expecting much, especially as I hadn't heard anything about it before. So after watching it, I have to say this is without a shadow of a doubt one of the MOST , or possibly the BIGGEST under-rated movie ever!. Honestly I really can't think of any negative to say about it at all, the plot was gripping, funny, intense & the acting...Oooh the acting was OUTSTANDING! I mean Vince Vaughan was brilliant in his role of Lester Long, his character will have to go down as probably the funniest, creepiest & craziest bad guy ever! he definatly should have got an oscar for this performance!. Joaquin Phoenix played his part brilliantly also, this too I think is his best performance ive seen ( And i thought he was superb in Gladiator) The movie does have everything, it's run-time is 104mins, and geez they have managed to fit alot of story in that space of time, it's so fast paced, you can't take your eyes off it! Sadly though there is no region 2 dvd out for it yet, so i had to buy it region 1 which I try not too do, but for a movie of this quality it's worth it. Im sure there's loads out there that have't seen this, but I strongly suggest you do, Its 10x better than most of this garbage that Hollywood are throwing at us right now!

9/10

OLD plot & story redone with a fine cast

[jaybob · 7/10 · 18 May 2007]

This 'lil' film noir has been done over the years many times & it is one of those chestnuts I can & will see many times.

Innocent man trapped,Evil woman killed. Our hero is innocent, That is the basic plot.

As in other reincarnations the film is saved by the actors in it. Once again good acting makes a routine film seem much better than it should be,

This is a 1998 film & the 2 stars are now big name players, Both Joachim Phoenix & Vince Vaughn had only made a few films before this. & you can definitely see why they became big time players in a few years.

Joachim is our young, not so innocent hero, & Vince portrays of all things a serial killer (this was made before he did Norman Bates in the redo of Psycho. Both turn in first rate performances

Also Janeane Garafalo plays a winning FBI agent She is always good.

Scott Wilson is a quiet sheriff.

This is a film noir & for comic relief we have an overly sleepy deputy sheriff named Barney.I don't think his last name was Fife or is it now,

Even though this movie is a wee bit too long at 104 minutes, It held my interest from exciting beginning to satisfactory conclusion . It was filmed in beautiful Montana

Ratings *** (out of 4) 83 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 100

One word should suffice: dumb!

[Ted-C · 1/10 · 2 November 1998]

"Dumb" describes everything and everyone in this movie. The characters all act dumb and this includes, incredibly, even Janeane Garafalo's FBI agent. The clay pigeon's actions are stupid although his initial ones might be attributed to panic. As for law enforcement, the Lester Long character is all over the town, in the bar and pool hall, picking up waitresses at the restaurant, etc., and no-one can corraborate his presence nor the existence of his 16 wheeler? And when the company whose name is on the rig is called and a representative denies the existence of a driver with the suspect's name, this ends the matter? Has no-one ever heard of phony names? And what was the big, authoritative looking assistant to Garafolo's agent doing in this picture? One has the impression that his role was initially intended to be much larger but halfway through the filming, the director got tired and just threw some kind of ending together. Altogether, a dumb movie.

Entertaining all the way through ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[asn-14 · 9/10 · 26 May 2006]

Not only was the story entertaining and somewhat suspenseful but the characters here are one of a kind. Vaughan's laugh is contagious. Yes, he is a killer but one can't help but like him. Not too many actors can pull that off. It took me a couple of times to realize who he got into the truck with at the end, and then the ending made more sense to me. Phoenix also did a superb job as Lester's "fishin' buddy", who just wants to live a normal life. Georgina Cates who plays Amanda does a superb job creating a character that you can't help but hate. Garofalo contributes her dry sense of humor as usual. Watch how she interracts with Barney. The many talented people in this film contribute to a well made product containing good humor, suspense, action and drama. Shooter fires nine out of ten bullets at this flick.

He Got Stung

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 6 September 2008]

After he is discovered to be having weekly intercourse with a friend's wife, studly Joaquin Phoenix (as Clay) must dispose of the suicidal man's body, or be accused of the shooting. While trying to fend off the advances of his dead pal's sexpot widow, Mr. Phoenix meets burping cowboy drifter Vince Vaughn (as Lester) in the local watering hole. The two men bond over cigarettes and beer. Soon, they are fishing buddies.

Then, prowling widow Georgina Cates (as Amanda) shoots estranged lover Phoenix' newest bed-pal pick-up, while the two are in the act; and, Phoenix must again dispose of a body. Next, Mr. Vaughn hooks up with Ms. Cates, and stabs her forty times. As it turns out, Vaughn is a serial killer, with over a dozen victims to his credit. Vaughn decides to frame Phoenix as the killer, as FBI agent Janeane Garofalo (as Shelby) tries to sort out the bloody mess.

David Dobkin's "Clay Pigeons" offers surprisingly little sense, or suspense; however, it is an enjoyable effort. The cast helps a lot. Ms. Garofalo participates in some particularly effective scenes; check out her pizza ordering, and aborted barroom "pick-up" scene. Garofalo, Phoenix, and Vaughn are refreshingly assailable performers; and, this quality is pleasingly evident throughout the film. Vince Vieluf (as Barney) does "Deputy Fife" proud. Finally, Eric Edwards' photography is lovely.

****** Clay Pigeons (9/15/98) David Dobkin ~ Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Janeane Garofalo

Not a success, whatever it is

[Spleen · 2/10 · 5 August 2000]

It's some time before Janeane Garofalo appears on screen, and it's not until then that the film becomes intermittently bearable. Only intermittently. What a bunch of unappealing, flat, poorly drawn characters! Lester is one of the most irritating people one could hope to meet, and maybe he's meant to be, but surely not in this way: he's meant to charm OTHER people, after all, yet it's hard to see how anyone could endure his presence for more than thirty seconds. Clay is remarkable as a central protagonist who spends most of the film doing absolutely nothing - the kind of person who responds to moral dilemmas by saying, "Yeah, whatever," although by giving even this description I may be reading too much into the script - and when more minor characters reveal some of their thoughts it actually comes as a bit of a shock - it was hard to think of them as having any. And what's with the title? Yes, obviously it has something to do with the fact that the central character is called "Clay", but I don't think anyone had a particular pun in mind. It makes as much sense as calling "The Third Man", say, "Lime Light". (On reflection, less sense.) A lazily conceived turkey with too many bad country-and-Western songs.