So, let’s start with the fact that the main ingredient in horror-movie blood is corn syrup, and that Clown in a Cornfield is set in Kettle Fields, a small farming community whose main crop is corn and whose claim to fame is Baypen Corn Syrup — a subtly and suitably resonant nod to the genre. The now-shuttered Baypen had a mascot named Frendo, whose chalky clown visage adorns both the label and the side of the processing building a stone’s throw from the fields. There were also tie-in Frendo Jack-in-the-boxes and ads that featured his face alongside the tagline “Are you a friend of Frendo?” No, that’s not creepy.
Many of the movie’s clever twists and spins shouldn’t be spoiled so I’ll go easy on the plot. Here’s the gist: It opens in 1991, when a bunch of young people are slaughtered on Founders Day, a local holiday that was promptly back-burnered for 35 years. But Kettle Springs has just turned 100 and this Founders Day celebration is going to be a big one. The festivities are seriously on, including a parade featuring a larger-than-life Frendo, food stands, fireworks and all the other old-school amenities.
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