Nick Groff is one of the most respected names in television and beyond when it comes to the paranormal. He has had incredible experiences in some of the most haunted locations in the world. As a friend to Arrow in the Head, we’ve shared some very exciting experiences with Nick including a couple of wild and spooky moments that we’ve managed to capture on camera. Thus, we’ve decided to work with the television host and producer extraordinaire so he can share his knowledge and insight on all things that go bump in the night. With this bi-monthly column, we plan to delve into everything from urban legends to ghostly apparitions, to his take on some of the coolest genre flicks ever. This is Nick Groff Investigates…!
IT… AND SCARY CLOWN SIGHTINGS!
If there is one thing that nearly all of us can agree on, it’s that clowns are scary. Perhaps it was the stigma left by the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy, but I don’t remember a time when they were actually entertaining and fun. It certainly doesn’t help that they’re usually portrayed as evil, creepy or strange. However, coulrophobia – the fear of clowns – became big news with a mass of weird clown sightings back in 2016. If you want to not sleep at all, do a YouTube search of creepy clowns sightings and you’ll certainly be terrified. Many of the reported complaints were simply pranksters attempting to freak people out, but it led to a phenomena that amped up both in 2014 and 2016.
It’s not just the scary dude holding a balloon while walking around in a cemetery that has made these costumed characters so horrifying. You can also credit characters like Pennywise from Stephen King’s brilliant novel “It.” The work was so popular that it lead to a well received television mini-series. And as you all are aware, it gave us the recent critically acclaimed and box office powerhouse of a feature film, in addition to it’s upcoming sequel. The new film brings Bill Skarsgård back, as the brutally annoying clown terrorizing the town of Derry. This included a group of young teens that called themselves ‘The Loser’s Club.’ In the sequel, we see that they are all grown up, but their fear of this evil being hasn’t gone away.
It isn’t just Stephen King that has made clowns so terrifying. You have a variety of horror films that include POLTERGEIST and the damn clown doll. There’s the comedic KILLER CLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE. You have the cheesy b-movie goodness of the KILLJOY franchise – this I’ve yet to see. Even Eli Roth produced the ultra disturbing CLOWN, a movie that featured a man possessed by his costume. And speaking of disturbing, how could we not mention Captain Spaulding from Rob Zombie’s HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS and the upcoming second sequel, 3 FROM HELL. Let’s face it, if you are seriously thinking about becoming a professional clown, don’t expect folks to laugh at you. You’re more likely to get screams as they run the other way.
While we deal with the paranormal and other mysterious events here for Nick Groff Investigates, I figured it would be fun to bring out the large red shoes and the funny make-up and ask Nick about his own relationship with clowns. Weirdly enough, he and I had never really spoken about the subject, but with the upcoming release of IT: CHAPTER 2 (September 6) and of course, 3 FROM HELL, it felt like the perfect time. So what is Nick’s experience with these white paint covered, red nose wearing jokesters? Read on and find out. And of course, please share your own thoughts on this very subject in the comments below. Take it away Nick…
One of my favorite films when I was young was “IT”. A very creepy supernatural story about a bizarre being disguised as a clown from out of this world. The newest “IT” I liked a lot – and part two is coming out soon! Clowns are definitely interesting as they hold mystery behind their painted face. Through time clowns have taken on this sinister persona. A lot of people fear clowns but I personally don’t.
The first time I looked at clowns differently was when they captured the serial killer John Wayne Gacy. That was the first time I looked differently at clowns. There has been a lot of other sightings of clowns trying to scare people. It’s a matter of time until someone begins doing that again. I’ll stick to the movies where it’s safe and the filmmakers can keep trying to scare me. Sometimes people are scarier than the clown face that truly doesn’t show how the person really is. There’s been a lot of horror movies done with clowns but by far my favorite is “IT”. If you get the chance check it out, but be warned it will give you nightmares.