It started with a VHS tape and a clown that didn't say a word. Honestly, if you're a horror fan, you’ve probably spent the last few years watching Art the Clown become a genuine pop culture icon, but most people have no clue where he actually came from. Before the massive theatrical budgets and the headlines about people fainting in cinemas during Terrifier 3, there was a gritty, low-budget short film. We're talking about The 9th Circle movie.
Released in 2008, this wasn't some polished Hollywood production. It was a segment in a larger anthology, later bundled into the 2013 film All Hallows' Eve. It’s raw. It’s dirty. It feels like something you weren't supposed to find in the back of a video store.
Why The 9th Circle Movie Still Creeps People Out
Most slashers want to explain themselves. They give you a backstory about a bullied kid or a vengeful spirit. Damian Leone, the creator, went the opposite direction. In The 9th Circle movie, Art is just... there. He's sitting in a desolate train station on Halloween night. He’s wearing a black-and-white suit that looks like it hasn't been washed in a decade.
The plot is deceptively simple. A young woman named Casey is waiting for her train. Art starts performing some silent, annoying gags. It’s awkward. Then it gets dark. He drugs her, and she wakes up in a subterranean nightmare populated by demons, cultists, and things that definitely aren't human.
Here is the thing about this specific short: it’s the only time we see Art the Clown interacting with the literal supernatural in such a blatant, "Dante’s Inferno" kind of way. Usually, Art is just a guy with a bag of knives. Here, he’s a recruiter for a satanic cult. It adds a layer of cosmic horror that the later films mostly traded for pure gore.
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The Evolution of Art’s Look
If you watch The 9th Circle movie and then jump to Terrifier 2, the differences are jarring. In the 2008 short, the makeup is much more "DIY." His nose is different. The prosthetic work is thinner. Mike Giannelli played Art back then, and he brought a twitchy, almost panicked energy to the role that is distinct from David Howard Thornton’s later, more theatrical performance.
- The original mask was more sunken.
- The suit had a slightly different ruffle pattern.
- He used a needle instead of his iconic makeshift weapons.
It’s fascinating to see how a character grows from a background extra in a cult ritual to the lead of a multi-million dollar franchise.
The Gritty Aesthetics of Damian Leone
Leone is a makeup effects artist first and a director second. You can tell. Every frame of The 9th Circle movie screams "practical effects." There’s no CGI to hide behind. When Casey sees the "monsters" in the tunnel, they look like people in heavy latex and face paint because that’s exactly what they are.
This gives the film a tactile, "video nasties" vibe. It feels dangerous. Modern horror often feels too clean, too digital. This short film feels like it was dragged through a sewer, and that is precisely why it works. It captures that 3:00 AM "what am I watching?" feeling that most big-studio movies can't replicate.
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Is It Actually Based on Dante?
The title obviously references the innermost circle of Hell—the place reserved for traitors. In Dante’s Inferno, the ninth circle is a frozen lake. Leone’s version is more of a dingy, industrial basement, but the vibe remains. It’s about being trapped in the furthest point from light.
Does the movie follow the poem's structure? Not really. It’s more of a thematic nod. It tells the audience: "Hey, we aren't just in a basement; we are in the heart of something ancient and evil."
The Legacy of a Short Film
Without The 9th Circle movie, we don't get the slasher boom of the 2020s. Think about it. Horror was stuck in a loop of "elevated horror" and jump-scare fests. Art the Clown brought back the mean-spirited, practical-effects-driven slasher.
He started as a bit player. A silent observer in a short film. But the audience reaction was so visceral that Leone knew he had something. People didn't talk about the demons or the cultists after seeing the short; they talked about the clown with the garbage bag.
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Common Misconceptions
- "It’s a full-length feature": Nope. It’s a short. If you want to watch it now, the easiest way is through the anthology All Hallows' Eve.
- "David Howard Thornton is the clown": Common mistake. Mike Giannelli originated the role in this short and the subsequent Terrifier short (2011).
- "It’s part of the Terrifier timeline": This is debated. Leone has suggested the anthologies might be separate "universes," but the DNA is the same.
The 9th Circle movie proves you don't need a massive budget to create a nightmare. You just need a haunting silhouette and the willingness to go where other directors won't.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re diving back into Art's origins, pay attention to the sound design. It’s minimal. The silence is what makes the train station scene so suffocating. When you watch it, look for the transition between the "real world" and the "hell world." It’s seamless and deeply unsettling.
If you want to understand the full trajectory of modern horror, you have to start here. It’s the ground zero for a new era of the genre.
Next Steps for Horror Completionists:
- Locate a copy of All Hallows' Eve (2013) to see the original short in its best available quality.
- Compare the "basement" sequence in The 9th Circle to the "clown cafe" sequence in Terrifier 2 to see how Leone’s vision of "Hell" evolved over 15 years.
- Track down the 2011 Terrifier short film to bridge the gap between this cult introduction and the feature-length movies.