Fears of a Clown

Fast-talking, hilarious, and laden with east-coast charm and curse words, Steve is not your typical party clown. We meet this unorthodox man who can speak nonstop for hours without missing a beat, captivating and confounding his audience the entire time. But underneath the showman persona lives a more complex story. Through his unfiltered narration, we learn how he went from a healthy, happy kid, to a teenager whose own mind started turning against him. After major upheaval in his life, Steve developed severe OCD, struggled in school, and went out on his own, deciding to turn to entertaining others as a way to support himself. Flash forward several decades, and Steve now lives by himself in the largest clown museum in the world in the high desert town of Barstow, CA. Steve has spent seven years and his entire life savings building the museum on his own, all while striving to keep his OCD at bay as best he can. Finally ready to get permitted and open for the paying public, Steve is met with miles of bureaucratic red tape from City Hall... and then the January 2025 SoCal wildfires destroy his #1 performing hub (and source of income) in the Pacific Palisades. We join Steve in his life at the museum and follow along to see if he can get his mind and museum sorted out in time. Take a trip into Steve's world and hear a story of pain, joy and resilience.

Fears of a Clown is a 2026 documentary movie directed by Bart Vandever. It runs 1h 30m.