Review: The Clapper

Second Chance Bride, Only on Amazon

In my latest book, Second Chance Bride, the heroine watches late night infomercials when she has insomnia.

If you watch infomercials, did you ever wonder about the people in the audience?

Where do they get these perky, enthusiastic people who are blown away by the product being demonstrated?

Watch The Clapper, a little film I watched on Netflix, and you'll realize those people are actors waiting for their break--or maybe knowing they've missed the boat when it comes to catching a break in Hollywood. The Clapper is also available on Amazon Prime Video.

This comedy film was written and directed by Dito Montiel and is based on his novel Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper.

Blurbing The Clapper

Eddie, played by Ed Helms, is kind of content—perhaps resigned is a better description. He makes his living as part of a paid audience for infomercials and unfunny sitcoms. He shills for infomercial—laughing uproariously, responding enthusiastically, laughing—whatever is called for.

He's got a crush on Judy, a gas station attendant played by Amanda Seyfried, but he's the typical shy guy scared to ask her out. His life is in a comfortable rut until night show host Jay Leno outs him as The Clapper of multiple infomercials. Suddenly, everyone wants to know who The Clapper is.

Instead of taking advantage of this temporary spotlight, Eddie runs from it. He loses his paid gig, and his entire life is torn apart. Can he pick up the pieces and make a new start? Will he get the girl?

My Take

There's some good talent in this film, and there are some amusing moments, but it's actually more poignant than uproariously funny. I thought the premise of a paid "clapper" could have been mined for more comedy.

This may be a case of the humor being left on the cutting room floor, or a book that didn't translate to film very well. I was interested enough in the premise to look the book up, and I might read it just to compare to the movie version.

Takeaway Truth

I haven't seen a great lineup of movies on Netflix recently, so if you're looking for something different, try The Clapper. Let me know if your reaction is different from mine.