As the Schnabel gathering began to wind down a bit, many made the short walk around the corner to what promised to be a unique event — the party for Bryan Johnson’s “Vulgar.” The hard to get invite was in the form of a button that read “Vulgar Party 2000″ — below the picture of a festive-looking clown with a five o’clock shadow, read “I’m invited, let me the fuck in!”

Film producer Kevin Smith, here with View Askew partner and “Vulgar” co-producer Scott Mosier, greeted guests as they entered — his wife Jen organized the effort and good friend Malcolm was on door duty checking the buttons of arrivals. Inside, hostesses dressed as sad clowns passed out candy and eery clown faces hung from the walls.

“Vulgar,” the story of a struggling professional clown who reinvents himself as “Vulgar,” a transvestite clown, grew out conversations that filmmaker Johnson had with Smith and their friend Walter at the famed Quick Stop in New Jersey, Johnson told indieWIRE. Johnson, a native of Highlands, NJ, became friends with Smith back in High School.

The shock of “Vulgar” apparently intensifies in a particular scene when Vulgar has his first gig as the transvestite clown, surprising a group of bachelor party attendees expecting a female stripper. “Indeed, it may be one of the most shocking, extended and depraved film sequences in recent memory,” wrote Festival programmer Steve Gravestock in the catalog.

The shock value was met with walk-outs at the film’s screening Monday night and at yesterday’s Industry/Press screening. At the party yesteday, a rep from a high-profile Festival told of his decision to leave the movie early on, along with a top programmer from the same event. Reacting to the early exits at last night’s party, Johnson wore the walk-outs as a badge of honor, seemingly pleased at making an impact and to have stirred cocktail conversation.

The “Vulgar” party continued until well past 2 a.m. when some attendees headed over to the Festival’s late-night haunt, Bistro 990. The crowd at Bistro was large as ever with a crowd outside waiting to get past the sometimes selective doormen. Inside, the place remained crowded even after the 4 a.m. closing bell. As the Festival hit a stride at its midpoint it was a culmination for some, as many executives and Hollywood types prepare to head home. indieWIRE, of course, will remain on the scene until the very end.
[Eugene Hernandez]