Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988) is a film about a gang of alien clowns that fly around in a circus tent UFO, shoot deadly popcorn from ray guns, and wrap their victims in cotton candy. They land in a small town and it’s up to a cop, a couple college students, and two brothers who sell ice cream to stop them. If this sounds like something you’d like, you probably will. Conversely, if this sounds like something you’d hate, you probably will.
The best part of this film is the middle, when the clowns go around and wreak havoc. They have puppet shows that end in puppets being incinerated with rayguns, pizza delivery that ends with a tiny clown popping out and shooting rayguns at the customer, and many more silly ways that the clowns attack the populace. This is cemented by a score made by the goofball punk band, The Dickies, that fits the overall tone of the movie.
The clown makeup is fairly hideous. As this is a horror/comedy, the creators have endeavored to make the aliens look scary while also being somewhat cute. The goofy nature extends to tiny dayglo bicycles and other ridiculous contraptions. Whenever the clowns are onscreen the movie is incredibly fun.
Too bad the movie spends a large amount of time focusing on the protagonists, who are all boring, one-dimensional, cliched characters. The comic relief is never funny, the girl serves primarily as something to get threatened, and the two main male characters spend the first half of the film squabbling like little children. Both the writing and acting of these characters is subpar, and the overall film is dragged down from these extended clownless scenes.
I loved Killer Klowns From Outer Space as a kid, and I still feel that it is a worthwhile film. It’s a goofy and silly homage to the creature feature of the 50s that's still a bunch of fun. Like all crapsterpieces, it is more fun to watch with a group of friends. This one is worth checking out.The clown makeup is fairly hideous. As this is a horror/comedy, the creators have endeavored to make the aliens look scary while also being somewhat cute. The goofy nature extends to tiny dayglo bicycles and other ridiculous contraptions. Whenever the clowns are onscreen the movie is incredibly fun.
Too bad the movie spends a large amount of time focusing on the protagonists, who are all boring, one-dimensional, cliched characters. The comic relief is never funny, the girl serves primarily as something to get threatened, and the two main male characters spend the first half of the film squabbling like little children. Both the writing and acting of these characters is subpar, and the overall film is dragged down from these extended clownless scenes.
Critical Score 3 out of 5
Crapsterpiece score 3.5 out of 5
© Tanner McCullough, 2011
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