Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

   

Directed by: Stephen Chiodo

Produced & Written by: Charles Chiodo, Stephen Chiodo & Edward Chiodo

Starring:

.... Mike Tobacco
.... Debbie Stone
.... Dave Hansen
.... Curtis Mooney
.... Rich Terenzi
.... Paul Terenzi



Royal Dano ....
Farmer Gene Green
.... Bob McReed

Release Date: Theatrical: May 27, 1988

 

Rating:

 

A group of aliens that look like clowns land on Earth to terrorise a small town by kidnapping people and turning them into a cotton candy shaped cocoons.

 

The story is off to a fun campy start with teens partying as well as going to a make out spot and an ice cream truck coming by with two annoying employees Rich and Paul trying to announce their treats and so fourth. Then things are impressive like an old school feel with a cheesy special effects shot on what looks like a comet suddenly firing through the sky. Along with these incidents happening there's nice colourful shots showing a backwoods redneck whom is Farmer Gene Green spots this so called comet and goes searching in the forest and spots a carnival looking tent as well as some neat special effects happening to him when he gets his hands too much into the situation while trying to find as to what took his dog as this looked entertaining to watch.
The fun keeps rolling as the main couple Mike and Debbie go to explore the wooded area too and spot the tent as well as going inside of it with great shots on the inside which looked like a funhouse as well as them discovering some strange sort of cotton candy but realising they're bodies being cocooned up as I was thinking to myself before this moment all of this looked like a comedy but this had a hint of horror on what we spot happening at that moment. Then a killer klown tries to fire away a weapon after catching them but it's popcorn or so we might think it is until we find out the results later on. This also looked campy fun to watch.
Fun special effects on the killer klowns going to the small town using their laser guns by turning victims into the cotton candy looking cocoons as well as Mike and Debbie trying to talk to the police chief Curtis Mooney on what is happening and this dickhead lawman being sarcastic about it all as the conversations looked strongly done in.
I wondered if the horror was going to come back into the story as so far what was described was the only horror element but there's a klown on his geeky bike and being tormented by a gang of bikers and this klown puts on his boxing gloves ready to take the leader of the pack on as I got a feeling what would happen and it just does so another good horror pointer into the story.
Another effective horror moment is when the deputy Curtis Mooney looks into a parked vehicle near the wooded area and sees cobwebs of cotton candy and Mike explaining to him as to what it is which offered nice timing.
Curtis later on goes to the headquarters and spots clown feet marked everywhere adding more slapstick comedy but then spots a cocoon of a prisoner and goes close to it to take a closer look to things which looked dark and spooky as well as the results as well as to what happened to the police chief with a klown controlling him so then I said to myself that this is for sure a horror flick but a slapstick one. This scene was one of the best suspenseful moments.
Then we find out what that popcorn these Klowns shot at one of them was really like as it revealed these serpeant type monstrous klowns attacking Debbie which was done in good horror type of style and neat effects which was fun to watch as well.
The klowns go to an amusement park that is closed for the night and attacks a security guard with pies which are of course deadly and had to laugh my ass off with one of them placing a cherry on top of the remains on this corpse as this offered a great sense of humor.
Then Mike and the two bumbling ice cream truck employees try to find Debbie and save the day by going to their hideout which is well done by looking like a funhouse again as well as one of the klowns going to one of their cotton candy cocoon and using a clown straw to suck its blood which was another nice horror touch to the story.
Then the action packs a punch when they try to get out of the funhouse by opening a door but it just reveals another door and then another one which keeps you in suspense wondering if these klowns will get them or not and finding no escape as well as being pitted against an army of klowns later on when they try to get away with great shots on all of this. It was shown in great style.
One of the best parts in the story comes near the end when they have to battle a gigantic monstrous klown as this reminds me of a similar flick used in Ghoulies 2 but this one was done in much better style and highly entertaining like the rest of the scenes.
Bottom line is that this film is more funny than scary and alot of campy fun. It's silly yes but in an entertaining way and a fun 80s flick which earned itself to become a cult classic. Neat special effects as well as the plots made me laugh my ass off it was done in a good comedic style within everything that I watched throughout all of this. It was very much like a tribute to those old school drive in style of films and advise anyone to check this one out for fans who enjoy nonstop slapstick horror flicks.

The acting is a little over the top for the most part in which (Mike Tobacco) seemed a little too silly in his performance as it was hard to take him seriously with his characteristics. He is not terrible by any means but needed a bit of a push on what he was doing here. He was a bit mellodramatic. He did show off some decent energy throughout his role though.
(Debbie Stone) seemed a bit too whiney within whatever she did here and had a bimbo type of look to her characteristics. Yet she seemed to pull her weight in other situations whenever she acted anxious and drew across well onto the camera.
(Dave Hansen) pulled his weight quite well as a deputy in which he seemed strong minded on whatever he did as well as acting believeably open minded on situations. Also showed great energy when the terrors start to occur and so fourth. Had the right nice rough looks to his role which was another great plus.
(Curtis Mooney) was the best out of the cast in which he lived to play an obnoxious police chief as he brings out his aggressions to the extreme as well as doing a nice job with his sarcasm as well in certain spots. Plus shows a great shocked reaction in a certain part of the story. He always did a great job in shows and will be greatly missed.

A bikers head is punched off

John Massari does a splendid job as he knows his timing for comedic clown type music for each scene that happens in the story as it for sure has a circus sound to it all. If you've heard clown type music you will for sure know what I'm talking about. Also there's some creepy type synthesizer tones for the opening credits as well as a dark moment in another part of the story too which works greatly for an 80s horror.

Pop group The Dickies performed the theme song during the closing credits as although it sounded a bit cheesy it suited the film and was fun to listen to. I think they were a right choice for a songtrack.