Killer Klowns From Outer Space/Review

One of my favorite home media companies for Grindhouse classics is Scream Factory. They’ve put out some wonderful blu-rays for “Halloween III: Season Of The Witch”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”, “Carrie” and the 1978 “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. Though lately because of a change in management, some of their recent material has been lackluster at best. I mean seriously, “Lost in Space” and the 90’s “Island of Dr. Moreau”? Though a more recent (at the time I’m writing this) acquisition has gotten them back on my good side. That being an upcoming 4K/blu-ray collector’s edition of “Killer Klowns From Outer Space”.

Our plot takes place in a small town known as Crescent Cove. Two teenage lovers, Mike and Debbie are at lover’s lane when they witness what looks to be a shooting star. After following the trail, they discover it to be a circus tent from beyond the cosmos. Housed inside are alien clowns who quickly take over and go on a murder crazy rampage throughout. All this madness while they try to convince the hard-headed main cop, Curtis Mooney (John Vernon) what is going on. Can they save the day or has this Ringling Bros. Troupe from Hell gotten more bodies for the act?!

If “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” were ever to win an Oscar, it’d be for the special effects. Good golly oh mighty did the Chiodo Bros. really knock it out of the park. Seriously outside this film, these hombres really boasted a swell career. With credits including puppetry and stop-motion work for other great movies like “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, “Critters”, and “Team America: World Police”. It’s also worth mentioning that the Chides really thought outside the box with regards to utilizing the techniques.

The pinnacle example is the scene where a driver is killed by a clown called “Slim” with his invisible car. Due to the scene being lit at different points, any potential flaws become hard to notice which is good. More specifically the camera is more close up during the more darkly-lit shots with the puppets. However the more bright shots are at a distance with a combination of rear projection and stop-motion. All serving to create a dazzling scene where the Chiodos pulled off some believable magic.

Although they don’t stop at stop-motion with illusions in the FX department. Other scenes like the first inside of the circus ship have one of the great matte paintings I’ve ever seen pulled off. I seriously thought that they actually constructed like an actual set of that piece. But for actual details like distorted scenery or multi-colored interiors of the UFO are beautiful. It’s like if you asked Cirque du Soleil to re-imagine “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”. Well to quote Frank Sinatra himself, let’s “send in the clowns”.

The Klowns themselves are a thrill to watch, especially with their fiercely original look. They range from ferociously like when they ransack a drugstore to straight up-scary with one of them trying to lure a young girl out of a burger joint with their mallet. Plus their choices of murder are equally as creative on the scale of demented madness. We got deaths by party horn strangulation, boxing glove beheading, shadow-puppet dinosaur and even acid-filled pies. Even more funnier once you realize that the latter was originally written for Soupy Sales (the producers thought the audiences wouldn’t know him -_- ).

The other characters are another animal of different colors. One highlight is Dean Wormer himself, John Vernon as Sergeant Curt Mooney. He’s a more over-the-top version of the skeptic cop who’s calling bluff on everything going on. This in stark contrast to the good cop, Dave Hansen who does all that he can to save the day. We also get some hilarious side characters Rich and Paul who are basically a cross between Jerry Lewis and Reggie from “Phantasm”. But if there is one slight criticism I need to give it’ll be for the main characters: Mike and Debbie.

I don’t know I just feel like these two don’t really have much interesting to say or do. Although I’ll cut Debbie a little bit of slack since there is some degree of story to her and Dave. You see the movie explains that these two used to be an item before one thing led to another and she’s now with Mike. I’ll admit that not only does it create some interesting beef between Mike and Dave, but it gives the latter a subtextual arc. In that he needs to let go of his past with her and set his focus on stopping the alien bozos. So me being Team Dave automatically saves it from being a messy flaw I will hand it that.

For the purpose of wrapping it up with a pretty bow, you can see why “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” is a cult classic. The effects are out of this world, the cinematography is eye candy and the general atmosphere is a circus you don’t want to stop. No wonder venues like Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights or Spirit Halloween propped the film up in recent times. This puts the petal to the metal where you better pray that the gorey joke isn’t on you. Oh and I forgot to mention that the theme song rocks! Seriously go out and get the soundtrack, you won’t be disappointed.

I give it 5 John Wayne Gacy paintings of Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamill out of 5 - Check it out!

Ken Hegarty is a contributor to the Grindhouse Cinema Database. You can find a list of his reviews HERE.