Feaure Length Review: 'Killer Klowns From Outer Space' (1988)

After having worked on the 1986 indie horror gem Critters, FX gurus The Chiodo Brothers decided to fledge their monster making talents toward a creature feature of their own. Helmed by Stephen and co-written by Edward and Charles, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a rarely seen but much acknowledged cult title among genre fans that to this day remains the bros' only directorial effort.



THE LOWDOWN: Making out to the tune of a slow paced piano at a local Lover’s Lane, Mike (Grant Cramer) and his girlfriend Debbie (Suzanne Snyder) unexpectedly witness what appears to be a comet roaring through the night sky and landing deep in the woods.

Nearby at his secluded tin roof shack, Farmer Gene (the late, great Royal Dano) and his bloodhound Pooh Bear witness the same bright light display and promptly decide to investigate. Unfortunately, the old man and his pooch discover anything BUT the trace of a comet, but rather that of a mystical circus tent in its landing place with an eerily innocent allure. And before he can say “what in tarnation!” Gene and his partner in crime fall victim to one of the carnival house’s nasty inhabitants.



Back at Lover’s Lane, the foolish young couple decide to investigate the sighting. They too they come under deadly fire from a clan of hideously menacing killer clowns, hell bent on capturing members of the local human population and preserving them aboard their spaceship for later consumption.



The hapless duo promptly relay their insane story to the town’s local police force, led by deputy Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson) and his youth-loathing superior Curtis Mooney (another great performance by the late John Vernon). After much deliberation, Dave joins the two in their hunt for the truth while Mooney takes exuberant pride in defending his law enforcement reputation by ignoring the town’s repeated cries for help at the hand of the murderous child entertainers.



THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: As a sci-fi/horror/comedy, Killer Klowns is definitely a product of its time. Tis was the 80s when the new wave of special effects artists reigned mainstream genre cinema; animatronics was just starting to kick off into new and more advanced stages, prosthetic makeup and application became more and more gruesome and stop motion animation was still widely practiced, all in the name of delivering to audiences a world of the fantastic. The movie is indeed playfully reminiscent of many cold war-inspired 1950s-60s sci-fi invasion flicks, painting the picture of a small American town at odds with a slowly conquering intergalactic visitor. And the choice of having clowns as lead villains is an interesting twist on conventions rather than employing more traditional space cretans; extraterrestrials that appear friendly at first, only to have their true hostile persona emerge later. These clowns are the perfect pranksters, employing uniquely hilarious demises for their ill fated victims. Cotton candy will never look the same after you’ve seen what these pesky critters use it for.



Structurally, Klowns still remains fairly old-fashioned. Right from the get-go it’s easy to see where the story is headed and each plot turn is generally telegraphed well before its execution. However, it’s this traditional storytelling that – in many ways - also makes the film so loveable. The film never takes itself seriously (nor should it) and it’s this good-humored mentality that makes the proceedings all the more watchable upon repeat viewings. More importantly, Klowns is never smug or pretentious about its homage’s to genre and was obviously a labor of love for the Chiodos, thus the child-like energy on screen consistently reflects that.



DOOMED CHARACTERS: Like many movies of its time, Killer Klowns incorporates a line up of formulaic characters (eg, youthful heroes, a neglectful police force, the oddball farmer and his pooch, etc, etc) that fulfill its story beats and overall narrative requirements in order to get from A to B easily, without straying too far into uncharted territory. Such characters rarely receive any personal development and/or additional motivation for their subsequent actions throughout the course of a film, often resulting in being cardboard cutouts difficult for an audience to generate much sympathy for. On the basis of the story alone Killer Klowns really doesn’t require its characters to be dissected in heavy detail, as the clowns themselves and the havoc they cause are the main reason to watch in the first place. Mike and Debbie are simply horny teenagers and catalysts for the town’s bewildered reaction to the extraterrestrial invasion. They needn’t require significant development, nor do the cops who finally decide to enlist their help. That said, Vernon is perhaps the cast’s biggest highlight as the disgruntled sheriff in a town falling apart, ice cream by bloody ice cream. Loaded with great one-liners and his ever-lasting voice of authority, he deftly rivals the clowns with a truly fun performance worthy of fan admiration.



THE LOOK OF FEAR: Given the wildly goofy premise of the film, the laundry list of special effects, costumes, set design and photographic elements automatically put Killer Klowns in a category all its own. A look and vibe of childlike fantasy is everywhere throughout the movie and remains consistent right up until the end credits. Charles Chiodo and Philip Dean Foreman’s candy-flavored sets aboard the clown’s spacecraft are boisterously imaginative and come pretty damn close to matching anything generated by renound Hollywood production designer Bo Welch. The clowns themselves (largely designed by the Chiodos themselves) are genuinely impressive and provide both constantly humorous sight gags as well as strangely unnerving laughter. And Alfred Taylor keeps his cameras steady for the most part, only occasionally delving into more inventive cinematography.



THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: Keeping in theme with the endless carnival sideshow that is Killer Klowns, the film’s synthesizer score is fittingly animated and lively throughout. Whenever a clown is on screen and set to cause mischief John Massari‘s music effectively extenuates their lethal tomfoolery, most evidently in the final climactic sequence aboard the circus tent ship. The movie’s sound design is also a triumph of festive acoustics, with every conceivably silly audio gag generously layered over the action. Oh, and who can forget the kick ass theme song by The Dickies? If you like to chow down on 80s pop for breakfast then this track is for you.




FINAL THOUGHTS: Even though the Chiodo Brothers might not be the most seasoned storytellers, they do manage to deliver a good old-fashioned, small town terror yarn that definitely knows how to pop the eyes with much cinematic candy. In many ways, it’s the perfect B movie. Who knows, maybe the bros will return to the directing scene again sometime in the future. Would this be a good thing? Personally, I’d embrace it with as much ice cream and deep fried corn dogs as I can muster.

Dir: Stephen Chiodo
Writer: The Chiodo Brothers
Cast: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, John Vernon
Country: USA
Run Time: 88min
Rated: M+