The title sounds stupid, but the film is actually a really fun satire of 1950s alien invasion films. The Chiodo Brothers — Stephen, Charles and Edward — take the standard plotline for films like THE BLOB and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and turns it on its ear with the silliness of killer klowns from outer space.
Mike Tobacco (Grant Carter, FATHER’S DAY) and Debbie Stone (Suzanne Snyder, WEIRD SCIENCE) are at lover’s lane when they witness a giant shooting star. When they go to investigate, they discover a giant circus tent, which in reality is an alien spaceship. Inside the spacecraft, Mike and Debbie find cotton candy-looking cocoons with the dead bodies of townspeople in them.
Mike and Debbie escape from the killer klowns and head to the police station where they tell Debbie’s ex-boyfriend Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson, TV’s VANISHED) what they found. At first Dave really doesn’t believe them. Officer Curtis Mooney (John Vernon, ANIMAL HOUSE), who has little patience or restraint when it comes to teenagers, wants to lock them up right on the spot. But soon enough, Dave learns that there really are killer klowns from outer space killing and capturing the citizens of the town. After Debbie is taken, Mike and Dave team up with the local pranksters Rich and Paul Terenzi (Michael Siegel & Peter Licassi) to rescue Debbie and stop the aliens.
For the actually klowns, the exaggerated masks and costumes won’t help cure the fears that some people have toward clowns. What the Chiodo’s do right is they play it straight. As silly as the film gets, the characters believe that they are being attacked by alien klowns. Director Stephen Chiodo actually takes time to build tension, which drives the plot forward from one clown inspired kill scene to the next.
The best part is how the filmmakers twist horror conventions with clown inspired mayhem. Cotton candy replaces seedpods and spider webs. Popcorn has never been more frightening. And you really do not want to get into a pie fight with these klowns. Some of the humor and acting is cheesy, but it feels right. The original BLOB has bad acting and cheesiness too. The Chiodos, who would later design the puppets for TEAM AMERICA, take what could have been a really dumb premise and really sell the concept. It’s silly, it’s fun, it’s pure entertainment. There is a good reason this film is a cult classic — it’s not a bad film.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
