Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) Directed by Stephen Chiodo
Very seldom is there a movie that is meant to be horror/comedy that actually is enjoyable to me. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is one of those few movies. Not to be taken seriously, this movie is just plain fun. The shear stupidity of the story is what makes it charming and original. Feel free to read the review that follows as it does not contain spoilers.
This is one of those movies where you see the title and you know exactly what to expect. You know that it isn’t going to be a masterpiece that changed the landscape of horror and cinema in the years that followed. Killer Klowns is just plan entertainment from start to finish. The acting is corny, the story is beyond simple but the special effects and Klowns are awesome. Basically a UFO lands and takes the form of a circus tent, inside are a bunch of deranged clown like aliens that run amok on the nearby town. There, that’s the basic idea of the entire movie, the hour and twenty minutes that follow are just great. You get to see different everyday circus items and foods used as weapons, from cotton candy to popcorn the Klowns pile up the bodies and stow them away in their ship. A group of local “teenagers” fight back against the Klowns to save their town and the world. I put teenagers in quotes because all of them are at least 20, some might even been in their 30s, its pretty hilarious. The special effects are somewhat dated but the make up work on the Klowns is great. There are no two Klowns that are alike and they all seem to have their own personalities. What seems like normal clownish high jinx always seem to end in some over the top death.
The camera work and sets on this movie are pretty great. You get to see many rooms to the spacecraft all with wacky colors and patterns like a carnival funhouse. Of course there is a local sheriff that doesn’t believe anything is happening until he witnesses it himself. That’s a classic horror movie troupe and its almost parodied in this film. I’m not sure really what to categorize this movie as. Is it an alien movie? Is it a slasher movie? Technically I guess I would consider it a slasher film. The group of Klowns rack up a body count and are fought by a group of teenagers. There isn’t a typical final girl, it is more like a group. The final battle is pretty fun, I wont mention what it entails because I don’t want to ruin it.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a movie that you can put in, turn your brain off and just chill out to. You might get a couple laughs and more than a few chuckles. It works on both levels of horror and comedy and finds that thin line that is hard to walk. Give it a watch if you enjoy dumb movies that are so corny they’re great. It is currently on Hulu Plus, so take a look and give it a shot. I would give Killer Klowns a B, it isn’t something I can watch all the time, but every time I watch it I enjoy it.
