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Blast From The Past Reviews: Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Image Credit: TransWorld Entertainment
Loading...Anyone who knows me knows that I love some 1980’s horror movies and franchises.
Obviously I have long been a lover of the big series like Friday The 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare On Elm Street, but I also quite dig the lower tier stuff when I have seen it. Movies like Maniac Cop, Grotesque, or Chopping Mall are highly enjoyable despite their lower budgets. And while I don’t always love them, I get a kick out of some true D-level schlock flicks like Madman or Without Warning.
I’ve always had this weird little blind spot in the form of Killer Klowns From Outer Space, though. I mean, that isn’t entirely true; I do remember seeing bits and pieces of this when I was very young and hanging out at my friend’s house. But I’m sure we were more engaged in playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than we were in really watching this movie as it took place in the background. So I can’t really say I ever saw it.
And I was made sure of that tonight when I decided to watch it. I remembered nothing of this flick. So it might as well have been a first time watch for me! So that’s what I counted it as.
It’s weird that with just how much I have seen in the last several years–in spite of all of the cult classic movies I’ve checked out–I didn’t get around to watching the Killer Klowns until tonight. It’s one of the most weirdly beloved flicks from the 1980’s, to the point where they even recently made a video game out of it! I haven’t played that, either, as I’m worried a lot of the Dead By Daylight copycats will eventually go the way of the dinosaur when DbD continues reigning as the asymmetrical horror king.
Has anyone played the Killer Klowns game, though? Let me know how it is!
Anyway! Killer Klowns From Outer Space is the story of some killer clown creatures. And they come from space! It’s not… there isn’t a lot of mystery left to the movie when you see the title. In the suburban town of Crescent Cove, California, what seems to be a shooting star lands and releases the murderous jesters. A young couple, Mike and Debbie, find the klowns’ big top spaceship, but they manage to escape unscathed even after the klowns discover their presence.
From there, it’s up to the two of them to warn the town–including Debbie’s ex-boyfriend Dave who works as a cop–of the danger that is coming. But it’s not just the klowns who are proving problematic, as another, older officer in Crescent Cove has had it with the young people trying to play tricks on him.
TWO UPS AND TWO DOWNS
+ The klown costumes are solid practical effects, and they look very good. They have good animatronics on the face, allowing for decent movement and expression. You can really see where the budget for the movie went (I read that this movie raised $1.8 million for production, which is wild!) when you see the klowns in action. I dig good ol’ costuming effects, and seeing the work that the effects and design and makeup teams put into these warms my heart.
The physical acting of those inside the costumes is equal to the task. The klowns are wily and fun, and they bring the joy to this picture. They are the title characters of the movie, and they are presented as the stars they deserve to be.
+ The klown weaponry is creative and well imagined for a race of killer clowns. They are on brand and thematic for what said race could use. It’s fun stuff. Cotton candy guns and magical hand puppets and balloon rays and evil popcorn seeds. It’s all very imaginative.
Probably my favorite of the klown devices is their balloon animal dogs that track people down and seem to have a personality all of their own. When you first see them in action, they make sounds and pull their klown masters around. Again: fun! That’s really the theme of this whole outing; it’s just a bunch of enjoyment for the viewer.
– The acting is mostly terrible, and the dialogue is even worse. Nothing anyone says is particularly believable. Mike and Dave are probably the best performers of a bad bunch, but that’s no great reward. They are passable at best during their screen time. Everyone else–most notably Rich and Paul, the Terenzi brothers–is truly rough.
But like I said… the dialogue isn’t doing anyone any favors in terms of the performances. The script was clearly the unwanted stepson in comparison to imagining up the klowns and their effects and weapons.
– Speaking of those items, past the klown costumes, the effects are pretty bad. Generic 80’s light show effects and some cheap as hell settings. I’ve actually seen several of my Letterboxd friends compliment the settings in this picture, but I thought they were downright terrible. Completely black backdrops with some inexpensive decorations surrounding them. I mentioned above that in regards to the costuming you could really tell where the budget went. Well, unfortunately, in regards to the settings, you can ALSO tell where the budget went… but this time, for the worse.
