Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Stephen Chiodo

Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, John Vernon, Royal Dano

From: Chiodo Brothers Productions and Sarlui/Diamant

This is another rewatch of something I saw many years ago. It will be leaving Amazon Prime soon, so it seemed like the best time for a revisit. I enjoyed this, as I explained below:

As sometimes happens, I watch a movie soon before it either leaves a streaming service or it leaves Prime and it's not free any longer; the latter is the case with this motion picture (it won't be on Prime any longer after August 31, 2017), which I have seen before but this is another case where that last viewing was many years ago.

There isn't too much to say about the movie... it is extremely silly on purpose. On the surface, a film which "borrows" the plot from The Blob where giant aliens that look like clowns end up on Earth in a circus tent spaceship and they kidnap people & store them in cotton candy cocoons sounds stupid, but the movie is so goofy yet earnest, it's entertaining. Many of the tropes involving clowns/the circus are explored, and usually spoofed. I do have to give it props... the budget was clearly pretty low yet there are some nice matte paintings and there several sets which are well-done and colorful. While some of the acting isn't the best, John Vernon as the A-hole police chief Mooney is the best, as a pretty rotten cop who believes that suspects have zero rights.

For years, the filmmakers have been wanting to do a sequel and I hope it can happen one day, as I will presume there are enough fans of this cult classic where it'd be worthwhile. Depending on if you have coulrophobia (a fear of clowns) will determine if you find this scary or not... I say it's still fun and does accomplish exactly what it set out to do. As you have a theatrical version of It coming out soon and those clown sighting from last fall-which I presume will come back this fall because of It-it especially makes me wish a sequel to this could come out now.