Killer Klowns from Outer Space

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (18)

D: Stephen Chiodo

Trans World Entertainment (Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo & Stephen Chiodo)

US 1988

88 mins

Horror/Science Fiction/Comedy

W: Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo & Stephen Chiodo

DP: Alfred Taylor

Ed: Christopher Roth

Mus: John Massari

Grant Cramer (Mike), Suzanne Snyder (Debbie), John Allen Nelson (Sheriff Dave Hanson), Royal Dano (Gene Green), John Vernon (Curtis Mooney)

The title alone immediately tells you that this is a bad movie. Establishing it as a bad movie before the fact, the shocking revelation is that the film isn't too bad at all, in fact, it's quite a lot of fun.

This low budget cult favourite could either work as a horror movie for those who are afraid of clowns, or a goofy comedy for those who aren't.

An alien species who have the appearance of creepy circus clowns invade a small town in Middle America, where they take tremendous glee in turning the population into a candy floss-like substance, going on the rampage with their bizarre arsenal of weapons, including guns that shoot popcorn and balloon animals for dogs.

There's obviously budgetary constraints which prevent the film from having great special effects and some of the more expensive scenes were only shot once, so whatever the quality of the outcome, the footage was included in the film.

Yes, it's an obviously bad movie, but like Plan 9 From Outer Space (qv), this is one where the phrase "so bad, it's good" is completely apt. It's a novelty, and though the joke wears thin towards the end of the film, at 88 minutes long, it's a mercifully short time to immerse yourself in nonsense.

4/10