Monday, January 2, 2012

Review: Killer Klowns from Outer Space


Credentials: 71%, Certified Fresh (Rottentomatoes.com) / 5.7 out of 10 (Imdb.com)

Plot: A night on lover’s lane takes a bizarre turn for two teens when a spaceship crash lands nearby. The ship resembles a giant circus tent and is full of aliens who look like clowns and are armed to the pointy teeth with acidic pies and popcorn guns. Even worse: The aliens have no interest in coming in peace and have a taste for humans. It’s up to the teens and one half of the local police force (it’s a two-man precinct) to stop the aliens from turning the town--- and maybe even the entire world--- into a huge intergalactic smorgasbord. 

Why it stinks: Well, honestly, it doesn’t. Not really anyway.
                “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” is an extremely cheesy movie, but by god is it entertaining! It’s a sometimes hilarious, sometimes just chuckle-inducing horror comedy that has some fun with 50’s sci-fi classics like “The Blob” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”  

                Sure, the acting is pretty bad across the board, the dialogue is clunky and the effects have NOT aged well, especially the killer klown masks. But the movie manages to get by on its zany charms, its surreal premise and the near-limitless imaginations of its creators, the Chiodo Brothers.
                How could you honestly hate a movie where the villains encase their victims in cocoons made of cotton candy in order to suck their blood through crazy straws? Tell me how you could hate a movie like that? It’s just too much fun.
                Granted, the humor is uneven. Like I said earlier, the movie has its gut-busting moments, but it also drags a bit and occasionally the humor is just a little too dumb for its own good.
                I’m looking at you, Michael Siegel and Peter Licassi. These two play the Terenzi Brothers, a pair of bumbling ice cream truck drivers who end up having way too much to do near the film’s finale. The duo exists simply for comedic relief, but I’d argue the movie doesn’t need them. The villains are freakin’ clowns for god sakes! How much more comedic relief do you need!?
                The movie makes use of several classic B-movie clichés: the kids who feel the need to investigate the “shooting star,” the needlessly angry cop who doesn’t believe a word anyone says to him about anything, etc.
                “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” also sports one of the more confusing love triangles this side of “Pearl Harbor.” It seems one of the teens has a romantic history with the cop she’s not entirely over quite yet. This makes things very uncomfortable near the finale when she gets all smootchy smootchy with the law man, right in front of her current boyfriend. Awk-ward!
                But that’s mostly splitting hairs. “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” is a cheesy drive-in style classic. It’s a fun way to burn an hour and a half on a rainy day. Compared to some of the garbage I’ve watched for this site, movies with much, much bigger budgets, “Klowns” seems downright good.

                Worst of the worst: Really anything with the Terenzi Bros. would qualify. If I had to pick one, I’d say the ridiculous escape scene where they drive an ice cream truck through the wall of a spaceship. The truck barely gets a scratch on it, but the ship doesn’t look so good. Take that aliens! Our cars are tougher than your rocket ships! Ummm… Booyah, I guess?

                Video evidence
                Beware of Klowns bearing pies...
And pizza...
 A best of... Beware here be spoilers!
 
              So there you go, “Killer Klowns from Outer Space." Bumblebee tuna.

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