The urban dictionary defines a cult film as “A movie that
has a significant following”. One thing they omit in that definition is that
cult films for the most part are movies that didn’t do well at the box office
when initially released but found an audience after that. Early on audiences
found them at midnight movies but with the invention of video and later disc it
was in these markets that lost treasures suddenly became go to movies for fans.
Among those movies is one involving that highly dreaded, nightmare inducing,
phobic founding image known as the circus clown. No, not IT, I’m talking about
KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE.
Released in 1988 to little recognition when the movie played
on cable in heavy rotation it developed a huge fan base. On tape even more so.
When it finally appeared on DVD fans flocked to it and continue to do so. Now
Arrow Video is releasing the ultimate version of the film to blu-ray and fans
will be thrilled with this release.
If you missed out on the movie when first released it told
the story of young couple Mike Tobacco (Grant Cramer) and Debbie Stone (Suzanne
Snyder) who while parking witness a glow in the night time sky. Following the
path it traveled they find a vast circus tent lit up in a nearby field and
investigate. Inside they discover all the twisted crazy lights and colors one
would associate with a funhouse as well as huge hanging loops of cotton candy.
The problem is inside each loop is a human being slowly deteriorating.
The pair realize that this is no circus tent but a
spaceship. It isn’t long before they’re being chased by aliens, beings that
resemble demented circus clowns. From floppy footwear to garish make up they
might look like the clowns but with fang filled faces and cotton candy
embalming ray guns they aren’t quite what one would remember.
Mike and Debbie escape and make their way to town. At the
police station they’re confronted by hard-nosed Officer Curtis Mooney (John
Vernon), one of those stereotypical officers who thinks all kids are just punks,
and Officer Dave Hansen (John Allen Nelson) who thankfully is in charge. We
soon learn that Dave was once Debbie’s boyfriend. He drops Debbie off at home
and takes Mike to where they tell him the ship was located. The ship having moved,
he arrest Mike for creating a disturbance.
In the meantime the clowns have been taking over the town
and wrapping up the populace in cotton candy to munch on later. When Dave
finally sees what’s going on he and Mike head back to Debbie’s to make sure
she’s safe. Recruiting a pair of goofballs in an ice cream truck, the Terenzi
brothers, and calling in the State Patrol, they set out to find the ship and
save the town.
Yes, the movie really is that simple and yes that goofy. It
is a mixture of those famous alien invasion flicks of the past, most notably
THE BLOB, turned upside down and combined with an off the wall sense of humor.
The klowns themselves are memorable to see and have a combine looking funny
with a feeling of dread at the same time. The tools they use range from the
cotton candy ray guns to guns that shoot popcorn that later develop into more
clowns.
The antics of the klowns display how deadly they can be too.
Boxing gloves that give them enough punch to decapitate, cream pies that
liquefy bodies and balloon animals that help them track down their prey are
just a few of the items they use. The combination of the creations that were
meant to make us laugh when young turned into the deadliest of foes gives
viewers some truly funny sequences with an underlying sense of menace at the
same time.
As I noted earlier, the movie gained fame after being
released to theaters finding a huge crowd of fans on cable and tape/discs. So
much so that the stars now find themselves surrounded by fans at conventions
and the klowns memorialized in ink via tattoo. Show a movie lover a picture of
the klowns from this film and they can immediately tell you the name of the
movie as well as scenes from it. In addition to that the theme song from the
film, performed and written by punk band The Dickies, is a catchy tune that
fans have adored as much as the movie itself.
Arrow Video has been doing a great job of presenting lost
and cult films for some time now and they’ve done an amazing job with this one.
The presentation of the movie on blu-ray looks stupendous here, better than
ever. And the extras they’ve included, as always, make the entire experience
worth viewing rather than just a press package feel.
Arrows version here begins with a 4k scan restoration using
the original camera negative. It gets better from there. How so? The extras
include an archive audio commentary with the Chiodo Brothers, LET THE SHOW
BEGIN! ANATOMY OF A KILLER THEME SONG an all-new interview with the original
members of the American punk band The Dickies, THE CHIODOS WALK AMONG US:
ADVENTURES IN SUPER 8 FILMMAKING an all new documentary about the Chiodo
brothers early films made when they were teens, new HD transfers of the Chiodo
brothers 8mm and Super 8 films, TALES OF TOBACCO an interview with Grant
Cramer, DEBBIE’S BIG NIGHT an interview with Suzanne Snyder, BRINGING LIFE TO
THESE THINGS a tour of Chiodo Brothers Productions, THE MAKING OF KILLER KLOWNS
archive production featurette, VISUAL EFFECTS WITH GENE WARREN an archive
interview with co-writer/producer Charles Chiodo and visual effects supervisor
Gene Warren Jr., KREATING KLOWNS an archive interview with Charles Chiodo and
creature fabricator Dwight Roberts, KOMPOSING KLOWNS an archive interview with
composer John Massari, klown auditions, deleted scenes with filmmaker’s audio
commentary, bloopers, image galleries, the original theatrical trailer and a
reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara
Deck that is amazing. Whew! That’s an exhaustive amount of extras!
So if the killer klowns brings back fond memories for you
then give this one a look. Better yet pick up a copy and add it to your
collection. It’s nothing to be taken seriously but is certainly one of the more
fun movies of the cult film genre to garner your attention. Just make sure when
you watch it to keep an eye on your popcorn and don’t let anyone have a cream
pie sitting on the counter.
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