When going into Killer Klowns From Outer Space it is necessary to be aware of two things - a) the title really does say it all so don't be surprised when that is all you get, and b) the film is basically a showreel for the Chiodo Brothers and their particular brand of filmmaking and special effects tomfoolery. Armed with this information Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a whole heap of fun and pretty much beyond any major criticism, despite the movie not exactly setting the world on fire when it was originally released back in 1988. Paying homage to 1950s B-movies like Attack of the Crab Monsters and The Blob, these killer klowns arrive on Earth and set up a huge circus tent in the middle of the woods. Thinking Halley's Comet has crashed into Earth, Farmer Gene Green (Royal Dano) goes to investigate but ends up being kidnapped by a huge clown-like monster. As more and more strange things start happening around town it is up to young lovers Mike (Grant Kramer) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder), local sheriff Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson) and ice cream salesmen the Terenzi brothers to get to the bottom of things and try to stop the murderous klowns before the whole town gets turned into a bloody shake for them to drink through their novelty straws. Along with other ridiculous (in a good way) '80s cult favourites like Night of the Creeps and Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Killer Klowns From Outer Space knows exactly what it is and runs wild with it, never letting up with the stupidity but always with a knowing wink to let you know that it is laughing along with you. There is not a lot of gore - a decapitation punch and a human glove puppet being the only gruesome(ish) moments - and there doesn't need to be as the klowns themselves are pretty creepy, their grubby, monstrous faces providing most of the horror elements of the film as their weapons are deadly versions of seemingly innocent clown props, like custard pies full of acid and mutant popcorn that turns into miniature klown heads with very sharp teeth. And the special effects really are quite special, not just with the klowns' animatronic masks and garish costumes but the interior of their circus tent looks fantastic, the sort of neon nightmare that most 1960s TV shows were built on. The acting isn't what you would call great but the cast generally pitch it suitably, with Grant Cramer and John Allen Nelson giving the appropriate 'gee whiz'-type reactions that were a staple of '50s sci-fi/horror movies. The presence of John Vernon as a grumpy police officer who has it in for anyone younger than him is a very welcome one and adds to the youthful rebellion feel of the film, despite the fact that the town's youngsters aren't being that rebellious and he is just a cantankerous old fool with a chip on his shoulder. The only real dud is Suzanne Snyder, who doesn't seem to know what film she is in despite having been in the equally silly Return of the Living Dead Part II and Night of the Creeps, and her line delivery veers from wooden to theatrical without any sort of middle ground. Granted, it is not a film for subtleties but her lack of consistency is a little annoying. Presented in a brand new 4K restoration, this is the second release of Killer Klowns From Outer Space from Arrow Video and although the remastered picture looks fantastic in all its neon glory there may not be enough of a noticeable difference to reinvest if you bought the steelbook Blu-ray that came out a few years back. However, there are a few new extras that may tempt you to double-dip if you are a fan, including a new interview with punk band The Dickies who provided the annoyingly catchy theme song, a new featurette detailing the Chiodo Brothers’ early films from their childhood and college days and new HD transfers of the complete collection of the Chiodo Brothers’ 8mm and Super 8 films. These sit alongside all of the original special features from Arrow’s earlier release, which includes cast and crew interviews, audition footage, deleted scenes, blooper reels and various other nuggets to make a fairly loaded disc for collectors and fans alike. Had Killer Klowns From Outer Space been made in the 1950s then it probably would have been branded a violent shocker and been tremendously popular with movie audiences. However, it was made in the late 1980s amongst the bloodier likes of Evil Dead II, Re-Animator and Frank Henenlotter's unique brand of twisted humour, and never really did much financial business, becoming a cult hit on home video in the years after its original release. Comparing it to today’s horror movies is like comparing the The Dark Knight Trilogy to the 1960s Batman TV series, but Killer Klowns From Outer Space is not really a film that you need to compare to anything; just accept it for what it is and revel in the madness that the Chiodo Brothers bring to the screen because when it is executed with this much maniacal glee, just being silly for the sake of it is good enough. Distributor: Arrow Video
BBFC Classification: 12 Director: Stephen Chiodo Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, John Vernon, Royal Dano, Irene Michaels Special Features: Audio commentary with the Chiodo Brothers, Let the Show Begin! Anatomy of a Killer Theme Song with the original members of American punk band The Dickies, The Chiodos Walk Among Us: Adventures in Super 8 Filmmaking documentary, HD transfers of the complete collection of the Chiodo Brothers 8mm and Super 8 films, Tales of Tobacco interview with star Grant Cramer, Debbie's Big Night interview with star Suzanne Snyder, Bringing Life to These Things featurette, The Making of Killer Klowns featurette, Visual Effects with Gene Warren Jr. interview, Kreating Klowns interview with Charles Chiodo and creature fabricator Dwight Roberts, Komposing Klowns interview with composer John Massari, Klown auditions, deleted scenes with filmmaker's audio commentary, bloopers, image galleries, original theatrical trailer, reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck. UK Release Date: 9th April 2018
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