I know a lot of people love rewatching movies over and over again, but not me. Not usually, anyway. Sure, I've seen Big Trouble in Little China more times than I can count, but I usually don't watch other movies like that. Except, that is, when it comes to certain seasons.
For example, I always rewatch the Friday the 13th movies in the summer, and I make it a priority to rewatch Halloween III: Season of the Witch every, er, Halloween. But one other movie that I just have to watch this time of the year is the Chiodo Brothers’ classic Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Here’s why.
Oh, some minor spoilers for a movie from the ‘80s are up ahead. You’ve been warned.
I Never Tire Of All Of The Inventive Ways That The Klowns Kill Their Victims
For those of you who have never watched this (somewhat) creepy clown movie, let me explain. A couple of college students necking at a local make-out spot witness what they think is a shooting star, only to realize (to their horror) that it was actually a UFO.
But not only was it a UFO, but it was also full of clowns (or rather, “klowns”)! How stupid is that? You’re right, it’s pretty damn stupid. But, therein lies the fun, as you can tell the Chiodo Brothers had a blast with all of the different ways that their cadre of clowns could dispatch with their victims. For one thing, the klowns’ homebase is a giant big top circus, and within it are all matters of silly death traps and hazards.
They have victims hanging up in cotton candy body bags, and they shoot popcorn blasts that stick to their victims. Not only that, but their hunting dog is a balloon animal that tracks down the popcorn scent and goes on the move.
Honestly, I just can’t get enough of how inventive all of the kills are in this film. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the Leprechaun movies. But whereas that series got a little tiresome by the time that character went Back 2 tha Hood, Killer Klowns, being only one movie, never gets old for me.
I especially love the shadow puppet scene, where a clown stands at a bus stop and kills off a crowd of people with a giant shadow puppet monster. I mean, seriously, who thinks of this kind of stuff? The Chiodo Brothers, that’s who.
Every Character Is Over-The-Top In The Best Sort Of Way
Here’s the thing about over-the-top characters: I can either take them or leave them. Like, I’m sorry, as much as I love Family Matters, I can only take so much of Steve Urkel. I find him funny for a couple of episodes, but beyond that, I just find his voice too grating to continue to listen to any longer. However, I can’t get enough of Bulk and Skull from the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. I honestly feel like I could have gotten a whole series off of their antics.
I kind of feel that way about every single character in Killer Klowns From Outer Space. For example, pretty early on, we’re introduced to the Terenzi Brothers, who appear in an ice cream truck and interrupt some heavy make-out sessions to sell ice cream. They could have been super annoying, but they’re in the movie seldom enough that I appreciate their presence every single time.
Then we have the klowns themselves, who all somehow seem to have their own personalities, even though they look somewhat similar and speak some weird alien language.
But my favorite, favorite character of all is Officer Curtis Mooney, played by the late, great John Vernon. He plays a cop who comes very close to not playing by the rules, and I find his annoyance at the college kids in his area hilarious. I actually hate that his character dies so early in the movie. Speaking of which…
For Such A Silly Movie, There Are A Few Genuine Frights
Now, I’d be lying if I said that Killer Klowns From Outer Space was Terrifier 3 or anything like that, as it’s a silly, silly movie, and PG-13 for a reason. That said, even though it's pretty much 99% whimsical, there is 1% of the film that genuinely gives me the creeps, and it's the scene involving the clown using Officer Mooney as a dummy.
In a moment that could straight up come out of a “real” horror movie (rather than from a horror-comedy, which this movie definitively is), one of the klowns acts as a ventriloquist, and uses the dead body of Officer Mooney to make him talk to his partner. It's actually a deeply effective scene, and even though I laugh during almost the entire movie, that one scene gets me every time. It works!
It's The Perfect Length For An Annual Viewing
There are a lot of movies that I'd love to rewatch, but I just don’t have the time for them. For example, my favorite movie is one of the greatest war pictures of all time, Apocalypse Now, and I'd love to rewatch Apocalypse Now Redux. But at 3 hours and 22 minutes, that is just too much of a commitment.
The same goes for another fantastic Coppola movie, The Godfather Part II, which is also a staggering 3 hours and 22 minutes long. I would love to just sit and watch that masterpiece again in all of its splendor, but that's like a whole day to myself, completely gone, and as a father of two kids, I just can’t abide by that.
But, at an hour and a half, Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a breeze. I can watch the movie in one sitting, and I do it every year at least once. The film gets right to the killer klowns pretty quickly, so it’s the perfect film to watch every year, especially with some friends. Oh, and about that...
Plus, I Just Love Showing It To Friends Who Have Never Watched It Before
There are certain movies that I just have to show my friends. For instance, I don’t think there’s a single close friend of mine who hasn’t watched Troll 2 at least once, or Peter Jackson’s first movie, Bad Taste.
The same could be said for Killer Klowns From Outer Space, which I showed many a friend who I invited over to my house to watch on VHS back in the day. It’s one of those films that was likely a cult movie the day it debuted back in 1988, and has stayed as such ever since.
Most of my friends, if I’m being honest, don’t see what the big deal is. It’s not as over the top as Bad Taste, or as glaringly bad as Troll 2. Instead, it’s just a fun movie with silly characters and an even sillier plot.
That said, if there’s any movie that I can just have playing in the background at a Halloween party that most of my friends have seen (because of me), it’s probably Killer Klowns From Outer Space, which is a good time, every time.
But what do you think? Have you ever seen this klown klassic? For more news on all things horror-related, be sure to swing by here often.
