Yes, this movie really does handle about evil aliens, shaped like clowns, that strand near a remote American village. Their circus tent mysteriously appears in the woods after a meteorite crash and the klowns (yes, with a "k") go on a rampage in the village to turn people into cotton-candy with their funky armory. Their mission is to take the human snacks back to their planet but a team of local dummies makes a counter-attack in their ice cream-truck! This movie unquestionably has the most absurd premise in cinema ever and you either love it or downgrade it as being a ridiculous piece of trash. I am a great fan of this campy horror-comedy flick and I can't possibly say anything negative about it. My best defense for this movie would be that it is an ingenious and successful attempt to parody and homage the 50's and early 60's SF classics in which paranoid people witnessed alien-invasions from all over the universe. But actually, the silliness of this movie doesn't require justification at all. It feels like the idea started out as a joke between 3 brothers and eventually it resulted in a long-feature film. The acting isn't very impressive (apart from veteran actor John Vernon in a great 'angry old copper'-role) and the dialogues are unimaginably dumb. On the other hand, the clown-costumes are terrific and the least you can say about the plot-twists is that they're creative (a Godzilla-clown, anyone??). So, in case you have only the tiniest sense of morbid humor in you, I strongly recommend tracking down this "Killer Klowns from Outer Space". It will, without a doubt, be one the most bizarre film projects you ever laid eyes on.
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Coventry5 May 2005
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electronsexparty6 June 2005I know bad when I see it. As a MST3K fanatic, I've seen the worst of the worst and loved every minute. I rented Killer Klowns thinking it would be so bad I'd groan and laugh the whole way through.
Gasp, Killer Klowns isn't bad at all- it's creative and funny. This movie doesn't take itself seriously, and that makes for fun time for everyone.
It's a contemporary monster movie with a 1950's Blob-ish feel. The Chiodo Bros. demented sense of humor, simple and coherent plot, kreepy-looking klowns and decent cast of actors makes for an entertaining Friday night movie.Pair this one up with The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra and you've got yourself a great double-feature. -
The_Void10 April 2006When it comes to silly movies, they don't get much sillier than this one. The title says it all, and its clear going into a movie called 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space' that you're not exactly going to be in for a serious ride. To be honest, I can't say I was overly enthused with this Sci-Fi spoof, but it's not hard to see why it's got a cult following. The film takes in the idea of clowns being eerie and frightening, and fuses it with the common theme of aliens coming down from space; thus giving us aliens that look like clowns. For what it is, the film is actually quite inventive; and while much of the action is clichéd and/or samey, it's the little things that ensure it doesn't get boring. As mentioned, the plot follows aliens from space that look like clowns. When their spaceship (a tent) lands in the forest, two kids rush to the police headquarters to tell the law that their town is being invaded. If someone gave me that story, I'd definitely believe it; but the law in this town is slightly more sceptical, and while the kids aren't being believed; the clown population is growing.
One thing I do like about this movie is the special effects. Rather than simply having the clowns being played by men in make-up and baggy clothes, director Stephen Chiodo has opted to make actual suits for the villains. The special effects are a lot like those seen in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice in the same year, and bode well with this absurd plot line. The style of the movie is consistently clown themed, and parts of the film such as the climax on the alien spaceship look great. The acting is typical B-movie, but the movie does benefit from several good performers. The young cast perform well enough with energetic performances that, like the rest of the movie, aren't delivered too seriously; but the standout is veteran actor John Vernon, who is great in the role of the sceptic police officer. The 'horror' in this movie is hardly potent, as much of it is sapped out because of the fact that it's all a big joke - but ideas such as people being cocooned in candy floss or eaten up by a shadow puppet are surreally frightening. Overall, this isn't a favourite of mine; but it offers ninety minutes of good fun and there's no real reason to hate it. -
cherold8 July 2000Some people see Killer Klowns as a great "bad movie," but in spite of its low budget and iffy casting I rate this as a genuine "good movie." Here we have a film that reimagines every aspect of clowning and circuses -- puppet shows, cotton candy, balloon animals -- in terms of homicidal aliens. The level of ingenuity is remarkable, and parts of it are quite funny. This film deserves far more fame that it's gotten and I think it's sad that the Chiodo brothers never made anything else.
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Leofwine_draca13 October 2017KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE is a cheesy, campy, B-movie horror flick of the 1980s that fits in well with the fellow likes of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS and THE BLOB. The story is simplicity in itself and concerns a troop of aliens who arrive on Earth disguised as the creepiest-looking clowns you'll ever see; their job is to go around town and kill and capture as many humans as possible. Truth be told, this is a film which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and the human characters are very much left in the background. However, it's still a lot of fun, particularly triumphing in terms of the set design and excellent look of the villains themselves. Expect rubbery gore scenes, lots of vivid bright colours, John Vernon hamming up a treat, and lots of sheer weirdness on display.
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Craven-324 August 1999While out having a bit of a snog on the local make-out hill a young couple interrupt their passion just in time to see a huge shooting star fall to earth not far from them. Instead of getting back to a bit of tonsil tasting they decide to go have a look. What they find there will change their lives forever.............(or as long as they live which hopefully isn't that long at all) Oh what a joy this movie is. It has everything you would need to make it a classic horror movie, young people being killed, no one believing them and giant clowns with bright orange fringe hair turning everyone into candy floss (cotton candy for the americanised among us) and drinking their blood through big striped curly straws. They even have these groovy space guns which shoot out popcorn for some reason. The plot is very simple, giant alien Klowns come to town and try to kill everybody and only a group of young plucky students can save the world. Personally I was on the side of the Klowns here but I knew once I saw their big red noses where their vulnerable spot would be. WEAR NOSE PROTECTORS NEXT TIME GUYS! The Chido brothers, who produced this movie, obviously didn't have too much money to spend on it but what they did do was spend it well on the Killer Klown make up and special effects. Forget the plot, forget the characters just grab a couple of beers call some mates to come around and sit back and bask in the glory of the Killer Klowns From Outer Space
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kosmasp18 June 2020A friend of mine does not like comedy in horror. And I know he is not alone with that sentiment. So if you hate that as well, let me tell you: this movie is not for you. It mixes comedy with horror and does quite the swell job when doing so.
The makers of this do not take it seriously either, but they take their craft serious. Well they do try to make the best of it. Whether it is to your taste or not, is a different question alltogether. Good effects for a low budget movie and overall real fun to watch -
bkoganbing10 October 2017I was really prepared to trash this film and while Killer Klowns From Outer Space is hardly Citizen Kane it's actually a pretty fair satire of these science fiction films so popular in the 50s about alien invasion.
A spaceship lands and it looks like a circus tent. The aliens landing look like circus clowns and their weapons look like burlesque type weapons. They start reeking havoc on the nearby small town before anyone really notices.
The purpose it looks like was to replenish the food supply as they zap humans and kill them with the bodies stored for preservation in these cocoons made out of a cotton candy like substance. They must have seen and memorized the Kelvin cookbook on how to serve man.
John Allen Nelson and girlfriend Suzanne Snyder are the first to discover them and live and they go to Deputy Sheriff Grant Cramer who is Snyder's former boyfriend for help. Later on they rope in these two ding-a-lings who have an ice cream truck the Tirenzi Brothers. These two make Bill and Ted look as sophisticated as Noel Coward.
Royal Dano as a farmer and John Vernon as another sheriff's deputy have roles that you can see these two are enjoying overacting to the hilt. Their encounter with the clowns end badly, but are funny as all get out.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space has a dopey infectious charm to it just like the Bill&Ted films. I don't think one can help but like it. -
"Killer Klowns from Outer Space"(1988)by Stephen Chiodo is a horror movie so ridiculous that it's hard to dislike it.What makes it work so well is that it successfully toys with our expectations.Some people just hate clowns,and this movie exaggerates everything that makes them scary.The plot involves some really creepy aliens who look like clowns.They have come to our planet to turn people into food.The clowns capture their victims in cocoons made of cotton candy,their guns look like colorful toy pistols,their pies are acidic,their popcorns turn into snake-like creatures and their ship is a circus tent.Anyway,this crazy film is extremely entertaining.The make-up is beyond grotesque and the clowns look very creepy.The film received a cult status many years ago and it's easy to see why.So if you are a fan of twisted and bizarre horror films give this one a chance.8 out of 10.
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boblipton7 April 2022Considering the usually idiocy of aliens-invading-the-earth movies, I found this film a refreshing example of the genre, if only for the visual design. I appreciated the way the cast and crew played this spoof straight within its farcical settings and managed a pleasant time for this viewer.
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dodobassoon29 December 2023I have seen this movie several times throughout my life and as much as I love cheesy B-movies, this one always rubbed me the wrong way. Tonight, at the age of 50 while watching it yet again with my teenage daughter, I have decided that, besides its many faults...one of the reasons why I don't like this movie is that I really wanted THIS to be the movie Dean Wormer from Animal House (John Vernon) finally wins. And he doesn't. I think if he (police chief Mooney) had of won the day, I'd have felt like the movie had some worth. The guy (any character he played ever I mean) needed a win, and this should've been it. Saving his town against stupid pranky awful teens AND killer clowns from outer space. Win win. But alas no. Long live John Vernon in our memories! Played a jerk like no other.
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Duzniak383 August 2006Killer Klowns from Outer Space is an unusual and inventive sci-fi B-Movie about Killer Klowns who invade a town and start viciously killing people. It's original plot and inventive ideas make this an enjoyable movie which doesn't take itself too seriously. Which genre it belongs in borderlines throughout the film. Soemtimes it is pure indulgent comedy, for example Killer Klowns running around with acidic ice-cream sundaes and popcorn ray guns, and wrapping people up in cotton candy cocoons and slurping their blood through twisty straws. But then it isn't really ideal for children and very sensitive viewers, as the added gore, the effectively scary Klown makeup and costuming, and the horrifying ideas make it hard to find it's target audience and definite genre. Most adults can enjoy this without being too grossed-out and scared. However it does stick in your mind, and the Klowns themselves are unnerving and horrific to look at. The goofiness of the story makes it great popcorn fun though, so just take it lightly and enjoy the combination of gore and comedy. The big colourful bright candylike sets and the fantastic Klown technology and surrealism adds more twist to the already freaky premise. The script and acting is just above average, with some good performance and memorable quotes and fun scenes. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is great popcorn-munchin' fun.
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robert375028 May 2023This is the kind of fun, cheesy 80s movie that evokes a nostalgic feeling of going to the theater on a Saturday night, as well as Joe Bob Briggs on cable TV counting breasts and deaths. This movie doesn't have breasts (nudity is only implied), but it does have deaths. Alien invaders with the appearance of nightmarish circus clowns and a literal taste for human blood terrorize a small town. The clown makeup is very creepy, the deaths are sometimes quite gruesome, and the visual effects are quite well done, especially considering the movie's low budget. It's fun to watch John Vernon as a grumpy, hateful police chief chew the scenery and get what's coming to him. Quite enjoyable.
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Johnny_West25 May 2020This movie would just be average third-rate late-night garbage if it weren't for the two horrible dim-wit losers that provide the un-funny non-comic moments during the whole movie. Michael S. Siegel plays really dumb Rich Terenzi, and Peter Licassi plays his even dumber brother, Paul Terenzi. they were the groupies to the Police Academy loser, played by John Allen Nelson.
The Police Academy movies were in their full glory during the time this crud was made, and it seems like they were going for some Police Academy versus Alien Klowns via the small town vibe from The Blob and many other good science fiction movies.
The hometown lovebirds are played by Grant Cramer and Suzanne Snyder. No surprise that none of these clowns ever had much of a movie star career. Bad movies always seem to throw in the D-level comedians whose parents invested some money in the movie, and the Terenzi brothers really kill any positive vibe every time they pop up to make their insipid comedy contributions. Being dumb is not funny for ninety minutes, but I guess this movie was aiming for the stoner pot-head crowd. Low expectations can only go so far.
The Killer Klowns are entertaining, but this is not ninety minutes worth of fun. It is more like a Three Stooges short film that went way too long. When the Stooges were making movies in the late 1950s, the Killer Klowns would have fit right in. -
Camera-Obscura5 March 2007Seriously deranged stuff with a ridiculous premise of alien clowns setting up camp near a small town, abducting the local inhabitants and turning them into cotton candy and snacks. Any film with a title like this deserves this amount of attention and it's still a stellar cult favorite in the Midnight- and Bad Movie circuits. Most of the films intentionally made as bad movies or camp usually blow it (like most of Troma's disasters), but this is a surprisingly fun and good-natured homage to some silly sci-fi and horror classics of the fifties like FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956), INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) and THE BLOB (1958).
Our heroes are Debbie and Dave, two of your typical annoying eighties' youngsters with bad hairdos and less than impressive acting skills, trying to persuade the locals something's seriously wrong here. "Nobody stores Cotton Candy like this", observes Debbie when they enter the alien Klowns' circus tent. Smart girl, but how to get rid of these cosmic bozos. Now, clowns are plain creepy and evil. We all know that. Although the tone is generally tongue-in-cheek, the film does manage to throw in some genuine scares. The make-up fx are very impressive and when these Klowns are on the rampage, they are a seriously scary bunch. Undeniably a campy affair, with its truly off-the-wall premise, cheezy acting and predictable storyline, the whole film is laden with an irresistible charm, nicely complemented with a catchy theme song by cult punk band The Dickies, so eighties and so dated, it was already seriously out of fashion by the time the film was released. Cheezy fun all the way.
Camera Obscura --- 7/10 -
SnoopyStyle3 August 2016Aliens have landed in the woods outside of Crescent Cove. Farmer Gene Green and his dog Pooh Bear investigate and find a circus tent structure. They are taken by scary clown-like aliens. Mike Tobacco and Debbie Stone are making out at the wooded teen hangout. They follow the streak in the sky and find the circus tent. They go inside to find strange weird things and people cocooned in cotton candy. They manage to escape from the alien clowns and their myriad of circus gadgets. They tell ex-boyfriend police deputy Dave Hanson but old timer Curtis Mooney dismisses them.
The title says "Killer Klowns from Outer Space". It delivers exactly what one expects. It's very stupid and has complete fun doing it. It doesn't give anything more or better. The actors are not the top tier. This isn't really scary unless one has a fear of clowns. One can have fun with all the ridiculous ideas. -
claudio_carvalho26 October 2015In Crescent Cove, Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson) and Debbie Stone (Suzanne Snyder) are dating in an isolated place and they see a shooting star crashing in the woods. They decide to look for the place where the star crashed and they find a weird circus tent. Soon they discover that the circus is a spacecraft and the aliens look like clowns. Further many residents were killed and are wrapped in cocoons. They are hunted down by the killer clowns but they succeed to flee. They head to the town and they meet the open-minded Sheriff Mike Tobacco (Grant Cramer), who is Debbie's former boy-friend. His partner, Sheriff Curtis Mooney (John Vernon), does not give credit to the youngsters' words, but Mike goes with Dave to the spot. Soon Mike learns that Dave and Debbie are telling the truth and they decide to protect Debbie. However she has been abducted by the clowns and they team-up with the owners of an ice-cream truck, Rich Terenzi (Michael Siegel) and Paul Terenzi (Peter Licassi) to rescue Debbie from the killer clowns.
"Killer Klowns from Outer Space" is a funny, silly and original cult film that entwines comedy with terror and sci-fi. The bizarre idea of using clowns as alien killers is hilarious; their weapons, dog and spacecraft are very funny. The writer uses Peter Jackson's "Bad Taste" to give a motive for the clowns to come to Earth, i.e., using earthlings as food. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Palhaços Assassinos" ("Killer Clowns") -
cricketbat13 October 2020Killer Klowns from Outer Space knows what it is-a silly B-movie featuring goofy gimmicks and a hokey story. The actors also seem to be in on the joke, which means none of them are taking it seriously, either. This movie is an enjoyable, ridiculous ride and features some impressive visual effects for having such a small budget. Killer Klowns is kind of kool.
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JoeytheBrit17 September 2010No self-respecting movie nut can pass up the opportunity to watch a cult classic with such a daft title as this (regardless of the disgusted looks he receives from his nearest and dearest), but it was with a sense of 'why do I put myself through this?' that I settled down to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Certainly, if you're not the type who's prepared to expose yourself to a piece of work that has no chance of being well-made art then you won't make it to the end of this one. But, while this film is not particularly good, it does possess the high-spirited exuberance of a film that deliberately sets out to be as stupid as it possibly can.
Filled with bright primary colours, the film eschews the usual dark shadows of its genre in order to play on many people's childhood (and adult, in some cases) fear of clowns. The ones in this film – aliens who have stopped by for a snack during their travels – certainly won't cure anyone of their phobia: they have to be some of the most evil-looking clowns in cinema history, and there is something undeniably creepy about those permanent smiles fixed to their faces as they carry out all manner of dubious acts. Perhaps the most inventive of these is the clown who entrances a small crowd by casting various shadows on a wall, the last of which is a dinosaur that promptly devours its audience.
The plot – such as it is – is reminiscent of those old sci-fi b-movies in which some out-of-the-way desert town is threatened by aliens or insects made large by unhealthy doses of radiation. It's definitely at its best when allowing the events on screen to supply the sense of comedy rather than trying to use comic characters like the dopey friends in the ice cream van to create laughs. For a twenty-odd year old low-budget movie the effects are OK, and the producers have to be congratulated on making good use of limited funds.
For all the modest praise I've given Killer Klowns from Outer Space, it's not a movie I'm likely to watch again, which makes it not so much a guilty pleasure as a guilty distraction that can now be easily ignored. -
TobyS1 October 2001I just want to extend a BIG thank you to MGM! I haven't seen this movie in years, and have always wondered if it would ever make its way back to video.
If you can't tell what Killer Klowns From Outer Space is about by the title, then this movie isn't for you. The plot is so outrageous, that you need to be a serious Midnight Movie fanatic to enjoy it. It's only appropriate that MGM has issued the DVD under their Midnight Movie banner.
This is one fun movie. Not particularly scary, and not very gruesome, but hugely enjoyable. I've always been a little unsettled by clowns ("It" really did them in for me), and Killer Klowns should seal the deal. I've read a lot of reviews that compare Killer Klowns to the '50s "B" movies (especially the ones from American International Pictures), and I can say that I agree. Although, I can't even see AIP coming up with the concept of alien clowns overtaking a quiet town by sealing all it's residents up in cotton candy cocoons and shooting carnivorous popcorn from ray guns!
You'll be met with blank stares if you try and explain this film to anybody whose never seen it, so do yourself a favor. Pop a big bucket of popcorn, get yourself some cotton candy and sit your friends down in front of the TV and just let them take in Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Enjoy!
My grade: A+ -
danielcereto12 March 2021This movie is pretty cool if you're looking B-Horror movie from the 80's. It's so bad that it's good. Perfect to watch with friends on a Friday night.
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henry8-31 December 2023A spaceship full of killer clowns lands near a small American town and starts killing the residents and cocooning them so they can drink their blood. Various young people join together in a bid to get rid of the violent aliens.
Whilst this is largely absolute nonsense, it is sort of understandable, just, why it has gained a considerable cult following. Mostly free of any real violence and with a number of quite witty lines, this is all reminiscent of a fifties sci-fi thriller but without the tension or flair. The clowns are large, slow and easily avoided but seem to have no trouble capturing their prey with strange ad hoc clown magic and popcorn guns. The spaceship in various primary colours looks more like it is filmed in a school gym and yet overall buried deep within all this there is a kind of distant charm which I can't really explain and would prefer to simply right this off as a pile of cxxx. -
morgan_mourning2 October 2006This is one of my favorite movies. I never realized how funny the word "cocoons" could be until I watched this movie. :o) It's quite cheesy, but really, would that be a surprise to anyone? The movie is full of great one-liners and the Klowns are TOTALLY creepy! You sure do feel justified if you don't like clowns after watching this movie! "See?! I TOLD you clowns were evil!!" :o) Some of the effects are kind of...well, 80-ish, but hey, what do you expect? But like other B movie classics, this movie withstands the test of time. Between this, Clash of the Titans, and maybe even a little Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, you're set for a night of full blown cheese-o-rama! When it was released on DVD I snatched it right up! The DVD has some really great extras as well, so give it a shot! It's a great, goofy movie to watch...but maybe you want to hold off on the popcorn...
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GiraffeDoor1 January 2023Across one night we have a barrage of captivating visual gags that merge humor with the grotesqueire so what better figures to carry them off than clowns?
They look fantastic, which is to say, horrific, but in the good way. Characters briefly discuss how these extra-terrestrials may have inspired human circus imagery thousands of years ago and that's all the explanation you'll get.
The movie never coasts on these villians, there's always a new idea to make it seem even more uncomfortable (watch out for the popcorn).
A movie that really deserves its cult following though I do not like some people's interpretation of the end.
It gets a little...rule34 before the end. -
mrush20 January 2007This film is supposed to be one of those campy over the top funny horror films that is played tongue-in-cheek.Instead it is just an embarrassingly bad movie that is a complete waste of time.
Some kids up at the local make-out spot see a flash in the sky and something lands nearby.After investigating this strange event a couple of the teens discover that the flash was an alien ship in the shape of a big top and it is full of Killer Klowns(hence the title and the last time I will spell 'clowns' with a 'K').The clowns are mean and nasty with big yellow teeth that spin the local folks into big cocoons of cotton candy for some reason.
And on it goes-every possible clown joke is used including killing people by throwing pies at them and guns that shoot popcorn,balloon animals that chase people and a bunch of clowns getting out of a small car.There is an endless array of clown related gags and each one is less funny than the last one.
In fact none of the attempted humor is the least bit funny, clown related or not.The writing is bad and the acting is worse.The space ship sets are common things like field line pipes and air ducts all cobbled together and painted bright colors with lots of dry ice vapors everywhere.What few special effects there are are poorly done and in most cases cartoonish looking.
This being a PG-13 movie there is no skin and practically no gore. This movie fails at all levels and has no good points at all.I only rented this thing because I had read some rave reviews about it at some of the horror movie websites.
The makers of this bag of poop must have paid the websites to put up those rave reviews.Or maybe you just have to be stoned to enjoy this movie?
The people who made this stinking mess are the ones who should be stoned.