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Killer Klowns from Outer Space
(1988)
Director: Stephen Chiodo
I can't discuss this movie like some class president, trying to convince anyone reading that this is a movie that will affect them the same way as it did myself. I can only discuss this from my own experieces, and so I will.
Back in 1988 I rented this on vhs. I was about 12 years old, just started smoking cigarettes and dating girls, and weekend sleep overs were king in my life. In the summertime, I'd go over to my buddy Chris's house, in his refinished rec room basement, and we'd camp there, with console floor television, vcr, and a pick of the movies we'd decided to rent. Killer Klowns was a staple. Before we watched the film, we'd strip naked and streak down the road on a dare, with a temperature of about 73f°. It was light fun and a little scary. Once a car drove by, we'd either jump into the sidewalk provided bushes or just rough it out ashamed of our pre-pubescently forming male bodies. All was good. We'd return to his side entrance by the lower lawn portion of the house he lived in, complete with a He-Man: Masters of the Universe back yard at night illumination that seemed to photocopy the matte effects of the giant tree world in House II, with the moonlight not directly present but still outlining the vast tree line we'd see. His yard was huge, and that set the mood for us reconvening inside to partake in the viewing of some good and fresh VHS urgency. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a movie made by special effect and puppetry masters who were influenced by the Ray Harryhausen, but also coming into their own as the glow worm 1980's called for shiny and shadowy displays of candy store lanterns. This is why the movie resonates; the effects. We get tents of yellow and red striped pumped from the inside with warm yellow lighting, humongous painted worlds of forced perspective popcorn toy-gun electrical blue crawling visuals that would today be scowled at as being dated. But here they are most welcome. Offset, balanced and grateful for John Vernon's comic relief as a complete ball-busting beat cop who hates kids, we get a darkly photographed sci fi comedy that survives off of a filmic eerieness. Blackness in the frame assists an otherwise over saturated carnival nightmare landscape with throwaway characters contributing light and fluffy sitcom style humor. Sound effects, high spirited music and a real sense of craftsmanship takes over this otherwise remedial hayride into territory that outshines many contemporaries. If you are looking for a b-movie, this is your ticket. It's fun, camp and totally visual.
Chris and I were not looking for any of that, we just thought the title was cool when we decided to rent it for the first time. Ever since, it's been a highly regarded piece of film history, coming from an era that has seemed to accrue a bad rap, but nontheless has still furnished fans of fun cinema some of the best examples of effect driven fantasy comedies.
(1988)
Director: Stephen Chiodo
I can't discuss this movie like some class president, trying to convince anyone reading that this is a movie that will affect them the same way as it did myself. I can only discuss this from my own experieces, and so I will.
Back in 1988 I rented this on vhs. I was about 12 years old, just started smoking cigarettes and dating girls, and weekend sleep overs were king in my life. In the summertime, I'd go over to my buddy Chris's house, in his refinished rec room basement, and we'd camp there, with console floor television, vcr, and a pick of the movies we'd decided to rent. Killer Klowns was a staple. Before we watched the film, we'd strip naked and streak down the road on a dare, with a temperature of about 73f°. It was light fun and a little scary. Once a car drove by, we'd either jump into the sidewalk provided bushes or just rough it out ashamed of our pre-pubescently forming male bodies. All was good. We'd return to his side entrance by the lower lawn portion of the house he lived in, complete with a He-Man: Masters of the Universe back yard at night illumination that seemed to photocopy the matte effects of the giant tree world in House II, with the moonlight not directly present but still outlining the vast tree line we'd see. His yard was huge, and that set the mood for us reconvening inside to partake in the viewing of some good and fresh VHS urgency. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a movie made by special effect and puppetry masters who were influenced by the Ray Harryhausen, but also coming into their own as the glow worm 1980's called for shiny and shadowy displays of candy store lanterns. This is why the movie resonates; the effects. We get tents of yellow and red striped pumped from the inside with warm yellow lighting, humongous painted worlds of forced perspective popcorn toy-gun electrical blue crawling visuals that would today be scowled at as being dated. But here they are most welcome. Offset, balanced and grateful for John Vernon's comic relief as a complete ball-busting beat cop who hates kids, we get a darkly photographed sci fi comedy that survives off of a filmic eerieness. Blackness in the frame assists an otherwise over saturated carnival nightmare landscape with throwaway characters contributing light and fluffy sitcom style humor. Sound effects, high spirited music and a real sense of craftsmanship takes over this otherwise remedial hayride into territory that outshines many contemporaries. If you are looking for a b-movie, this is your ticket. It's fun, camp and totally visual.
Chris and I were not looking for any of that, we just thought the title was cool when we decided to rent it for the first time. Ever since, it's been a highly regarded piece of film history, coming from an era that has seemed to accrue a bad rap, but nontheless has still furnished fans of fun cinema some of the best examples of effect driven fantasy comedies.