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| Images Courtesy of Trans World Entertainment |
Films are often products of their time, cinematic reflections of the both the world that inspired them and the world that came before them. Stephen Chiodo's cult classic Killer Klowns from Outer Space is one such example. Birthed in the late 1980's, it is both a relic of post-cold war paranoia and a wonderfully bizarre homage to the creature features of the 1950's. One of the most ridiculous concepts is transmuted into a darkly funny, occasionally disturbing, and absolutely iconic horror film that is still revered to this day.
Aliens who appear as clowns land in a sleepy American
town and begin a rampage of murder and mayhem. A rag tag group of
teenagers must set aside their differences in order to stop a circus-themed
apocalypse! Stephen wrote the script with his brother Charles. One of the most
interesting aspects is not only the clowns’ lack of dialogue, but in how
certain tropes are either inverted or subverted. There is a love triangle
that does not devolve into violence and actually embraces acceptance. A
nerdy duo of ice cream purveyors plays an important part in the end game, and
legendary character actor John Vernon's insufferable veteran cop's arc is
both expected and surprisingly chilling.
The centerpiece of the film is the special effects. The Chiodo brothers,
well known in the industry for their effects work assisted with the climax,
while other artists worked together to create the terrifying and unforgettable
clowns. Their heads were realized by complex animatronics while their
weapons and tactics were all plays on familiar circus related trappings.
Despite having a low budget, this film looks pristine in almost every sequence,
a testament to the technical wizardry of the Chiodos and Alfred Taylor's candy-coated
cinematography. Ultimately this is a self-contained affair that
promised future sequels, and in a time where most consumed media is long form
or part of a cinematic IP, the brevity of the story along with the succinct
packaging is a welcome breath of fresh air.
The final piece is John Massari's strange and ominous score that is
accentuated by the Dickies unforgettable theme song that blends the perfect
amount of punk rock rebellion into the proceedings. It is this kind of genre
blending that made the 80's such a memorable time for films. Using punk
rock riffs over horror and science fiction themes, such as in Trancers
and Repo Man only increased the appeal while creating addictive anthems
in the American reality of Reaganomics.
Available online for digital rental and in a newly released, stunning 4K UHD, Killer
Klowns from Outer Space is one of the most memorable films of the 1980's
that continues to have appeal today. A wonderful showcase of creative and
technical acumen, this is a scary, awkwardly funny science fiction shocker
that not only delivers exactly what it promises, it does so with cotton candied
panache.
--Kyle Jonathan