Part of Critical-Film's 2009 September Screams

In Space... No One Can Eat Ice Cream

I can't think of any films with a more appropriate title than Killer Klowns from Outer Space. The name (and tagline) not only inform the audience of what the film is about, but also the context, as anyone going into a movie called Killer Klowns from Outer Space should know exactly what to expect. But, if for some reason you can't wrap your head around the title, it's an incredibly unique horror film, and one of the few PG-13 horror films that I can highly recommend.

A space ship, which just so happens to be shaped like a circus tent, lands in a small American town. It's inhabitants a group of aliens who bare an incredible resemblance to circus clowns. The 'Klowns' begin killing the town's populace by means of all sorts of bizarre weaponry. Popcorn guns, lasers that zap people into cotton candy, acid pies, and all sorts of strangely innocent looking weapons.

It's a completely unique concept, and one that is executed to near perfection by the Chiodo Brothers. It's funny when it should be funny, never really scary, but always a good time. The make-up effects are good as the 'Killer Klowns' look pretty much like you would expect alien clowns to look like. They look like really wretched clowns... The film is cheezy in all the right places, and just a few wrong places, but overall it doesn't effect the quality of the film. It's ridiculous from start to finish, and the Klown-zilla conclusion is perfectly apt.

What's really impressive is that the film is as good as it is with as little gore as it provides. A PG-13 cushion leaves little room for violence, especially with the overabundant use of profanity (by PG-13 standards). Unlike a lot of horror movies, however, Killer Klowns doesn't need to use violence as a crutch. It understands it's place, and doesn't attempt anything more. It's a good decision by the Chiodo brothers, as attempting to do any more with the material would have resulted in a major failure.

One other great thing to mention about Killer Klowns is it's distinctly 80s theme song. Very similar to Wes Craven's Shocker (which had an excellent 80's soundtrack of mostly original material), the film has an excellent theme (Titled “Killer Klowns” by The Dickies) that plays over both the opening and closing credits. Here's a few lyrics for your enjoyment:

P.T. Barnum said it so long ago
There's one born every minute, don't you know
Some make us laugh, some make us cry
These klowns honey, gonna make you die
Everybody's running when the circus comes into their town
Everybody's gunning for the likes of the killer klowns
from outer space...

The ring master shouts "Let the show begin"
Send in the klowns, let them do you in
See a rubber nose on a painted face
Bringing genocide to the human race

Yeah... pretty great. If the title Killer Klowns from Outer Space appeals to you, then you should definitely check out the movie. If you think it sounds stupid, well, you'd be right, but it's a hell of a good time for fans of that era of horror.