PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Released on May 27, 1988, the Chiodo brothers’ Killer Klowns from Outer Space turns 30 this month. Somehow, this movie has only gotten bigger and better with age! To celebrate this 3 decade milestone, PopHorror takes a look back at this horror comedy and reminds us all while we’re still afraid of those creepy clowns.
The Klowns
Directed by the Chiodo brothers, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is truly a spectacle to behold. This movie is crazy – or, should I say “krazy”? – so there’s no point in trying to analyze it. Instead, I’ll just talk about the Klowns.
- Chubby… killed by drinking his victim’s blood through a crazy straw
- Slim… created a T-Rex shadow puppet that devoured people, and was also the Klown that captured Mike’s girlfriend, Debbie, inside a giant balloon
- Rudy… the skinny-necked Klown that shot at Mike and Debbie with a Popcorn Bazooka
- Spikey… could whip up a balloon dog that could hunt and attack on command
- Shorty… utilized his cotton candy cocoon gun to capture the famous Pizza Girl
- Jumbo… turned a police officer Curtis Mooney into a human ventriloquist puppet
- Fatso… gave a woman a Valentine’s Day card and then killed her
- Klownzilla… the Klowns’ 18′ tall, purple haired leader; he was played by the film’s screenwriter, Charles Chiodo
- Rosebud and Daisy… the female Klowns who tried to use their feminine wiles to come on to Rich and Paul Terenzi
- Bibbo… he of the yellow mohawk and ability to speak English, although he mostly only says, “Pizza”
- Baby Killer Klowns… born from popcorn, these long-necked little guys attacked Debbie in her bathroom
They live in a giant UFO shaped like a circus tent. They stalk humans. They employ additional weapons like Killer Boxing Gloves and Acid Pies. It’s just incredible stuff. Well done, Chiodo brothers! Well done!
The Human Characters
The main human characters in Killer Klowns From Outer Space are Mike Tobacco (Grant Cramer: The Young & The Restless TV series) and his lady, Debbie Stone (Suzanne Snyder: Return of the Living Dead 1988). These two are pretty basic, straight man characters. Still, their ho-hum nature only emphasizes the wildness of their opposition. There are the goofball ice cream salesmen, brothers Paul and Rich Terenzi, played by The Cheeseball Presents‘ (1984) Peter Licassi and Michael Siegel. Then you have the human villain, Police Officer Curtis Mooney (John Vernon: Dirty Harry 1971). He’s not as bad as the Killer Klowns, but he is a jerk.
Last but not least, you have Farmer Gene Green, played by noted spaghetti western actor, Royal Dano, (House II: The Second Story 1987) and his dog, Pooh Bear. If nothing else, Gene Green is responsible for one of the best lines of the movie: “Did you see that little ol’ sky doggie zip down there, Pooh?”
A Sequel? A TV Series? Who Knows!
For years, the Chiodo brothers have been talking about a sequel or TV series to Killer Klowns from Outer Space. In fact, there’s even an IMDb page for the project: The Return of the Killer Klowns from Outer Space in 3D.
However, it’s apparently not coming out anytime soon, despite the 30-year anniversary. But hey, these things happen! Still, in 2016, composer John Massari (Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color TV series), the man behind the original score, re-recorded it with a full orchestra at Warner Brothers Studios. Check it out below!
This suggests a lingering longing for those Klowns, and one can only assume that it’s merely a matter of time before those circus freaks are at it again. Whether a sequel or TV series gets made or not, the Killer Klowns from Outer Space have aged pretty well. The humans may have had 1980s hair, but those Klown Kuts never went out of style. Don’t forget to check out the brand new Killer Klowns From Outer Space merch from Fright-Rags as well!
How about you? Will you be celebrating the30th anniversary of Killer Klowns from Outer Space? Tell us in the comments below!
