Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Director: Stephen Chiodo
Year Released: 1988
Rating: 2.5
Aliens that look like massive, deformed clowns descend to Earth in their ship shaped like a circus tent to harvest human beings and turn them into giant pink balls which they drink like a Slurpee using a silly straw - the night the Chiodo brothers came up with the concept for this doozy, they had to have been close to blackout drunk. You don't go into a movie with a title this silly expecting Close Encounters, but what is there - despite the very limited budget and very limited acting talent - is this tacky oddity destined for cult status (if it hasn't already achieved it), with enough unique uses of what we've come to associate with clowns and circuses in general, such as ventriloquism, "fake footprints," cotton candy, balloon animals, cream pies, shadow puppets and managed to work all these things into the script, usually in violent ways. What's a little alarming is that, for its many, many faults and shortcomings, it's still more entertaining and fun than most sci-fi/horror films that actually have the funds but just lack the spirit.
