Killer Klowns from Outer Space
1988 · Directed by Stephen Chiodo
Alien clowns land in a circus-tent spaceship, harvest humans into cotton candy cocoons, and chase teens with popcorn guns. The Chiodo Brothers' handmade fever dream does exactly what the title promises.
Why It's Cult
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is the platonic ideal of an '80s late-night creature feature: a one-joke premise committed to with the budget, prosthetics, and sincerity of a much more serious film. The Chiodos built every klown by hand and it shows in every shadow puppet, balloon dog bloodhound, and acid-pie kill. The title song by The Dickies is a permanent earworm. It plays best loud, with a crowd, ideally somewhere you shouldn't be drinking.
The Plot, Officially
When a small town is invaded by aliens from outer space who are capturing and killing the townspeople, no one takes them seriously. Why? The aliens all look like circus clowns, use weapons that look clown like, and all have painted on smiles. Only a few of the young people in the town realize the danger and of course no one believes them. Armed with an ice cream truck they try and rescue their friends.
Starring
Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
