SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST: KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE

HEY THERE KIDDIES!!!!!! Grab your cotton candy and popcorn, today Beetle's Fright Fest takes a trip to the circus with Killer Klowns From Outer Space.

Hurry hurry hurry, step right up and grab your tickets to the most wacked show on Earth! In Killer Klowns From Outer Space, intergalactic Killer Klowns land in a small town, managing to nab the attention of teenaged couple Mike (Grant Cramer) and Debbie (Suzanna Storm,) and rookie cop Dave (John Allen Nelson) before they start their killing spree. Along for the ride is a grumpy asshole cop, Curtis Mooney (Dean fom Animal House John  Vernon),and a wacky ice cream van driving brother team (Rich, played by Michael Siegal and Paul, played by Peter Licassi), who are on the hunt for fun and girls.

Killer Klowns is a dark, campy comedy that's got a warped funhouse/circus feel to it. Heck, even the title song (The catchy 'Killer Klowns' by The Dickies) has a circus vibe to it, as does the whole soundtrack.

This is the part where I normally focus on the acting, but there's really no point here since everybody essentially hams it up. Killer Klowns may not have the best actors, but you can tell the whole cast had a blast making this film. This helps to strengthen the fun and zany atmosphere created in this film, an atnosphere that easily seeps out to the viewer. Make no doubt about it, you're just about guaranteed to have a good time watching this film.

The titular Klowns are cute but creepy creations. The killing spree they go on is more mischievious and playful in nature, though make no doubt about it their aim is indeed to harm. The film focuses mainly on the Klowns and their antics, which is a good choice and this is where most of the fun happens (My personal favorite scene is the "What are you going to do, knock my block off?" one). While most of the film is played purely for laughs, there are a few brief but creepy scenes (The Pedo-Klown and the living dummy come to mind).

Killer Klowns also succeeds in warping the items that are usually associated with circuses. Everything from popcorn, to cotton candy, to balloon animals, to silly straws, to shadow puppets, to hand puppets, to the pie-in-the-face gets Klown-ified, and boy am I glad they do. Part of the fun of this film is seeing the filmmakers put their own crazy spin on these well known staples of circuses.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is about as good as this type of a film can get. It's got a wicked dark humor streak, just the right amount of creepiness, and pretty goodperformances from its cast. If you came here looking for scares, you'll undoutedly be disappointed. The only thing scary about this film is how much it will make you laugh. Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a delicious slice of 80's camp that also works pretty well as an homage to classic 50's B horror films. Buy a ticket, and enjoy the show.

3.5 STARS