Though it might sound silly to say, if one is looking for a fun movie to while away some time, Killer Klowns From Outer Space will satisfy that very need. The Eighties were a very inventive decade for horror, featuring all manner of slasher films, monsters, ghosts and hauntings one could think of. Out of all of that would come the Chiodo brothers with their tale of alien clowns looking to chow down on the human race. Suffice it to say, one might think this is a terrible picture going by title and premise alone, but it is entirely the opposite and worth taking the time to see.

It all begins with what looks to be a meteorite landing just outside of town. Nothing could be further from the truth when a hapless local comes upon the site and finds a giant circus tent instead. He investigates, as circus tents out in the bush are not all that common, and finds what one might expect to find in such a domicile, as well as things that should definitely not be there. It is not long before the yokel meets his maker, and a chain of events unfolds that finds these large, creepy, and crazy clowns discovering a town ripe for the picking, filled with food in the form of human beings. Shenanigans, ridiculousness, and death follow as the alien invaders do as they please, with little to stand in their way. Thankfully, not everyone in that town is as hapless as they seem, and the clowns find a bit of resistance, enough to send them packing.

For a horror movie about alien clowns looking to eat any living thing in their way, there is little blood and no gore to speak of in this film, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Chiodos make it work with their audience, having to rely on their imagination in certain instances. At the same time, the rest of the movie places the burden on the clowns themselves and the incredible makeup used to bring them to life. While frightening on one hand, they are, at the same time, highly cheesy and inane; yet one cannot help but have a few laughs at their expense. In fact, there is a lot of humour present throughout, whether intentional or not. Funny props, like the cotton candy cocoons or the popcorn guns, were there to enhance the clown theme, and they were both ludicrous and entertaining. Other elements, such as the over-the-top acting by many in the cast, also provided a laugh here and there. The very droll John Vernon provided most of the actual smiles to be had during this outing; the man, so out of place in the film, made it all that much better. Laughs aside, somehow the horror managed to work, providing just enough chills to offset the humour.

As a whole, when one considers this material in context, it would only be effective in the decade it was released. The Nineties perhaps might have given it a little success, but only as a home release and never mind releasing it now, nearly forty years later. The Eighties were the perfect decade for horror, as experimentation in the genre flourished, with anything and everything given a chance to succeed. While much of it did not work, quite a bit of it was successful. The Chiodo brothers took a risk on themselves, and it paid off with a little film that is now a cult classic and deservedly so. Killer Klowns From Outer Space may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it definitely has charm on top of everything else found within. Given a chance, it is worth checking out.

3.5 out of 5