Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Stephen Chiodo

Writers:

Charles Chiodo (writer)
Edward Chiodo (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

27 May 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Comedy

Tagline:

It's Craaazy!

Plot:

Aliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town.

Plot Keywords:

Clown | Alien | Small Town | Ice Cream | Ice Cream Truck

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Grant Cramer	...	Mike Tobacco
Suzanne Snyder	...	Debbie Stone
John Allen Nelson	...	Dave Hanson
John Vernon	...	Curtis Mooney
Michael Siegel	...	Rich Terenzi
Peter Licassi	...	Paul Terenzi
Royal Dano	...	Farmer Gene Green
Christopher Titus	...	Bob McReed
Irene Michaels	...	Stacy
Karla Sue Krull	...	Tracy
Brian Degan Scott	...	Punk #1
Danny Kovacs	...	Punk #2
Adele Proom	...	Mrs. Franco
Howard Malpas	...	Mr. Myers
Karen Raff	...	Mom #1
Kathleen Stefano	...	Mom #2
Claire Bartle	...	Little Girl
Sharon O'Mahoney	...	Waitress
Michael Halton	...	Slug
Lucinda Burgess	...	Sheila
Melvin Thompson	...	Black Biker
David Piel	...	Security Guard
Steven A. Jones	...	State Trooper (as Steven Jones)
Armon Stover	...	State Trooper
Jeff Yesko	...	State Trooper
Steve Rockhold	...	Klown Performer
Michael Harrington Burris	...	Klown Performer
Geno Ponza	...	Klown Performer
Scott Beatty	...	Klown Performer
Paul Haley	...	Klown Performer
Dennis C. Walsh	...	Klown Performer
Genie Houdini	...	Klown Performer
Charles Chiodo	...	'Klownzilla' the King Klown
Harrod Blank	...	Klown Performer
Karl Shaeffer	...	Klown Performer
Paul Parsons	...	Klown Performer
Jimmy Locust	...	Klown Performer
Mitch Bryan	...	Klown Performer
Greg Sykes	...	Klown Performer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johnny Martin	...	Joe Lombardo (uncredited)
Jesse Grey Walken	...	Co-ed (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephen Chiodo

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Chiodo		writer
Edward Chiodo		writer
Stephen Chiodo		writer

Produced by
Charles Chiodo	....	producer
Edward Chiodo	....	producer
Stephen Chiodo	....	producer
Paul Mason	....	executive producer
Christopher Roth	....	associate producer (as Chris Roth)
Helen Szabo	....	executive producer (as Helen Sarlui-Tucker)

Original Music by
John Massari

Cinematography by
Alfred Taylor

Film Editing by
Christopher Roth

Casting by
Ed Mitchell

Production Design by
Charles Chiodo
Philip Dean Foreman

Set Decoration by
Luana Speelman

Costume Design by
Darcie F. Olson

Makeup Department
Jon Thanos	....	key hair stylist
Cheryl Voss	....	assistant makeup artist
Kandace Westmore	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Mel A. Bishop	....	executive production manager
Fima Noveck	....	post-production supervisor
Fred Wardell	....	unit production manager
Lisa Yesko	....	production supervisor: TWE

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rocky Capella	....	additional second unit director
Todd Corman	....	second assistant director
Fred Wardell	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kim Bailey	....	special props
Mark Barofsky	....	assistant property master
Mitch Bryan	....	special props
Tawny Capricio	....	art department coordinator
Ed Church	....	carpenter
Kevin Constant	....	assistant art director
Derek DeVoe	....	sculptor
Gimel Everett	....	lead man
Gordon Forkert	....	special props
Natti Hefner	....	art department coordinator
James Kagel	....	sculptor
Bruce Lau	....	special props
Brett Leonard	....	swing
Don Medina	....	carpenter
Tim Reiter	....	carpenter
Eugene P. Rizzardi	....	special props
Karen Thompson	....	special props
Anthony Tremblay	....	consultant: set design
Katherine G. Vallin	....	assistant art director
Jack Wiley	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Kirk Baily	....	sound coordinator
Kenneth R. Burton	....	sound recordist
Jack Cheap	....	sound editor
Steve Cohen	....	sound
Will Santa Cruz	....	sound editor
Craig C. Darian	....	recording director
John Hays	....	boom operator
Paul Holzborn	....	foley artist
Warren Kleiman	....	adr mixer
Patrick Moriarty	....	sound
Nancy Parker	....	foley artist
Christopher Roth	....	supervising sound editor (as Chris Roth)
Jackson Schwartz	....	foley mixer
Gary Ulmer	....	sound
Don Wolf	....	adr editor
Greg Yeager	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Tassilo Baur	....	special effects coordinator
Charles Belardinelli	....	special effects technician
Lou Carlucci	....	special effects foreman
Nancy Deturo	....	fabricator: klown
Ang Ellis	....	fabricator: klown
Deborah Galvez	....	fabricator: klown
Bob McKee	....	fabricator: klown
Ralph Miller	....	fabricator: klown
Bart Mixon	....	giant Klown hand fabricator
Gilbert A. Mosko	....	foam latex supervisor
Bradford Plows	....	fabricator: klown
Mark Rappaport	....	fabricator: klown
Dwight Roberts	....	fabricator: klown
Sharon Roberts	....	fabricator: klown
Robert Scott	....	special effects technician
Greg R. Stone	....	special effects technician
Bill Sturgeon	....	fabricator: klown
Joe Viskocil	....	pyrotechnician
Gene Warren Jr.	....	special effects supervisor
Mike Warren	....	miniature special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Tony Alderson	....	optical effects
Robert D. Bailey	....	matte camera operator
Betzy Bromberg	....	optical effects
David Emerson	....	optical camera
David Emerson	....	optical effects
Michael Griffin	....	assistant visual effects cameraman
Linda Henry	....	optical effects
John Huneck	....	visual effects camera operator
Leslie Huntley	....	production supervisor: Fantasy II Effects
Frank H. Isaacs	....	rotoscoping
Mark Joyce	....	model maker
Michael Joyce	....	model shop supervisor
Justin Kohn	....	stop motion animator
Candy Lewis	....	rotoscoping
Bret Mixon	....	rotoscoping
Gary Rhodaback	....	model maker
Mark Sullivan	....	matte painter
Donna Tracy	....	rotoscoping

Stunts
Rocky Capella	....	stunt coordinator
Greg Ferrando	....	stunts
Tama Hutchison	....	stunts
Kevin Larson	....	stunts
Chuck Lyons	....	stunts
Mike Martinez	....	stunts
Johnny Martin	....	stunts
Tim Meredith	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Miles Anderson	....	gaffer
William D. Barber	....	camera operator
Randall Bishop	....	second assistant camera
James W. Brewer	....	still photographer
Bill Brocias	....	key grip
Jeff Buchanan	....	best boy electric
Christopher Comyn	....	electrician
Sandra England	....	electrician
Kelly Flood	....	grip
Jarn Heil	....	rigger: Klown Kar
Fran Hughes	....	best boy grip
John Huneck	....	additional photographer
Jerry Lane	....	first assistant camera
Andy Rosen	....	still photographer
MacKenzie Waggaman	....	additional photographer
Robert A. Williamson	....	electrician
David Yule	....	dolly grip
Aaron Zajac	....	electrician

Casting Department
Judith Bouley	....	casting: Santa Cruz (as Judy Bouley)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lori Avalos	....	set costumer
C. Cracko	....	costume construction
Monique Dautzenberg	....	costume construction
Sonja Finch	....	costume construction
Barbara Kennedy	....	costume construction
Mari-Aala Muelas	....	costume construction
Donalee Nelson	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Will Santa Cruz	....	assistant editor
Robert Fong	....	assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Jeanne Robinson	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Mark Coffin	....	scoring engineer
Bob Hunka	....	music supervisor
A. David Marshall	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Michael Carpenter	....	driver
Bob Green	....	driver: production van
Paul Hegg	....	driver
Jay Kennedy	....	transportation coordinator
Cliff Martin	....	driver: honeywagon
John Ramirez	....	driver
Ron Stafford	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Loretta Abata	....	production auditor
Jeff Barnes	....	production assistant
Suzy Beugen	....	production coordinator
Linda Chiodo	....	secretary to producers
Skip Clarke	....	set production assistant
Craig Comstock	....	stand-in
Bill Davis	....	caterer
Archer Goodman	....	location consultant
Kirk Gray	....	stand-in
John Joyce	....	production assistant
Kenny Kaplan	....	craft service
Brandee Lane	....	stand-in
Ellen Lent	....	location manager (as Ellen Winchell)
Gary Moyer	....	production office assistant
Jere Newton	....	production secretary
David Nichols	....	dialogue coach
Bonnie Piccolo	....	assistant auditor
Dana Pink	....	stand-in
Bradford Plows	....	set production assistant
Heather Pumphrey	....	production assistant: effects unit
John Ross	....	programmer: fairlights
Steve Shibuya	....	production assistant: effects unit
Jon Warren	....	production assistant: effects unit
Michael Warren	....	production assistant: effects unit
Sharon 'Mae' West	....	script supervisor
Rik Converse	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Curtis Beck	....	special thanks
Fred Fuchs	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Chiodo Brothers Productions

Distributors

• Hoyts Distribution
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• Trans World Entertainment (TWE)

Special Effects

• Fantasy II Film Effects

Other Companies

• B & B Sound Studios  adr and foley recording
• Central Coast Production Services  extras casting
• Film Truck  production vehicles
• Image Engineering  additional optical effects
• Loop Therapy  adr loop group
• Magic Film Works  negative cutting
• Modelwerke's  special props
• Optical Cinema Service Inc.  titles and opticals
• Percepto Records  score album released by
• Republic Sound Studios Inc.  sound re-recording
• Roberts Studio Design  Klown builder
• The Caterers Inc.  catering
• Wildcat Studios  music mixing

Runtime:

88 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Iceland:16 | Germany:18 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | France:-12 (TV rating) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Company:

Chiodo Brothers Productions

Trivia:

The scene in which a car is thrown over a cliff was initially intended to be far more spectacular - the car was to fly over the cliff and crash down to the ground. Unfortunately, the sling rope snapped because effects crew members neglected to remove the stoppers from underneath the car's wheels. The result was what is seen in the final film, the car slowly tumbles over the edge and becomes caught on a tree.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the farmer goes in his house to get supplies, the prop master is visible inside the doorway as he exits.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Curtis Mooney: Look at this son of a bitch.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Gojira (1954)

Soundtrack:

Sandals in the Sand

Vastly entertaining horror comedy.

"Killer Klowns from Outer Space"(1988)by Stephen Chiodo is a horror movie so ridiculous that it's hard to dislike it.What makes it work so well is that it successfully toys with our expectations.Some people just hate clowns,and this movie exaggerates everything that makes them scary.The plot involves some really creepy aliens who look like clowns.They have come to our planet to turn people into food.The clowns capture their victims in cocoons made of cotton candy,their guns look like colorful toy pistols,their pies are acidic,their popcorns turn into snake-like creatures and their ship is a circus tent.Anyway,this crazy film is extremely entertaining.The make-up is beyond grotesque and the clowns look very creepy.The film received a cult status many years ago and it's easy to see why.So if you are a fan of twisted and bizarre horror films give this one a chance.8 out of 10.