Not recommended for anyone with a fear of clowns, 1988’s Killer Klowns from Outer Space has developed a cult reputation for its bizarre premise and special effects. While things have gone quiet recently on a proposed follow-up for Syfy and a long-gestating sequel, the original movie has recently been getting some renewed attention on Netflix. What’s perhaps overlooked about the Chiodo Brothers-produced film, though, is the sheer number of kills, something that ScreenRant have now picked up on, via YouTube channel Dead Meat.
Focusing on a race of evil space clowns who arrive in a small American town to wreak havoc, Killer Klowns from Outer Space features some grotesque creature designs, and an all-in commitment to pulling off some creative kills. The latter can be attributed to the Chiodo Brothers’ background in special effects, with the three brothers’ other credits including the likes of Critters and Ernest Scared Stupid. Going on a video roundup of the deaths in Killer Klowns, it appears that there are at least 36 confirmed human kills, plus four of the clowns getting their comeuppance.
The alien clown kills include everything from classic ray gun shootings, in this case of the cotton candy kind, and mostly result in their victims being cocooned, while we also get a biker decapitation, an invisible clown road kill, and death by shadow puppet. All of which is made more creepy by the clowns’ ghoulish appearances and laughs. On top of these deaths, the glimpses of hundreds of cocoons imply that the clowns have done much more damage than what we see on-screen.
It’s no surprise, then, that Killer Klowns from Space is so fondly remembered by fans of 1980s horror, and that the film received an enthusiastic response when it was re-added to Netflix this year. Edward Chiodo is also keen on rebooting the pic with a new take on the material and recently acknowledged that the fan art for the movie is even a “little more visceral than we would ever take it.” For now, until there’s more news on the Syfy side, you can catch up on Killer Klowns from Outer Space on Netflix.
