Horror Fans Freaking Out Over Killer Klowns From Outer Space Hitting Netflix

Killer Klowns From Outer Space, a sci-fi comedy horror from 1988, has hit Netflix, and fans are suitably excited at the prospect of revisiting this kult klassic (bite me). The story sees a pair of teenage lovers investigate a comet crash site, only to discover a spaceship that looks like a circus tent and a band of murderous aliens with the appearances of freakish clowns, and must put a stop to their designs of preying on the nearby townsfolk for food.

That premise makes it sound like a generic horror movie that could have been released any time in the last 50 years, and so it might have been were it not for the iconic handiwork of the Chiodo brothers, Charles, Edward and Stephen, talented physical effects artists and puppeteers who have worked on the likes of Critters, Elf, Team America: World Police and claymation sequences in The Simpsons.

The klowns are hideously mesmerizing creations, like someone had to sculpt an image of a clown without having seen one but had the concept verbally described in detail. Their ridiculous appearances hide deadly power and they’re armed with an arsenal of comical yet lethal weaponry such as ray guns that immobilize victims in indestructible balloons and cocoons made of candy floss from which the klowns suck out their blood using straws; or cream pies filled with acid that melt humans down to the skeleton; bazookas that fire popcorn which grows into vulture-like baby klowns; and balloon animals that act like bloodhounds.

Clearly, the prospect of revisiting such utter lunacy has many people excited, and you can see just some of the reactions down below:

https://twitter.com/gabbylnavarro/status/1245454208909717504

https://twitter.com/Krys_T_/status/1245461741657419777

https://twitter.com/frololola/status/1245521933984247810

Originally titled simply Killer Klowns, the rest of the appellation was added to prevent the film from sounding like just another slasher movie, as such flicks were at the height of their popularity in the late ‘80s when this creation was unleashed. A sequel has been in development hell practically since the first was released as well, with the most recent development being the revelation that a planned production was a casualty of the Fox/Disney merger.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a demented riot of a film, and if you’ve not seen it, then stop reading this and immediately fire up Netflix and get it watched. You won’t be disappointed.