As a filmmaker, I have a long list of movies that I feel the need to watch. Some of them are classic movies that had a large impact on filmmaking, such as "The Seven Samauri" by Akira Kurosawa, while others are simply just fun to watch, such as "Back to the Future" by Robert Zemeckis. But there is one movie I've been trying to track down for years. I first heard about it from a friend in high school, and I've been trying to find it ever since. Well, I finally got to watch it this week. The movie: none other than the cult classic, "Killer Klowns from Outer Space."
I know, it's not the most serious movie in the world. But it's way more fun than people would think. Like I said, I was first introduced to this movie through a friend in high school. We played bass together in orchestra, and she first told me about the movie when we were hanging out one weekend. She told me of a film about killer space clowns that threw acid filled pies at people, and used ray guns that shot popcorn. They landed on Earth in their flying circus tent, and used cotton candy cocoons to kidnap people and use them as their food supply. I immediately knew that I had to watch this movie.
I spent the next several years trying to track it down. I couldn't find it on any streaming service, and I had trouble finding it in stores. Eventually, I would forget about it for a while after not being able to find it. It would pop back up in my mind from time to time, but I would simply repeat the pattern of not being able to find it and then forgetting about it again. But then, I finally did it. It seemed like a perfect storm of events. I was mindlessly scrolling through Netflix, trying to figure out what I should watch next during the quarantine. And then, I saw it. "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" has been put on Netflix.
I immediately knew that it needed to be the next thing I watched. I had been looking for it for years, and I finally had it. I needed to know if it lived up to my expectations. Fortunately, I was not disappointed. In fact, the movie far exceeded what I could have ever hoped for. I will admit, it's incredibly campy and ridiculous. After all, it's about alien space clowns that came to Earth in a flying circus tent to eat humans in cotton candy cocoons.. But this is exactly why it's so amazing.
The whole film feels like a campy B-movie. It has a ridiculous plot with exaggerated acting, as well as some very creative effects and plot points. The film knows what it is, and has fun with it. But at the same time, it still seems to put effort into actually being a good movie that tells an interesting story. It's as though the filmmakers were just trying to make a fun movie that audiences would enjoy. It's definitely not a super thought provoking movie, but that's why it's good. It taps into why people go to the movies: to be entertained. The people behind the movie realized this, and made a film that's an incredibly fun break from reality. They put thought and effort into telling an interesting story that entertains its audience.
Despite it's ridiculous nature, "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" is a worthwhile experience for cinema geeks and casual movie watchers alike. It's a fun way to take a break from all the bad things that are going on in the world right now. It's by far not the most serious thing you'll ever watch in your life, but it definitely needs a chance.
