of this B-movie horror homage. A mysterious meteorite is seen landing in a dark forest within the sleepy All-American town of Crescent Cove. Yet when local sweethearts Mike Tobacco (Grant Cramer) and Debbie Stone (Suzanne Snyder) investigate, they do not find a molten rock, but a circus big top, in which “Killer Klowns” are plotting to take over the world. What ensues is a take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers in which a series of clichéd characters meet their peril at the hands of these psychotic jesters.

The film is helmed by special effects gurus The Chiodo Brothers who collectively handle production, direction and writing duties. Yet it is the brothers’ primary calling that makes Killer Klowns stand out from other ’80s horror movies, proving it worthy of this DVD and Blu-Ray reissue; they clearly know their stuff when it comes to innovative and inventive methods to present horror and monsters on-screen. Puppets, animation and effects are expertly deployed throughout the film, giving it a tangible feel that adds to the nastiness.

Some smart visuals, however, cannot conceal the one dimensional performances from the cast and the terrible dialogue of the underwritten script. Although the film is very much a tribute to sci-fi horror and monster movies, it adds very little to the genre from a storytelling perspective and the laughs mostly come from the ridiculousness of the delivery as opposed to the wit of the writing. That being said, if you’re a fan of old school special effects and like a little substance behind your monsters, Killer Klowns from Outer Space remains a film that is definitely worth a watch.