Practical effects, matte paintings, hilarious cartoon-like gags, and a goofy sense of humor have turned Killer Klowns From Outer Space into a cult classic.

A small town comes under assault from aliens who look like clowns, and spaceship that look like a big top. And the local sheriff, Curtis Mooney (John Vernon!) doesn’t believe any of it, even as the bodies begin to pile up in cotton candy cocoons.

It could be up to some of the local kids from the university to save the day. But with living popcorn, balloon animals that hunt, and clowns with a murderous streak… who is going to survive the night?

I’ve only seen this one a couple of times, but to be honest with you, I’ve enjoyed more each time.

A group of friends, Mike (Grant Cramer), his girlfriend, Debbie (Suzanne Snyder), her ex, Dave (John Allen Nelson) and the goofy Terenzi brothers (Michael S. Siegel and Peter Licassi) find themselves fighting to save their lives and the town when the Klowns arrive.

The Klowns are hilarious, goofy and a little disgusting looking. They are a fantastic blend of performer and practical effects. And so are the rest of the special effects in the film. They’re fun, and show the true magic of classic film making.

There are a number of sequences that I loved – the shadow play, the bikers, the popcorn… and man, do I love a good matte painting. There’s also some moments where there are minimalist sets, and those work just as well as everything else in the film, because you’re all buying into the world on the screen.

The film insists on being silly and cartoon-ish, putting what could be horror moments on their head, and making sure that everyone enjoys themselves.

I remember seeing the poster for this one as a teen, and just thinking… um, no. But when I finally watched it for the first time a few years ago, I really enjoyed it. I’ve watched it a couple of times since then, and it’s just damned fun.

Sure some of the acting is bad, but I love the heart that went into this one. The special effects are wonderful to behold. Yes, you can tell they are effects, but that’s part of their magic. I see myself, revisiting this one every few years. It’s just a hoot.

And I’m not the only one who feels that way. The film went on to become a huge cult hit despite initially flopping. And I think somewhere in the future, I will be adding a physical copy of this to my collection.