In the wake of an explosion of cult and midnight movies in the '70s appeared an entire class of films that self-consciously aspired to cultdom. The trend probably began with 1978's Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! and eventually expanded to include such titles as Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid, Assault of the Killer Bimbos, and virtually every film released by Troma. Instantly recognizable for their funny titles, they're almost always equally recognizable for their unfunny content. Though among the most popular, Killer Klowns from Outer Space sadly does not prove an exception. Director Stephen Chiodo and co-writers Edward Chiodo and Charles Chiodo (all brothers), have one joke, readily apparent in the title. Their clowns (or klowns) have guns that shoot popcorn, capture innocent victims in cocoons of cotton candy, travel in a spaceship shaped like a circus tent, and so on. Leaden in virtually every other aspect, it benefits from a colorful design and features plenty of killer clowns making it dumb fun for those in the right frame of mind but still well on the wrong side of clever.