Rating: 7/10.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)
You cant spell "B-Movie" without Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, B, hyphen, and V. The film is entirely self-aware, with jokes that specifically address the audience, while spoofing both big budget blockbusters like Jaws and B-Movies as a whole. The absurd plot injects a biting social commentary regarding "franken-foods" into a silly farce. In the film, tomatoes have developed a consciousness as a result of genetic modification, turning them into killer fruits out for revenge! While I respect the film for being ahead of its time and for many of its clever gags, time has definitely taken its toll on this one, making it less and less relevant with each year. There are many failed attempts at garnering a laugh, several of the jokes are specific to the time and do not relate to modern audiences, and there are drawn out sequences where the pacing comes to a screeching hault. What it does do well is recapture the nostalgic look and feel of the classic B-Movies from the 50s and 60s when the gags are played straight. In technical terms, the acting, set design, and FX are all well below par, but that only acts in the films favor by cranking up the cheese-o-city. This is just one of those films that every fan should see, like it or hate it. For first-time viewers, it will not be what you have come to expect, but as a horror or B-Movie fan, it needs to be seen.
Rating: 7/10.
Rating: 7/10.
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This is one of my all time favorites ever since first seeing it on Elvira's Movie Macabre back in the mid 80's. My Aunt and Uncle were asked to be in the film as extras when they lived in San Diego at the time. Amazingly, they declined to participate (!?!?!) They did say a number of other patrons went to the shoot for what I assume was to be the big "Tomato March" at the end. I bought the special boxed edition which came with the soundtrack to the film. This was at Best Buy and I'm not sure if the included score was in all of them or just a BB exclusive.
ReplyDeleteTHE BEST OF THE BEST....
ReplyDeleteI only wish I could have seen in the 80s when it could be put into context, since so many other intentional B-movies have come out since. Its just much harder for me to put it into perspective and understand it for what it accomplished in the specific time in which it was made. I want desperately to like it more though, and I give it an honest chance =D
ReplyDeleteEither way, its an important film. I picked up the same box Friday Venom, Im hoping it will continue to grow on me
The first sequel is probably a little funnier than the first film aside from being George Clooney's first movie. The other two are pretty good time wasters themselves. The last two sequels kind of follow the pattern laid down by the cartoon show what with the tomatoes having facial features and talking.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie a lot, but I can see why a lot of people wouldn't. My favorite part is the Asian scientist with the fruit thing.
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