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ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES - 1977
Tristar Pictures
USA: Rated R |
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There have
been times when Hollywood has looked at came-from-out-of-nowhere successful cheapos
and shook their heads in amazement. What makes a cult movie? What's more,
why are they invariably cheap and tacky?
Whether Hollywood
has looked outside of itself (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, DEAD ALIVE) or
within (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW) the studio
suits have been left puzzled. Corporate boardroom attempts at intentionally
creating a cult movie have either been wholly worthless (SHOCK TREATMENT)
or came so close yet missed the brass ring (BUCKAROO BONZAI).
The success
of a movie in achieving cult status cannot be, it would appear, created
by committee. And yet, when one's film bombs at the box office, one can
only hope for cult status. Rarely is a movie phenomenally successful at
the theater AND on video AND grabs that special group of
fans that will buy anything and everything associated with the flick.
In fact, I can only think of one example and that would be Star Wars.
ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES was released in 1977, the same year as Star Wars,
in fact. It is possible that, after nearly 30 years, it may have cleared
100 million in gross (compared to Star Wars grossing that and more in
just one year). But then, for a movie that only cost a few thousand to
make, 100 mil spread over 27 years is still over 3,700,000 every year
and that ain't chump change!
What is the
attraction of such a film? Well, for starters, ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES is really cheap. And I mean SO VERY REALLY cheap - and it makes
sure you never forget it! If the title didn't warn you, then the boom
mike at the top of the screen, the poor quality of the film (and how it
changes tone even within the same scene), the really awful soundtrack,
Puberty Love and the title song. How some sets are so small that actors
have to crawl over each other getting in and out of the room. ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES is more than just a loving homage to the really cheapo
monster flicks of the 50s and 60s, it freaking hammers them into the ground
with an almost more "savoir faire" than thou attitude (or for
you Texans who don't speak French, "I don't give a shit!", 'tude).
ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES is almost repugnantly proud of its cheapness.
Or as Frank Zappa lovingly called it, cheapnis. In 2004, a brand new black
and white movie called THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA, attempted a return to
the cheapnis and poor storylines of those same kinds of films. It was
horribly bad. How bad? It was like watching an extended Saturday Night
Live skit where the actors know that they're bombing, the cue card guy
has run out of cards, and one moron keeps repeating a single word that
he hopes will be a catch phrase and will eventually illicit a laugh (in
the case of this flick, that word would be "scientist", and oh
how it was pummeled into the ground!)
What sets
ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES apart from more recent attempts is that
it didn't have its actors behave as if they were slumming and could, if
they really wanted to, be better than the script. The humor wasn't self referential, smirky
and pretentious. ATTACK
OF THE KILLER TOMATOES remains entertaining because it is exactly a raw, unexpurgated, laconic, bizarre, cheap, and funny piece of lowbrow humor that is never cruel.
All 5 Negative Shriek Girls
This
review copyright 2004E.C.McMullen Jr.
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