Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
October 1978
Four Square Productions
Comedy, Sci-Fi, Musical
VHS
B

As a 1970s parody, I'd put this roughly halfway between Son of Blob and The Big Bus.  I first saw it as a kid, watching Elvira's presentation, and (despite a half dozen very politically incorrect jokes) it probably is best for kids, or those adults who can enjoy intelligent stupidity.  I won't get into a discussion of whether you can set out deliberately to make a bad film, but I will say it's a good job of a bad film, with the giant fake tomato on a skateboard standing out as a cheerful demonstration of what can be done on a proudly small budget.  The acting is generally over the top (except for the elderly couple who casually watch their grandbaby get eaten).  The songs are all classics of some sort, with "Puberty Love" by Ronny Desmond a cruel satire of Donny Osmond.  The script goes in all directions and has only a slight resemblance to linear storytelling.  (For instance, a lot of time goes by before Mason Dixon goes to his rendezvous at 10 a.m.)

Overall, I think it's more interesting than Plan Nine, although after so many viewings, some of the charm has faded for me, unlike my recent experience with The Big Bus, which impressed me more than ever.  This film had many sequels, but I found Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988) so disappointing that I disliked George Clooney for about a decade.

Understandably, there's not much of a recognizable cast here.  (Jack Riley, of The Bob Newhart Show, is the biggest name.)  Eric Christmas, who's Senator Polk here, was the priest in Harold and Maude.  Alan Scharf, who plays Roberts, would be a clerk in Scavenger Hunt, while Art Koustik, who's the FIA Director here, would be a zoo director there.  D.J. Sullivan, who plays Mrs. Williams, would be "Sister" in Going Ape!