Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
A gloriously absurd government task force battles homicidal tomatoes in a deliberately cheap, musical monster-movie spoof.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- campy
- irreverent
- silly
- midnight movie
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a scattershot and toothless spoof whose intentional comedy is undermined by weak execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film uses crude effects, eccentric performances, and conspicuous production limitations as part of its comic design.
Murderous tomatoes, government task forces, and specialized action heroes mimic giant-monster cinema while exaggerating its formulas.
The government assembles an absurd task force to confront the tomato attacks, while conventional military power proves ineffective.
Its bizarre premise, musical elements, and scattershot spoofing have made it especially suited to cult and midnight-movie audiences.
Films like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, and why
The Toxic Avenger
shares intentionally absurd parody, low-budget creature spectacle, and irreverent comedy
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
shares affectionate mockery of monster-movie conventions, cartoonish menace, and camp sensibility
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
shares musical parody, deliberately exaggerated performances, and cult midnight-movie energy
Airplane!
shares spoofing of genre formulas, surreal comic escalation, and intentionally crude visual humor
Movie Details
- Director
- John De Bello
- Release Date
- 1978-10-04
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 5.1 / 10 (353)
Cast
- David Miller
- George Wilson
- Sharon Taylor
- J. Stephen Peace
- Ernie Meyers
- Eric Christmas
- Jack Riley
- Nigel Barber
- John De Bello
- Gregg Berger
Common questions
- What is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! about?
- A gloriously absurd government task force battles homicidal tomatoes in a deliberately cheap, musical monster-movie spoof.
- What is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! as mild.
- What did critics think of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a scattershot and toothless spoof whose intentional comedy is undermined by weak execution.
- Which films are like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!?
- Films with a similar feel include The Toxic Avenger, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Airplane!.
- How long is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!?
- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! runs 87 minutes.
