Here's why Shorty might be the creepiest of all the Killer Klowns From Outer Space. From IT's Pennywise to Batman's most famous nemesis The Joker, popular culture has often exploited people's fear of clowns. That was especially true of 1988's Killer Klowns From Outer Space, which might just be one of the strangest horror movies of its era. Helmed by special effects artists The Chiodo Brothers (Critters), the story sees the titular alien monsters land in a small American town to capture human prey and causes general mischief.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a loving parody of '50s creature features such as The Blob and has great fun turning familiar clown gags such as throwing pies into something sinister - in the case of the latter, they become acid pies. Killer Klowns From Outer Space - which is easy to find online - has found a loving cult following since its initial release, but it wasn't much of a success. While talk of a sequel or TV series occasionally pops up, the klowns have yet to return.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space is really a comedy horror, so it's never intended to be truly scary. That said, it has its moments, such as the scene where Officer Mooney (John Vernon) is turned into a ventriloquist's dummy. Watching the film at an early age would likely cause some nightmares too, as the unnatural designs of klowns like Jumbo or Slim make them unsettling. However, Killer Klowns From Outer Space's Shortly might just be the creepiest of the trope for a few reasons.
Why Shorty Is The Creepiest Killer Klown From Outer Space
Killer Klowns From Outer Space's (which has a horrific kill count) Shorty is set up to be the cutest, from his facial expressions to his little bike. However, his standout scene involves an encounter with some bikers, who mock him and destroy his bike. Shorty then dons some boxing gloves, and after being laughed at some more by the leader, who asks “What are you going to do? Knock my block off?”, the klown does indeed proceed to punch his head clean off. It's the menacing laugh Shorty gives after this that makes him one of the creepiest klowns, as it's a scene where he's REALLY enjoying causing pain.
This can be seen again later on when the klowns melt an unlucky security guard with some acid pies. Shorty literally puts the cherry on top of the sequence by placing it on the melted pile of goo and looking upon his work with pride, like Michael surveying Bob's body in the original Halloween movie. It's the details that make Killer Klowns From Outer Space's Shorty the creepiest klown, though fans have their own personal favorites.