Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Infobox Film
name = Attack of the Killer Tomatoes


caption = Theatrical release poster.
director = John De Bello
producer = John De Bello
writer = John De Bello
Costa Dillon
Stephen Peace

starring = David Miller
George Wilson
Costa Dillon
music = John De Bello
cinematography = John K. Culley
editing = John De Bello
distributor = NAI Entertainment
released = 1978
runtime = 87 minutes
country = USA
language = English
awards =
budget = USD$90,000
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by = "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" (1988)
website = http://killertomatoes.com/
amg_id = 1:3267
imdb_id = 080391

"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" is a 1978 comedy film directed by John De Bello and starring David Miller. The film is a spoof of B-movies. Made on a budget of less than USD$100,000, the story involves tomatoes coming to life by unknown means and revolting against humanity. Writing credits were shared by John De Bello, Costa Dillon, and Stephen Peace. The concept of Killer Tomatoes was created by Dillon.

Plot

The film opens with a scroll dictating that, when Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds" (1963) was released, audiences laughed at the notion of birds revolting against humanity, but when an attack perpetrated by birds occurred in 1975, no one laughed. This is followed by a pre-credits sequence of a tomato rising out of a woman's garbage disposal unit. Her puzzlement turns into terror as the tomato draws her into a corner. Following the credits, we see the police investigating her death. One officer discovers that the red substance she is covered with is not blood, but tomato juice.

A series of attacks perpetrated by tomatoes occur (including a man dying by drinking tomato juice made from a killer tomato and a sequence where the tomatoes attack innocent swimmers, in a parody of "Jaws"). While the President's press secretary Jim Richardson tries to convince the public that there is no credible threat, the president puts together a team of specialists to stop the tomatoes led by a man named Mason Dixon. Dixon's team includes Sam Smith, an African-American disguise expert who is seen at various points dressed as, among other things, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and even Adolf Hitler; Navy diver Greg Colburn; Russian Olympic swimmer Gretta Attenbaum; and parachute-toting Wilbur Finletter.

Smith is sent out to infiltrate the tomatoes, eventually blowing his cover when he asks if anyone could "pass the ketchup." Colburn and Gretta are sent to sectors, and Finletter stays with Mason. Meanwhile, the president sends Richardson to the fictitious ad agency 'Mind Makers', where executive Ted Swan spends huge amounts of money to develop virtually worthless ploys including a bumper sticker with 'STP' for "Stop Tomatoe Plants' on it. It is revealed that a human is also plotting to stop Dixon when a masked assassin attempts to shoot him, but misses. A senate subcommittee meeting is held where one secret pamphlet is leaked to a newspaper editor who sends Lois Fairchild on the story. While she tails Finletter, he mistakes her to be a spy and trashes a hotel room attempting to kill her. He then chases the assassin as the masked man fails again to kill Dixon, but loses him.

Gretta is killed and further regression has led leaders to bring in tanks and soldiers to the west coast in a battle that leaves the American forces in shambles. Dixon, walking among the rubble, sees a trail of tomatoe juice and decides to investigate. He ends up being chased by a killer tomatoe to an apartment where a oblivious child is listening to the radio. The tomatoe is about to kill Dixon but suddenly flies out the window. Dixon peers out to see if it has died when he spots the assassin hijacking his car. He chases the assassin until he is knocked out when it is revealed that Richardson is behind the tomatoes. He is about to reveal his secret of control when Finletter charges in and runs him through. Dixon, picking up some strewen records, realizes that both times the tomatoes left him "Puberty Love" had been on the radio. He orders Finletter to gather all remaining people and bring them to the stadium, which is soon attacked by the tomatoes.

The tomatoes are cornered in a stadium. "Puberty Love" is played over the loudspeaker, causing the tomatoes to shrink and allowing the various people at the stadium to squash them by stomping on them repeatedly. Fairchild, meanwhile, is cornered by a giant tomato wearing earmuffs. Dixon saves her by showing the tomato the sheet music to "Puberty Love." He professes his love to her, in song. The film ends by showing a carrot that rises from the Earth and says "All right, you guys. They're gone."

Cast

equels

There have been a number of sequels and other spin-off material in various media as a result of this movie. They include three movie sequels

* "Return of the Killer Tomatoes!" (1988)
* "Killer Tomatoes Strike Back!" (1990)
* "Killer Tomatoes Eat France!" (1991)

The sequel, "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" 1988 uses stock footage from this film in the opening, with only one real change. The scene from the climax of the original portraying hundreds of people running into the stadium to squash the tomatoes is dubbed over to make it seem like they are evacuating the area.

In the theme song for this film we hear about the death of Herbert Farbage by tomatoes, in the opening song for the sequel we learn that Herbert actually survived the attack and now has an upcoming TV show.

American composer and orchestrator Gordon Goodwin, one of the original composers for the film, later wrote a big band piece inspired by the music for this film, to be played with his jazz ensemble Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. The piece is meant to poke fun at the soundtrack in a musically comic fashion, especially through the song's use of solo Bass Trombone.

pin-offs

The film was then reworked in 1990 as "", a cartoon TV series which ran on Fox Kids, but despite the name, it was based on "Return of the Killer Tomatoes". One scene did include live action footage of the "Killer Tomatoes" film, followed by a comment it is the worst torture a prisoner could endure.

A novel released in 1997, "Attack of the Killer Potatoes", pays tribute to the film.

Three different video games were developed; a 1986 video game released for 8-bit computers, which was based on the film, and a 1991 video game released for Nintendo and the Gameboy games consoles, which was based on the animated series.

Viper Comics will release a comic book adaptation of the film in October 2008. [ [http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/121304381210723.htm Viper Comics Launches All Horror Imprint "Black Mamba Books"] , Comics Bulletin, June 9, 2008]

Remake

A remake of the film is in the works from Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine, creators of Ask A Ninja. This will be Nichols' directorial debut. M. Dal Walton III is co-producing along with Emmett/Furla Films. [ [http://www.vfxworld.com/?sa=adv&code=3631a5a1&atype=news&id=22490 >> VFXWorld / News << ] ]

Doug Sarine has said that he is interested in casting Jim Carrey and Bruce Campbell in the remake. [ [http://www.jimcarreyonline.com/recent/news.php?id=1179 Carrey set for "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes" remake? ] ] This would mark the second time the actors have been in the same film; their first was 2000's "The Majestic".

Theme song

The theme song of the movie describes the tomatoes rampages through the world, describing that they've killed a man named Herbert Farbage, that they've scared off the National Guard and that they've even eaten the narrator's sister. This theme song is used in different variations over the course of the series, here simply sounding like the score of an old monster movie with lyrics and a more catchy tune.

Notable gags

Several gags in the movie are worth noting, including:

Despite being African American, Finletter mistakes Sam Smith for being Adolf Hitler and even attempting to kill him.

The Japanese scientist working to stop the tomatoes is dubbed, parodying Japanese Kaiju films in which characters are badly dubbed.

Although it was probably just a result of low budget, the scene where a woman is attacked by a giant tomato in a parking lot does barely anything to conceal that the tomato is being pulled by something.

Wilbur arrives too late to save a member of his team, and finding her mangled body in the forest where she was sent, simply states, "I just wanted to warn you there's been tomato activity reported in your area. Carry on." However, the joke is that Dixon told Finletter to warn her no matter what happens.

A man in a suit and hat (who is completely a throwaway character) walks by in a scene and greets one of the film's main characters, Lois, to which she responds, addressing him as "Clark." Moments later, it is apparent that the Clark character, off-screen, has taken flight. In the credits, this character is credited as, "Superman"

In the horrendously undersized meeting room there are numerous small pictures of U.S. Ships and the like decorating the walls. When the Japanese scientists are in the room, the erratic hand-waving of one of them accidentally knocks a picture of the U.S.S. Arizona off the wall and into a fishtank that is below the photo.

While Gretta is camping out in her sector, she takes out a cereal box with a baseball player and 'Steroids' on it.

In the opening credits it says "This Space Available" and lists a phone number.

Critical reception

The film was poorly received by critics, garnering 27% positive reviews on RottenTomatoes.com. [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/attack_of_the_killer_tomatoes/ Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes ] ]

Notes

References

* Wingrove, David. Science Fiction Film Source Book (Longman Group Limited, 1985)
*imdb title|id=080391|title=Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
* [http://www.gordongoodwin.com/anotefromgordon01.html The Killer Tomatoes Persevere]

External links

* [http://killertomatoes.com/ Official Site]