Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

Name: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy, Musical
Released: October 8, 1978
Duration: 83 min
Rating: 9
Cast: Al Sklar, David Miller, Don Birch, Eric Christmas, Ernie Meyers

1978

METASCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	Your Score
6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes

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Movie Details & Credits

NAI Entertainment | Release Date: October 8, 1978 | PG

Starring: Al Sklar, David Miller, Don Birch, Eric Christmas, Ernie Meyers, George Wilson, J. Stephen Peace, Jerrold Anderson, Ron Shapiro, Sharon Taylor

Summary: A group of scientists band together to save the world from mutated killer tomatoes.

Director: John De Bello

Genre(s): Adventure, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy, Musical

Rating: PG

Runtime: 83 min

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Critic Reviews

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes employs calculatedly bad acting, ridiculous special effects, and inane dialog. Though it succeeded to some degree in achieving its goal, it's a thoroughly dull, unfunny effort. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

One-joke spoof on that B movie staple of the '50s, monstrously enlarged scientific mutations. The big red ones have their way with corrupt politicians and (via bloody Bloody Marys) housewife tipplers, while the pastiche '50s soundtrack croons 'I know I'm gonna miss her, a tomato ate my sister'. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Only saving grace is the satire pic’s opening titles, a clever lampoon of theatre trailers and advertising pitches, including a mid-credit title card that boasts, ‘This space for rent’. There’s also a tongue-in-cheek parody of disaster pic music, sung in a deep basso voice, but that’s over in about two minutes. Thereafter it’s all downhill, rapidly. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Self-conscious camp, the lowest artistic category known to man. Read full review

Eric Henderson

The really frustrating thing about Tomatoes is the toothlessness of its satire. Read full review

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User Reviews

tomatokiller

Jun 24, 2022

the best horror movie i ever seen. i've never seen any killer this scary before!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Krossbone

Feb 3, 2020

This movie is easily a cult classic. Not for how good it is, far far from it. It's actually a really bad movie. However, the self-awareness of the crew and team behind this movie alongside the amazing humor really serve to make it just super fun and entertaining to watch, right up there withThis movie is easily a cult classic. Not for how good it is, far far from it. It's actually a really bad movie. However, the self-awareness of the crew and team behind this movie alongside the amazing humor really serve to make it just super fun and entertaining to watch, right up there with Sharknado.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

slider1983

Oct 31, 2018

It’s a difficult film to talk about without spoiling the jokes. It’s one of those films where experiencing the joke is more effective than explaining it. As explained before not all the jokes hit. Some do. Using a terrible song to defeat the tomatoes, a sequence where a news reporterIt’s a difficult film to talk about without spoiling the jokes. It’s one of those films where experiencing the joke is more effective than explaining it. As explained before not all the jokes hit. Some do. Using a terrible song to defeat the tomatoes, a sequence where a news reporter harasses a witness by making her feel worse about her current situation or a sequence with an extremely slow car chase is hilarious. As I just said you have to see these jokes to appreciate them. However, every well written, well directed joke is followed by a completely random joke that makes no sense and is not funny. Even the cleverly written jokes such as the split phone sequence is great on paper but then let down by the directing and acting. The lack of an overall human villain with a grand scheme (rather than the plot twist the viewer gets towards the climax of the movie) means the tomatoes lead without a leader. The introduction of an outright evil antagonist for the sequels is one thing the writers later attempted to correct the series with although it still wasn’t enough to raise the franchise above mediocrity. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! is an often enjoyable film but how much the viewer gets out of it will depend on (no pun intended) their taste in comedy and whether they can put up with the uneven jokes the film has to offer. Not a squishy mess, not a ‘respectable’ classic movie but definitely worthy of its ‘cult’ classic status.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Kai82

Jul 5, 2021

This is a divisive movie. For some it is one of the worst movies ever made, others see it as cult classic and for some it ranges somewhere on the so bad it is good scale with possible overlapping to the former views. It was made as spoof / parody of B-movies and the name of the movie is whatThis is a divisive movie. For some it is one of the worst movies ever made, others see it as cult classic and for some it ranges somewhere on the so bad it is good scale with possible overlapping to the former views. It was made as spoof / parody of B-movies and the name of the movie is what you get. Story: Tomatoes become sentient beings and start to attack humans while the humans try to stop them in a dire battle for survival. It is the same story you have seen in other thrillers / monster movies but with killer tomatoes instead. It parodies other movies, tropes and stereotypes of the genre. There is no way in pretending it sounds not silly and hilarious. This is the main deciding factor for anyone. Is this just a really bad movie or hot garbage with huge entertainment value. While I lean more towards garbage I cant also deny that it has some entertainment value even if it is unintentional and nothing the makers should be proud of. I say the movie has its moments. Also it had a really low budget which should give some redemption. Strangely it was successful enough to get 3 sequels (I have only seen 1 of those) and a cartoon series but lets go back to the review. The actors do the best they could with this premise of the movie and I feel bad for them (= I find it unfair to criticize them and wont do it). So I will say they make the most out of the situation. The humor is actually not that bad as the ratings suggest which means it is still not that good or average but some scenes are memorable. Mostly it depends on the viewers so bad it is good taste like the movie itself. I think I go in circles here as I always come up with the same sentence involving the “so bad it is good statement”. Overall this is a bad movie that is enjoyable for some. I see a small part of the appeal that it has for others but it is not enough for me to consider it as cult classic.… Expand

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