The Killer Tomatoes are back! The homegrown franchise first terrorized San Diego in 1978. Now the vicious veggie, or more accurately ferocious fruit, is about to invade theaters again so beware!
"The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" was hailed as one of the worst movies of all time, which it wore as a badge of honor. The cult film spawned three sequels (all of which I worked on), including one with George Clooney. (Yes, that puts me one degree away from both George Clooney and John Astin, and it was all because of killer tomatoes!)
Although the Killer Tomatoes have not posed a local, national or global threat since 1992, they were seen at Comic-Con where Costa Dillon revealed some starling information.
"People say I'm the creator of 'The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,' but that's not entirely accurate. I'm more the revealer of 'The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,'" Dillon confided to me on the floor of Comic-Con. "I found out that tomatoes were dangerous, that they were using organic intelligence, far scarier than artificial intelligence. People did not believe me. The first film came out, people laughed at it because the government made people think it was a comedy."
This new film proves this point: "This plan appeared to have worked. Hardly anyone saw the movie. The public has no recollection of the traumatic events of 1978. And the uprising was stomped out."
But just when you thought it was safe, the Killer Tomatoes are returning to theaters in an all-new film — I mean documentary?
"I can once again sound the alarm that organic intelligence is how Killer Tomatoes will rule the world if we don't stop them. And I do expect a Nobel Prize for this," Dillon said with a sly grin.
Depending on your point of view, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence" either lives up or down to the expectations set by its predecessors. The film includes plenty of nostalgic references and rip-offs of the original films to please San Diego residents who grew up with the film or were in the crazy stadium stomp scene of the original movie.
"We shot some scenes at what was then San Diego Stadium," Dillon recalled. "And over the years it's become like Woodstock. If everybody who's told me they were there were there, then we would have had 300,000 people in that stadium."
But "Organic Intelligence" also creates some fresh comic mayhem with an all-new cast and an animated John Astin returning as Dr. Gangreene. If you love the first film or the Fox cartoon, then you will love this one — it never takes itself seriously, it's packed with bad puns, and it will parody anything including itself. And if you are new to the franchise, it might win you over with its low-budget charm and tomato wackiness because Killer Tomatoes just wanna have fun ... and take over the world.
"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence" will begin splattering at UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center this Friday, so arm yourself with something to puree those plump tomatoes. And don't ask anyone to pass the ketchup.
