Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)

Director:

John De Bello

Writers:

John De Bello (writer)
Costa Dillon (writer)

Release Date:

October 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Musical

Plot:

A group of scientists band together to save the world from mutated tomatoes that KILL!

Plot Keywords:

Underwater | Master Of Disguise | Alien | Midnight Movie | Sword

Cast

David Miller	...	Mason Dixon
George Wilson	...	Jim Richardson
Sharon Taylor	...	Lois Fairchild
J. Stephen Peace	...	Lt. Wilbur Finletter (as Rock Peace)
Ernie Meyers	...	The President
Eric Christmas	...	Senator Polk
Ron Shapiro	...	Newspaper editor
Al Sklar	...	Ted Swann
Jerrold Anderson	...	Major Mills (as Jerry Anderson)
Don Birch	...	Old man
Tom Coleman	...	Singing soldier
Art K. Koustik	...	FIA Director (as Art Koustik)
Jack Nolen	...	Senator McKinley
Paul Oya	...	Dr. Nokitofa
John Qualls	...	Captain

Runtime:

87 min | 90 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Spain:13 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Oceanside, California, USA

Company:

Four Square Productions

Trivia:

Shot on Kodak 5247 negative stock - very unusual for a low budget film at the time. Most low budget films were shot on positive stock. The quality of the negative is one reason why many people thought the film cost more to make than it did.

Quotes:

Sam Smith: (he has infiltrated the tomatoes and is eating with them) "Hey, can somebody please pass the ketchup?"

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008)

Soundtrack:

THEME FROM ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES

It's hilarious moments are just enough to cover the dullness in between

Attack of the killer tomatoes is low-budget's answer to summer blockbuster Snakes on a Plane. Technically, it's the other way around, since AOTKT came first, but whatever. It's dumb, it has a small cult following, and you understand the plot when you read the title.

Tomatoes, you know, the kind in salads, attack people. This is shown in the movie, mostly as tomatoes being thrown at people with tomatoes on the ground everywhere. This continues for an entire movie, which might sound repetitive, but there's other side-tracks of the story as well, which more often than not are very funny.

The production values are non-existent but the filmmakers do their best to cover them up("I'm sorry, gentlemen, for the size of this room", the general says and then all the scientists climb over each other to get a seat) There are lots of silly plot points and many totally unnecessary, some funny and some not. Whenever it gets draggy, there's usually something really funny just in time. That's not bad.

If you need to have this told to you, then you will not like this movie, but I'll tell you anyway: Do NOT take this movie seriously. Enjoy the musical numbers, the stupid "Jaws"-like tomato attacks, the crazy characters, and all the other details that in then end makes AOTKT a fun experience.