Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)

Director:

John De Bello

Writers:

John De Bello (writer)
Costa Dillon (writer)
(more)

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 | Female Reporter | Alien | Police Car

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
Alan Scharf	...	Roberts
Gary Smith	...	Sam Smith
Byron Teegarden	...	Dr. Morrison
Doug Vernon	...	Scientist
Dean Grell	...	Miss Potato Famine of 1922
Jack Riley	...	Salesman
Von Schauer	...	Special Appearance
Cindy Charles	...	Housewife
Joe Price	...	Detective #1
Gordon Ross	...	Detective #2
D. Wayne Cyphert	...	Husband
Efemia Dillon	...	Wife
Paul Abbot	...	Sergeant
John De Bello	...	Janitor / Charles White
Nigel Barber	...	Guard at gate
Benita Barton	...	Gretta Attenbaum
Gregg Berger	...	Sergeant
Rebecca Birch	...	Old woman
Wayne Wynne	...	Mr. Mikkelson
Chad Demmon	...	Bobby Drake
Ellen Drexler	...	President's secretary
Burt Miller	...	The Admiral
Richard Curtis	...	General #1
Hal Chidnoff	...	General #2
David Hall	...	Bruce
Steve Cates	...	Greg Colburn
Brian Cantwell	...	Superman
Lydia Hannibal	...	Receptionist
James De Bello	...	Deaf & blind cop
Richard Buresh	...	Hotel clerk
Dan Walsh	...	Billy
Hutch the Dog	...	Spot the Dog
Riba Nolan	...	Lady at supermarket
Costa Dillon	...	Man in library (as C.J. 'Clark' Dillon)
Mike Niederman	...	Soldier at phone
Jim Hess	...	TV reporter
D.J. Sullivan	...	Mrs. Williams
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dana Ashbrook	...	Boy on boat
Gordon Browning	...	Cigar-smoking Senator
Patrick Browning	...	Boy In Chair Reading Book (uncredited)
Elissa Groh	...	Biker's screaming girlfriend (uncredited)
Randee Lynne Jensen	...	Extra (uncredited)
Marc Sandknop	...	Boy in crowd (uncredited)
Ralph Waxman	...	UPS man (uncredited)
Donna Woodrum	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
John De Bello

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John De Bello		writer
Costa Dillon		writer (as C.J. Dillon)
J. Stephen Peace		writer (as Steve Peace)
Rick Rockwell		written by

Produced by
Michael Bard Bayer	....	associate producer (2003 special edition)
John De Bello	....	producer
J. Stephen Peace	....	producer (as Steve Peace)
Mark L. Rosen	....	producer

Original Music by
Gordon Goodwin
Paul Sundfor

Cinematography by
John K. Culley

Film Editing by
John De Bello

Costume Design by
Costa Dillon		(as Constantine James Dillon)

Production Management
Costa Dillon	....	production manager (as C.J. Dillon)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Costa Dillon	....	assistant director
Costa Dillon	....	second unit director (as C. James Dillon)

Art Department
Costa Dillon	....	property master
Jean Hollbrook	....	art work

Sound Department
Paul Wear	....	sound

Special Effects by
Craig Berkos	....	special effects
Robert Matzenauer	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Roger Dorney	....	optical camera (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Craig Berkos	....	grip
Steve Cates	....	gaffer
Steve Dillon	....	grip
Pete Hoffman	....	assistant camera
Robert Matzenauer	....	key grip
Julian Pena	....	grip
Mike St. James	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Peace	....	costume designer: tomato costume

Editorial Department
Robert Matzenauer	....	assistant editor (as Bob Matzenaur)

Music Department
John De Bello	....	composer: theme music
John De Bello	....	music editor

Other crew
Craig Berkos	....	miniaturization
Costa Dillon	....	all purpose bit player (as 'Clark' Dillon)
Costa Dillon	....	location scout (as Constantine J. Dillon)
Robert Matzenauer	....	chief tomato maker
Robert Matzenauer	....	giant tomatoes (as Bob Matzenaur)
Barbara Muir	....	talent coordinator
Beth Reno	....	production accountant

Thanks
Gene Ames	....	thanks
Robert Matzenauer	....	thanks (as Ronald Matzenauer)

Production Companies

• Four Square Productions

Distributors

• NAI Entertainment (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Danton Films (1979) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Media Home Entertainment (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Crest Films (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Geneon Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

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:

The helicopter crash was unintentional. After being pulled from the wreck, Jack Riley and George Wilson ad-libbed the rest of the scene. The crash used up more of the budget than all other aspects of the film combined.

Quotes:

News Announcer: And today the president closed the nation's last remaining submarine base at Groton, Connecticut. When asked why he had made the startling decision the president responded, "Those funny little black ships just keep sinking anyway."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Muppet Babies: The Weirdo Zone (#3.3)" (1986)

Soundtrack:

THE MINDMAKER SONG

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes .... a tomato ate my sister.... they're marching into San Jose....

The easiest way to describe this movie is as a satire. The target of the satire is quite vast, from the US Government to corporate America. It is also not a stinging satire, but rather a silly one.

Think of this movie as a mix between the Kentucky Fried movie, Airplane and Police Squad series, done with a much smaller budget and not as funny. I can see how this movie is a satire of many sci-fi disaster movies from the 50's and 60's. I see this movie as a big influence on Tim Burton's Mars Attacks.

The plot is simple enough. Genetically engineered giant tomatoes go "crazy" and start attacking people and cities. At first there is a cover up and then it blows over into full blown war.

The movie runs the gamut of characters and characterizations : Lois "Fairchild" (a Lois Lane clone), a very ambitious Presidential Press Secretary, Clark Kent, Mason Dixon (FIA agent who hasn't worked since the Bay of Pigs), a useless President (who only seems to be able to sign his name and attack New York), an even inept Congress, a sleazy marketing CEO, and Mason's team consisting of an obese East German "female" swimmer, a scuba diver, a crazed WWII paratrooper and an African-American disguise expert (disguised as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Hitler and finally as a tomato). Did I also forget to mention, lots and lots of tomatoes? There are all kinds of tomatoes from small tomatoes, to giant plastic tomatoes, to smashed tomatoes, to tomato juice and finally to people dressed up as tomatoes.

On top of all this, you have a couple of musical numbers as well. They aren't that good and seem to be dubbed. The best tune is by far the theme of the movie ("Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"). It is way too catchy and you might end up humming or singing it in public. Be warned.

Most of the movie is quite amusing and shows the absurdity of various real life situations as well as various entertainment genres. I don't believe I was induced to laughter, but mostly smiled and scratched my head. I definitely recommend this movie for fans of B and C grade movies, but only as a rental.

-Celluloid Rehab