Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

John De Bello

Writers:

Stephen F. Andrich (writer)
John De Bello (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

13 October 1988 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It'll leave a bad paste in your mouth.

Plot:

Crazy old Professor Gangreen has developed a way to make tomatoes look human for a second invasion.

Plot Keywords:

Mad Scientist | Pizza | Tomato | The End? Title Card | Laboratory

Cast

Michael Villani	...	Bob Downs (as Mike Villani)
Harvey Weber	...	Sid
John Astin	...	Prof. Gangreen
Karen M. Waldron	...	Tara Boumdeay (as Karen Mistal)
J. Stephen Peace	...	Wilbur Finletter (as Rock Peace)
Anthony Starke	...	Chad Finletter
John De Bello	...	Charles White
George Clooney	...	Matt Stevens
Gordon Howard	...	Pizza customer
Rick Rockwell	...	Jim Richardson / Tomato dealer
Costa Dillon	...	Prison guard / Man in parking lot / SAG representative / Product placement customer / Reporter (as C.J. 'Clark' Dillon)
Steve Lundquist	...	Igor
Mark Wenzel	...	Mime
Spike Sorrentino	...	Store owner
Devlin	...	Shopper
John Ara Martin	...	Waiter
D.J. Sullivan	...	Mrs. Williams
Deborah Gates	...	Woman In parking lot
Chad Peace	...	Good boy
Brett Peace	...	Better boy
Clint Peace	...	Best boy
Frank Davis	...	Sam Smith
Charlie Jones	...	TV sportscaster
Dave Adams	...	TV Evil Scientist
Teri Weigel	...	Matt's playmate
Debi Fares	...	Matt's tomato
Ian Hutton	...	Greg Colburn
Thom Owens	...	Referee
Deirdre Andrews	...	Reporter
Ron Trim	...	Reporter
Ka'imi Kuoha	...	Little girl
Bruce Binkowski	...	Daddy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Bolanc	...	Tomato Man
Alice Easy Squeezin'	...	Larry the Snake
Mary M. Egan	...	Grandmother DeBello
Kevin B. Gross	...	Tomato man
Seth Kucha	...	Tomato man (as Seth Kuoha)
Jerry L. Moats Jr.	...	Tomato Man
Frank Orlett	...	Tomato Man
Michael Joseph Pierce	...	Shopper
Barry Ratto	...	Tomato Man
Abbie C. Solarez	...	Voice over
Shawn Stone	...	Tomato Man
John Streano	...	Restaurant Violin Player
Bruce Taylor	...	Tomato Man
Gary Condit	...	Pizzeria patron (uncredited)
Doug Ingold	...	Pizza Patron (uncredited)
Carol Stoddard	...	Runner (uncredited)

Directed by
John De Bello

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stephen F. Andrich		writer
John De Bello		writer
Costa Dillon		writer
J. Stephen Peace		writer

Produced by
Lowell D. Blank	....	line producer
J. Stephen Peace	....	producer

Original Music by
Neal Fox
Rick Patterson

Cinematography by
Victor Lou
Stephen Welch		(as Stephen Kent Welch)

Film Editing by
Stephen F. Andrich
John De Bello

Casting by
Samuel Warren

Production Design by
Costa Dillon

Art Direction by
Roger C. Ambrose

Set Decoration by
Melinda Ritz

Makeup Department
Christie Beyer	....	hair stylist
Christie Beyer	....	makeup artist
Cheryl Voss	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maura McCoy	....	second assistant director
Thom Owens	....	first assistant director (as Thom Owens)
Diane Weiss	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Debbie Castaldi	....	lead person
Pat Comfort	....	set dresser
Michael Curtis	....	property assistant
Margaret Hungerford	....	lead person
Rod Stroup	....	assistant art director
Brendan Walsh	....	property master

Sound Department
Flavio 'Paul' Fabrini	....	sound recordist (as Paul Fabbrini)
Martin Lopez	....	sound designer
Bruce Maynes	....	digital sound processing
Wayne Nakatsu	....	assistant re-recording mixer
Thom Owens	....	sound effects editor (as Thomas Owens)
Mark A. Rozett	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Mark Rozett)

Special Effects by
Dean Andolsek	....	special effects
Ron L. Coons	....	special effects
Gary Schnuckle	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Dave Osborne	....	optical effects

Stunts
'Tex' Carrol	....	stunts (as "Tex" Carroll)
Dave Caruthers	....	stunts
Scott Conway	....	stunts (as Scot "Gymkata" Conway)
Kevin B. Gross	....	stunts
Ben Kahananui	....	stunts
Sam Alama Kucha	....	action coordinator
Sam Alama Kucha	....	stunt coordinator
Sam Alama Kucha	....	stunts
Seth Kucha	....	stunts
Nic Lawson	....	stunts
William Law	....	stunts
Chris Olson	....	stunts
Kerry Sageman	....	assistant action coordinator
Kerry Sageman	....	stunts (as Kerry "Ironman" Sageman)
Susie Sanderson	....	stunts (as Susie "Sweet Kicks" Sanderson)
Robert Toledo Jr.	....	stunts
Kelly Turner	....	stunts (as Kelly "G.T." Turner)
Greg Young	....	assistant action coordinator
Greg Young	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Stephen F. Andrich	....	camera operator (as Stave Andrich)
Todd Appleman	....	best boy electric
Steve Glynn	....	key grip
Rick Grasser	....	grip
Brian Kahn	....	grip
Jim Kundig	....	dolly grip
Michael Lambert	....	first assistant camera
Michael Lapins	....	gaffer
Victor Lou	....	additional assistant camera
Victor Lou	....	director of photography: second unit
Alexander Seligman	....	second assistant camera
Alexander Seligman	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiff Winton	....	costumer (as Tiffanie Winton)

Editorial Department
Beth Accomando	....	associate editor
James Carter	....	color timer (as Jim Carter)
Michael McCann	....	negative cutter (as Mike McCann)

Music Department
John De Bello	....	music editor
Dan Milner	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Ron Trim	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Janet Backer	....	production secretary
Meryl Burns	....	production assistant
David Craven	....	production supporter
Julianne Creighton	....	script supervisor
Chuck S. Diehl	....	video production (as Chuck Diehl)
Liz Garcia	....	production assistant
Betty Harris	....	talent coordinator
Michael Hess	....	floor runner
Bettie King	....	studio teacher
David Littleton	....	production supporter
Martin Lopez	....	location manager
Joe Quarrtuccio	....	caterer: Personal Touch Catering
Vanessa Quarrtuccio	....	caterer: Personal Touch Catering
Misty Roberts	....	assistant: J.S. Peace
Ms. Shepard	....	assistant: John De Bello
Bruce Vierheller	....	first aid

Thanks
Jim Ladd	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Four Square Productions
• Tomatos II
• Transatlantic Entertainment

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Artédis (????) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema Arts Entertainment (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Future Film (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• New World Home Video (video)
• One Plus One (2004) (France) (DVD)
• Roadshow Home Video (1980s) (Australia) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Action Stunts Unlimited  stunts
• Anthony's Restaurants  special thanks
• Cinesound Company Inc.  sound post-production
• City of Chula Vista  special thanks
• City of National City , California  special thanks
• City of San Diego  special thanks
• Cook's Corner  special thanks
• Laidlaw Waste Systems  special thanks
• Lambert Films  cameras: lenses and Leviathan crane
• National City Police Department  special thanks
• Personal Touch  catering
• Pointe Builders  special thanks
• Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility of San Diego  special thanks
• Samuel Warren & Associates  casting
• San Diego Police Department  special thanks
• Seaport Village, California  special thanks
• The San Diego Motion Picture & Television Bureau  special thanks
• U-haul of Lemon Grove  special thanks
• United States Customs Service  special thanks

Also Known As:

Return of the Killer Tomatoes: The Sequel (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

98 min | UK:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-11 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Chula Vista, California, USA

Company:

Four Square Productions

Trivia:

U.S. Congressman Gary Condit, who became a household name in the Chandra Levy disappearance, has an uncredited roles as a patron in the pizzeria. The movie was co-written and co-produced by a friend of Condit's, J. Stephen Peace. Peace, along with Condit, was a member of the California State Assembly at the time.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Chad is talking to the tomato, the clock reads 1:52 am. The scene cuts to a close up of the Fuzzy Tomato and the clock reads 2:10 am. Then, it goes back to a shot of Chad talking to the tomato and the clock is at 1:53 am. The very end of the scene, the clock now reads 2:13 am.

Quotes:

Matt Stevens: [sings] Oh Rosanna don't ya cry for me. Cos I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee. I do not know the rest of the words, I think I'll make them up. I'm going to walk into my home and wake my best friend up.

Movie Connections:

References "The Lone Ranger" (1949)

Soundtrack:

Who Did It?

The girl of my dreams is a vegetable...

I love this movie!! Judge me if you will, but I stand by my opinion. Forget Mars Attacks, THIS is the best B-movie spoof made in a long time. I haven't seen the original (though plenty of supposed footage from the first one is spliced into this film as part of the joke, much in the same way as Bride of Frankenstein, 1935), but from what I can gather from reviews, this is better.

The film constantly makes fun of its low budget with several actors playing multiple parts, and the product-placement scene in the Pizza Place precedes the one in Wayne's World by years and is much, much funnier. The before-he-was-famous Clooney is hilarious, and there's a nice touch having John Astin (who has already spoofed light horror in the original Addams Family) play Professor Gangrene.

The film is simply a silly delight to watch, so I recommend you get your hands on it as soon as possible!