Killer Klowns from Outer Space is one of horror’s most prominent, bona fide classics. But what kind of horror fan does it make me that it wasn’t until Night Frights LA that I had the chance to watch it finally? I knew a lot about this film, but my general distaste for horror comedies overrode any box I needed to check to be considered a “horror fan.” When I heard that Horror Press was sponsoring a screening of Killer Klowns at Night Frights LA with composer John Massari in attendance, I figured, what better time than now to check it out!
Falling in Love with John Massari’s Killer Klowns Soundtrack
I listened to the soundtrack on the flight out to LA, and I loved it. There’s this brilliant mixture between camp and terror that brings an uncomfortable levity to it. Seeing it finally overlaid on the film just amplified how incredible an artist John Massari truly is. Getting to hear him talk about this project was truly enlightening, both as a new fan of his and as a creative.
John stated involvement in the project came on the wings of a friend. He was bopping around between commercial projects when a friend mentioned that someone they knew (the Chiodos) was making a film. So, John sent some of his compositions as an audition and eventually was able to get a (scoreless) screening of the film at Warner Bros. Studios. Music is an integral part of film, and a part of my brain can’t even fathom watching a film without a score. But it was the scene where the tent in the forest was found that solidified John’s love for this project.
Inside the Creative Process: Scoring Killer Klowns’ Marching Scene
How exactly does a composer go about their work? For John Massari, part of Killer Klowns was with him his whole life. The scene in which the klowns are marching into town would eventually be scored with a composition he wrote when he was in high school! He wrote the composition for his band, but they deemed it too jazzy and refused to play it. It would later come to light that John was awarded the composition job from that piece alone.
Massari seems like an incredibly down-to-earth guy who knows what he wants out of life. That part of his story really stuck with me. “Not everything you do is going to be accepted immediately by everyone. That doesn’t mean you have to discard it,” he said.
Crafting the Full Killer Klowns Score: References and Storytelling
When it finally came to creating the full composition for the film, it seems he had fairly free rein to do what he wanted. Although the Chiodos did stick their hands in the pot a few times. They made John aware of certain films they wanted him to avoid when pulling reference for his work. Some of these films, John clarified, are what we consider classics today. John’s final composition for the film tells a story of its own; rarely do you hear a score that tells its own front-to-end story. The spaceship, he said, was viewed as a princess’s castle while the klowns marching into town were meant to resemble tanks driving into Poland.
One of the most interesting stories John regaled was about a significant roadblock that occurred toward the end of production. Someone from the production side requested that John be the one to pay for the film’s Dolby Stereo licensing fee. Thankfully, John and the Chiodos shot that down quickly. You wouldn’t ask the cinematographer to pay for film processing fees, would you?
John Massari’s Enduring Pride in Killer Klowns from Outer Space
It’s clear that he has ALWAYS been proud of his work on Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Even when friends told him that maybe he shouldn’t tell people he worked on it. However, around 2010/2012, he noticed a shift in thought regarding the film. The sands shifted from viewing Killer Klowns as “so bad it’s good” (my words) to just a pretty darn good film. After finally getting to watch it, I agree.
Massari revealed something that got the entire crowd amped up…he’s re-recorded the score. COVID was a hell of a time for all of us. While most of us were drinking and playing video games, John was making art. He didn’t change the score; he just made it fuller. And he promises that the rescored composition still goes with the version of the film we’ve all seen and doesn’t change the overall tone or feeling.
New Killer Klowns Soundtrack and Screenings
Thankfully, there is a record company (not Waxwork) that is interested in releasing the new composition to the world. At some point, we can hope for a CD and a streaming release. But maybe there’s a chance for some limited screenings to pop up with the rescored composition!
Thanks to John Massari and the Night Frights crew for making this day and event happen. Watching Killer Klowns from Outer Space with John in attendance was a bucket list item I didn’t even know was on my list! Do yourself a favor, don’t waste 31 years of your life not seeing this movie. If you haven’t…do it!