Movie Review: Killjoy Goes To Hell (2012, Full Moon Features)

Directed by John Lechago
Starring Trent Haaga, Victoria De Mare and Al Burk
Run Time: 93 minutes

The demon clown Killjoy is on trial in Hell. Having failed in his last outing to claim his victims soul, he must face the Devil himself in Hell’s courtroom and prove that he is indeed evil and worthy of staying a demon. His only hope is the testimony of his last victim and a trial by combat against his inept lawyer who eventually turns into a pretty bad-ass demon clown. Killjoys murderous minions Batty Boop, Punchy, and Freakshow plot a daring rescue attempt, but they have nosy detectives, renegade clowns, and a whole mess of demons in their way. If they fail, Killjoy is damned to oblivion, never to return!



 

This movie, like a lot of the Full Moon Features films I’ve seen, just had a way of leaving me perplexed and wondering....Who’s bright idea was this? A movie about a supposed killer-clown (who doesn't actually kill anybody, minus the demon-clown near the end). A movie who’s content would barely get a PG rating if it actually had a rating, (no boobs, almost no blood or gore, just a couple of “motherfuckers” thrown in for shock effect). It makes no effort at being an actual horror movie and is pretty much a wash-out as a comedy, so I wouldn't even know how to categorize it. Two-thirds of the film plays out like a bad episode of Perry Mason, with a lot of courtroom scenes which are supposed to be in Hell, and I guess, supposed to be funny... they are not though. The remainder of the movie plays out like a sort of Keystone Cops/ Scooby-Doo episode. Now, brace yourselves. I know this is going to sound totally bi-polar but, as bad as this movie was... I just couldn't seem to take my eyes off of it.

Did I like it? No. Was it a good movie? Not even close. This was just one of those rare instances where a movie with seemingly no redeeming qualities is so bad, so horrible that its actually pretty good. And explaining how I came to that conclusion isn't easy either. Maybe it was the self-deprecating stupidity of the story, maybe it was the scary looking clowns who never actually did anything even remotely scary. Maybe it was the cute girls who should have been topless, but weren't. And maybe it was because every attempt at humor was an utter failure, (which in itself is actually pretty funny in a sad kind of way). Call it a modern day Plan 9 From Outer Space, a movie so inept it is something to simply marvel at.

Most of the movies Charles Band and company are making these days aren't really making my list of favorites, and this one is no exception but it does kind of grow on you....like a wart on the palm of your favorite jacking-off hand, and I guess that's not such a bad thing. Better then a sharp stick in the eye, or another Keanu Reeves movie.

6 out of 10

EXTRAS-
*The Making of Killjoy Goes To Hell!
*Full Moon Re-Mastered Trailers