Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Killertomatoes_video_cover_1489.jpg|frame|''You've never seen a film like it!'']]

 

''For dinner and lunch!'' }}

 

And they're not going to take it anymore.

 

 

This would have been the end for the red menace (no, not '''that''' [[Dirty Communists|red menace]]), if it hadn't been for an episode of ''[[Muppet Babies]]'' using footage from the film to narrate a story called, "Attack of the Silly Tomatoes". It was a highly rated episode and New World Pictures inexplicably decided the world needed a sequel and offered the creators of the original 2 million dollars to film one.

 

 

''Return of the Killer Tomatoes!'' was released in 1988 and featured the same devotion to quality special effects, acting skills, and tightly scripted dialog as the first film: Still none detectable. Although it clearly does benefit from the increased budget, the film retains the original's tongue-in-cheek self-aware bad-movie quality, only now with more sex jokes. This film also introduces [[Meaningful Name|Dr. Putrid T. Gangrene]], played by John Astin, who apparently enjoyed [[Chewing the Scenery|chewing on the scenery]] a lot as he returned for every subsequent sequel.

Any further description of the plot is probably unnecessary. You're either already overwhelmed with an uncontrollable urge to watch this turkey or pondering if its existence indicates western civilization is beyond hope. Possibly both. Would it help if we told you [[George Clooney]] was in it?

 

 

 

Called ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!'', but based mostly on ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes!'', it tones down the sex and violence, ups the kiddy antics, and adds in a huge dose of satire to make it tolerable to adults. The result is stunningly watchable, which, sadly, also made it [[Too Good to Last]]. One notable feature of the series was the large number of [[Fourth Wall]] jokes, including the regular appearance of Censor Lady, the woman charged with keeping the show suitable for children. In one memorable appearance in the episode ''Spatula, Prinze of Dorkness'', she demanded the vampire tomato that Gangrene had created to cease talking about biting and blood, and do something more wholesome to turn victims into vampires, such as kissing them... and guess who wound up as '''the first victim'''!

 

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** ''Killer Tomatoes Eat Paris!'' is also quite possibly the only movie to take [[Actor Allusion]] to the level of actually being a plot point. The main character, played by Mark Price, who played Skippy on Family Ties laments the fact that Michael J. Fox, who also played on Family Ties, went on to have a successful acting career while he's only been a B-Movie actor. Because of this, Marc Price's character (whose real name is only mentioned once or twice) tells everyone that he is Michael J. Fox and is referred to as such throughout the entire film.

* [[Animated Adaptation]]: It has a tomato who can take the form of a human girl but changes back to a tomato after touching salt, and returns to normal after a sprinkle of pepper.

* [[Anthropomorphic Food]]: Is trying to kill you.

* [[Ascended Extra]]: The cartoon had a few, but Tomato Guy really stands out. The basis for his character only appeared in one scene of the first movie.

* [[Attack of the Killer Whatever]]: Tomatoes, naturally. Carrots are often promised for sequels, but the carrots are a lie!

** In another Season One episode, the Franken-stem Monster was a carrot!

* [[Avengers Assemble]]: The sequence is used when assembling the completely non-crack team of tomato fighters.

* [[Bar Brawl]]: Found in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'', completely with cowboys. And ninja.

* [[Book Ends]]/[[Chekhov's Gag]]: The Missing Tomato Link's fax number, noted in the first season's episode "The Tomato From the Black Lagoon", and used in the second season episode, "Stemming the Tide".

* [[Brown Note]]: In the first film, {{spoiler|the worst pop song of all time, "Puberty Love" is one for the tomatoes.}} It was so bad, one giant tomato, wore earmuffs to block it out... {{spoiler|that is, until the hero showed the song to it... in sheet music}}! In the second film, the tomatoes are all music-controlled, with Tara being turned back into a helpless, non-killer tomato whenever ''Beethoven's Fifth'' is played, then reverts to a human after ''Tara'' from Gone With the Wind is played. Nobody thinks to use this on the villainous tomato men.

* [[The Cameo]]: Gary Condit has an uncredited cameo in the "bar fight" scene in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'', years before he was more famously involved in another sort of fracas.

* [[Catch Phrase]]: "I'm not Mad! I'm ANGRY! I'm an Angry Scientist!"

* [[Coincidental Broadcast]]: Spoofed, of course.

* [[Demoted to Extra]]: The main villain of the first movie only makes a cameo towards the end of the second. Naturally, [[Lampshade Hanging|he bemoans this lack of screentime and dialogue during said cameo]].

* [[Disney Death]]: FT is okay!

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: One episode sees [[Dracula]] himself provide Doctor Gangrene with a vampire formula. Almost the entire town becomes vampires as a result, but Dracula ultimately provides the cure. Why? Because he feels the townspeople don't have the class to be vampires.

* [[Evil Is Hammy]]: Dr. Gangreen... 100%!

* [[Expository Theme Tune]]: Loosely so in the case of the first film, the second is clearly an example of this trope, explaining that, yes, you are watching a sequel.

* [[Follow the Bouncing Ball]]: The Opening to the Second Season cartoon.

* [[From My Own Personal Garden]]: {{spoiler|Richardson delivers this line in the first film after tossing a tomato to Mason Dixon, who he has captured.}}

* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: The heroes in the Animated Series comment that they'll have to defeat Gangrene because he never succeeds in the opener to the Second Season. He then beats them and the entire season is about his domination of the world.

** The second season premiere also lampshades Gangrene's success at the end of the episode: "This is not a two-parter, this is a one-parter."

* [[Lighter and Softer]]: Tara never once discussed oral sex, bondage, or leather whips in the animated series. There was also a distinct lack of killer tomatoes killing.

* [[Mad Scientist]]: Don't call Dr. Gangrene mad. He isn't mad! A little angry sometimes...

* [[Mad Scientist Laboratory]]

* [[Meaningful Name]]: Dr. Putrid T. Gangrene. You just can't get a normal job with a name like that.

* [[Medium Awareness]]

* [[Noodle Implements]]: Don't ask what Tara can do with "a lawn-chair, six milk bottles and a tuning fork." Or do.

* [[Object Ceiling Cling]]: There is a pizza stuck to the ceiling... which later becomes [[Book Ends]].

* [[Parody Names]]: Every First Season episode. ''Spatula, Prinze of Dorkness'', ''War of the Weirds'', ''Invasion of the Tomato Snatchers''...

* [[Plant Aliens]]: They aren't actually aliens, but somebody thought it was close enough to put in and who am I to argue?

** There were some planted on Mars in one episode that waged war upon the Earth.

* [[The Power of Rock]]: Spoofed in the first film.

* [[Produce Pelting]]: Well, of course. (To be specific, tomatoes are tossed at the camera during the opening credits.)

* [[Refuge in Audacity]]: There's really no other words for it, is there?

* [[Revenge of the Sequel]]

** This happens in the far-flung future in Season one episode, "Terminator Tomato From Tomorrow"... torturing Wilbur and the Killer Tomato Task Force.

* [[Sliding Scale of Comedy and Horror]]

** [[Incredibly Lame Pun]], behold thy greatest example ''ever!''

* [[Troperiffic]]: All Tropes Must Be Mocked!

** In the Season One episode, ''The Tomato From the Black Lagoon'', the titular tomato named Link, lampshades this:

* [[Womb Level]]: In one of the video games.

 

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[[Category:Western Animation]]

[[Category:Film]]