Just when you thought it was safe ... the Killer Tomatoes are back and more lethal than ever. That's right. The Killer Tomatoes are back for a fifth time in the new film "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence." Since part of the film was shot on the USS Midway, the fear-inspiring fruits held a special private party and screening onboard the Navy vessel this past Friday.
Bonita Vista High School alums John DeBello, Costa Dillon and Steve Peace first splattered Killer Tomatoes on an unsuspecting world in a 1971 short film before expanding the idea into a feature film two years later called "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!" All three were on hand Friday aboard the Midway, although DeBello was not involved in making this latest sequel.
Roots of the franchise
The musical-comedy-horror show tapped "Every Screwball in San Diego County" (including The San Diego Chicken) for its massive stadium-scene finale of tomato stomping. Peace noted that "contrary to lore," the original film never won Michael Medved's official Golden Turkey Award for Worst Vegetable Movie of All Time because "We declined participation because he insisted we were 'bad on purpose' and therefore technically 'ineligible.'"
But at the 1980 Worst Film Festival at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, guests Harry and Michael Medved, authors of "The Golden Turkey Awards," honored "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!" as one of the worst.
The film became a cult hit that spawned the only truly San Diego-based film franchise. The first "Paranormal Activity" in 2007 was shot here by San Diego filmmaker Oren Peli and launched a seven-film franchise, but only the first was set in San Diego. The first four of the Killer Tomatoes films, however, were made by the National City-based Four Square Productions, with all the original filmmakers remaining San Diego residents and shooting at least parts of the films here. (Killer Tomatoes did go to France.)
I got involved with the franchise in 1988 for the first sequel, "Return of the Killer Tomatoes," as an associate editor, and that forever put me one degree away from George Clooney, who starred in the film. That film also introduced John Astin as mad scientist Dr. Gangreene.
I also edited the following sequels (cause no one else would???), "Killer Tomatoes Strike Back" (1991) and "Killer Tomatoes Eat France" (1992). We called it the "four films in the Tomato trilogy."
And for anyone who enjoyed the Rhino 25th Anniversary Special Edition of "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," I edited a number of the bonus features and Easter eggs, and even forged fake storyboards. My criminal activity with the Killer Tomatoes also includes stealing a pair of the vicious fruits (it would be so much better if they were vegetables to get that alliteration) after working killer hours in the edit room and only having the product placement Goobers as sustenance.
Killer Tomatoes are back!
Now the Killer Tomatoes are back for "Organic Intelligence," which brings a new generation of characters and tomato stompers onto the scene. It is also the first film in the franchise not directed by DeBello. But David Ferino was up to the task of taking on the new tomato terror.
"The stakes have gotten a lot higher," Ferino said from the deck of the Midway, where tomato carnage had taken place. "The tomato peril is nothing to be joked about. I think tonight's screening is very much like a public service announcement to the public that we can't take this lightly."
Ferino navigated a diverse set where there were vegetable-versus-fruit disputes as well as human actors.
"I'm very proud to say this was a very inclusive set," Ferino stated. "However, it got really seedy, and I'm disappointed to say that we have a very seedy movie on our hands."
Actress Myrna Velasco, who plays Irma and has to fight off the new tomato threat, is too young to have witnessed the first Killer Tomato attack in 1978.
"I am a cartoon kid. So the Saturday morning cartoon, 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,' was where I learned about the first invasion," Velasco said. "I'm a researcher, a bit of a nerd, so I had to go all the way back to find out where did this really come from. So I even saw the first one and cut my teeth on that."
David Koontz, director of marketing for the Midway, was on hand for the messy "Organic Intelligence" shoot aboard the ship.
"I would say this is probably one of the juiciest experiences we've ever had here on the Midway," Koontz said. "We were really delighted that they reached out to us and allowed us to actually be part of the film. So this is actually the headquarters, without giving away the plot too much, for the investigative bureau that was fighting the Killer Tomatoes."
Friday night's private event benefitted the new Freedom Park that is being built by the Midway.
"Midway is working in partnership with the Port of San Diego," Koontz added. "So we are transforming Navy Pier, which has been here for 100 years, into a public park. And it's actually going to be the largest public park that pays tribute to veterans. So we are right in the midst of a huge capital campaign. It's a $77 million project. We have about $30 million more to raise. So the funds that are coming as proceeds from the sale of tickets to this movie are going to be very, very important to continuing the process of building this incredibly wonderful park."
"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence" is scheduled for a late spring release. But the mercurial fruits can be unpredictable and may alter their attack plans at any moment. So be vigilant and on alert for when they might hit theaters.
