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Comedy Cult Classic

Tomatoes outlawed, pizza ruined, and a mad scientist plots a second juicy invasion.

RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES!

They were out for blood, and rotten to the core. Now they're back ...

1988 · 1h 38m · PG · Comedy / Horror / Science Fiction · IMDB TMDB

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

Quick Answer

What is Return of the Killer Tomatoes! about?

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! is a 1988 American comedy, horror, and science fiction film directed by John De Bello about a mad scientist who transforms tomatoes into human lookalikes for a second tomato invasion.

Programmer's Pick

Only in the '80s could a tomato embargo, pizza without sauce, and George Clooney as a smirking roommate make perfect sense. With its madcap villain cooking up human-shaped tomatoes and more meta gags than toppings on a supreme, this cult sequel squeezes every drop of parody it can.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Ten years after the infamous 'Great Tomato War,' the United States has outlawed tomatoes, and pizza shops get by with creative, tomato-free recipes. Wilbur Finletter, now a local hero, runs a pizzeria employing his nephew Chad and the ever-suave Matt Stevens. Life seems safe—until the eccentric Professor Gangreen reemerges with a diabolical new plan. This time, he's developed a method to disguise tomatoes as humans, setting the stage for a second invasion. Mixing parody, self-referential humor, and 1980s pop culture nods, this sequel leans hard into spoof and satire, poking fun at product placement and genre conventions while keeping things delightfully absurd.

Details & Specs

Director
John De Bello
Writers
John De Bello, Stephen Andrich, Costa Dillon, J. Stephen Peace
Release
1988
Runtime
1h 38m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Also Known As
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes 2 - Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Le retour des tomates tueuses, Ντομάτες διψασμένες για αίμα επιστρέφουν

Why This Matters

This sequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes features George Clooney in an early role and has gained a cult following despite largely negative critical reception.
— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

View all →
Director: John De Bello Writers: John De Bello +3 more

Why Cult

Human Tomato Invasion

Professor Gangreen’s scheme to turn tomatoes into people delivers a bizarre, shape-shifting threat unique to this spoof.

Meta Humor & Parody

The film breaks the fourth wall and lampoons product placement, poking fun at its own production and genre tropes.

Pizza Without Tomatoes

Finletter’s Pizzeria serves up tomato-less pies, making the absence of sauce a running joke and a key plot detail.

Early George Clooney

Catch George Clooney in a pre-fame role as the charming Matt Stevens, showing off comic timing long before his ER days.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Professor Gangreen's new invention

Threat

Human-disguised tomatoes

Effect

Second wave of tomato attacks on society

Setting

San Diego, California

Questions from the Vault

When was Return of the Killer Tomatoes! released? +

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! was released in 1988.

Who directed Return of the Killer Tomatoes!? +

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! was directed by John De Bello.

How long is Return of the Killer Tomatoes!? +

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! has a runtime of 98 minutes.

What genre is Return of the Killer Tomatoes!? +

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! is a comedy, horror, and science fiction film.

How does Professor Gangreen create human-looking tomatoes? +

Gangreen uses a transformation chamber that combines toxic waste and music to turn ordinary tomatoes into human replicas, with the type of music determining the result.

Trailers & Clips