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 ...
Crazy old Professor Gangreen has developed a way to make tomatoes look human for a second invasion.
Quick Answer
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
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
- Genres
- Comedy, Horror, Science Fiction
- 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.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
Professor Gangreen’s scheme to turn tomatoes into people delivers a bizarre, shape-shifting threat unique to this spoof.
The film breaks the fourth wall and lampoons product placement, poking fun at its own production and genre tropes.
Finletter’s Pizzeria serves up tomato-less pies, making the absence of sauce a running joke and a key plot detail.
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
Professor Gangreen's new invention
Human-disguised tomatoes
Second wave of tomato attacks on society
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.