News
[R.I.P.] ‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’ Actor Peter Licassi Has Passed Away
We’ve learned the sad news via Killer Klowns from Outer Space co-star/friend Michael Siegel that Peter Licassi, who played the lovable ice cream man Paul Terenzi in 1988’s horror-comedy, passed away on August 27th. Tragically, Licassi took his own life at 61.
Siegel writes over on Facebook, “On Thursday August 27th 2020, my friend, my brother, my partner in comedy Peter Licassi lost his battle with depression and took his own life. Peter had been struggling with depression for many years choosing to live a very private life. In the prime of his life, Peter was incredibly talented. Funny, clever, an accomplished musician (man, could he play the banjo), a wonderful actor and a brilliant comedian. His timing was impeccable and his ability to take an idea and turn it into an entertaining routine was his gift.”
“But Peter was more than that. He was kind and generous and supportive and would do anything for you,” Siegel continues. “He was tough too. He always stood up for what he believed in. He was a perfectionist and at times those moments were difficult to handle. But he was honest, protective and caring. I was fortunate to have worked side by side on stage (me on his left, he on my right in perfect harmony) with him for 16 years and even more fortunate to have been his friend for 38 years and learn what a true friendship can be. I will never forget the laughs we shared, the success we had and the tears we cried together. From now and for the rest of my life whenever I look to my right I will see my friend, my brother, my partner enjoying the hell out of life.”
Siegel adds, “If you or someone you know is suffering from depression please, please, please don’t be afraid or embarrassed to talk to someone. If you live in the UK please call the suicide prevention hotline 116 123. If you live in the States please call 1-800 448 1833.”
Killer Klowns creators the Chiodo Brothers also paid tribute to Licassi on their Facebook page, writing: “It’s with great sadness that we share this terrible news. Pete will forever be in our hearts and his memory will live on. Our condolences to his family and brother in life, Michael Siegel. Depression is real and a serious illness. If you suffer from depression, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Rest in peace our dear friend, Peter Licassi aka Paul Terenzi.”
If you are suffering from depression, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be dialed 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline provides free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources, and best practices for professionals.
Let’s start with the good news. Lockbox looks far better than its misleading marketing materials suggest, a supernatural horror movie so darkly lit and color graded that you’ll have to squint your way through jump scares. It’s also anchored by reliable genre performers. That’s also about where the good news ends with this rote adaptation of Knifepoint Horror Podcast story “Winthrop.”
The empathetic Carla Gugino gives her all as Ellen, a saint of a woman with boundless patience who takes on life’s hard luck with a kind smile. After giving up her career as a fashion designer to become caretaker for a dying mother, she’s then forced to reinvent herself once more when her caretaker role ends. That catches us up to the events of Lockbox, where Ellen is asked to take in a cousin she hasn’t seen in quite some time who’s dealing with severe PTSD.
Just as Ellen finally establishes a real connection with Winthrop (Lou Taylor Pucci), it’s interrupted by the arrival of peculiar neighbor Vahna (Katharine Isabelle), who spells clear trouble. When Vahna shows up dead, it sets in motion a supernatural battle of possession.
Image Credit: Aura entertainment
Director Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism, Prey for the Devil) and screenwriter Justin Yoffe approach Lockbox in the broadest of brushstrokes, dooming it from the start with clunky storytelling and woefully underdeveloped themes of heady topics like PTSD. Winthrop is a character that comes loaded with emotional baggage and trauma that’s piled on throughout his tragic life, but much like its title, his interiority and history are treated like a tightly guarded secret meant to prolong the supernatural mystery.
The problem here, though, is that Lockbox is too sparse to sustain mystery at all, and it instead robs Winthrop of characterization. It winds up trapping the talented Pucci without anywhere to go, toggling between wounded animal and mentally disoriented.
From there, Lockbox bounds through plot developments without any sense of stakes or purpose, peppered by a smattering of haphazard paint-by-numbers jump scares. The only unwavering constant is Ellen’s resolute faith, and Stamm seems to leave it entirely to Gugino to guide confused audiences through this inconsequential story right up until its supernatural climax.
Image Credit: Aura entertainment
To give more credit, Lockbox at least injects an unconventional exorcism here; just don’t expect much in the way of explanation. When the film finally reveals the meaning behind its title, it dangles a fascinating carrot it has zero interest in delivering. More than a severe lack of fleshing out its characters beyond plot drivers or devices, this faith-based flick also seems terrified to offer any worldbuilding whatsoever.
Yoffe’s script stretches the short story beyond its means instead of fleshing it out, and Stamm fills out the gaps with cheap CGI scares and overwrought performances; Isabelle’s Vahna is beyond cartoonish in her villainy. It’s also pretty nonsensical, treating only Ellen’s faith with the utmost sincerity and largely squandering its typically reliable talent. So much so that the final imagery, pure sunkissed saccharine sentimentality, leaves you with the feeling that this horror movie might be better suited as an entry in Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Lockbox releases in select theaters on July 3, 2026.
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