The Funhouse (1981)

I wanted to but couldn't!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Wonderful terror! This movie takes place in the early 80s, still reeking of the raw and real 70s before the politically correct and before hard lessons were learned. Another testament to the master of horror, Tobe Hooper (whom I've mistakenly referred to as "Toby Hooper" in previous reviews.) This movie makes me yearn for a time when all was new, when horror was truly horror, before we knew what to expect, before we knew any better, before cheap tricks were a solution to the real ones. Take for example scenes with an actual two headed cow, or more accurately one and a half headed. A fetus in a jar sets the tone for this murder ride. There's a hole in the wall where the men can see it all! Something about that red gel lighting really sets the mood for these young class of 1980 kids. Animatronics galore! Carnies and deformities! I give this movie 5 bags of popcorn. For an authentic experience try watching this movie in the parking lot of your local county fair with a candy apple and meat on a stick!

Amy and her friends are going off to a local carnival with a sleazy reputation. It looks fun on the outside but beneath the cheery atmosphere is a very frightening world and the kids are about to find out what is so scary about the funhouse when they decide to be idiots and spend the night inside, encountering a deformed slasher-killer.This slasher film deserves better reviews, it is one my favorites. Although my all-time favorite movie s the 1981 slasher film My Bloody Valentine, this movie is thrilling, entertaining, funny and creepy all in one. I think my favorite character was the pretty minor magician who scared the pants off an audience when he pulled a prank on them. The acing overall wasn't that good but the soundtrack was memorable and the movie does manage to remain shocking. It also shows a side-story with Amy's little brother getting lost at the carnival while sneaking out after dark.This isn't a bad movie, it's worth watching and really fun to see with friends. If the whole point of slashers is to have fun watching them, the Funhouse delivers.

Director Tobe Hooper is not one to have many theatrically released films under his belt but for it's his earliest efforts people seem to remember them the most. Most notably would be The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), but that also means including this one. Although it is not as cleverly crafted nor as strangely terrifying as Mr. Hooper's first outing; it does have some redeemable qualities. The part that works the best to this picture's credit is the idea of which it focuses on. Funhouses are never what they promise, anywhere. The only intent funhouses are made for are to have fun by being creeped out. Nobody really goes there for actual fun and games.Well not according to these characters. Meet Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) a young teen girl looking to have fun with her hotshot boyfriend Buzz (Cooper Huckabee) and two other friends. Together they head out to the local carnival that's running in town and decide to be there snobbish young selves. Adding to that particular attitude is completely ignoring her parents wishes of not attending the carnival since there were some issues with it from the year before. Oh but no harm should come this time, it was all a misunderstanding - sure. Protagonist wise there isn't any particular actor that stands out. Lawrence Block's screenplay is at best average. It has interesting ideas but doesn't bother to conclude them with much closure except for its main plot.Funny thing is that Block only wrote for one other production and that was the failed and now cheap looking Captain America (1990). But perhaps even stranger is that there are various elements to the story that are similar to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Specifically that some characters have the Southern accents, work as a family and do not have normal lives. All very similar to the cannibal family that Leatherface belonged to. The man in charge of this family is The Barker (Kevin Conway - who would play better roles later on his career). Conway is probably the best part when it came to characters but sadly he was underused. Along with Conway were other strange characters that appeared from time to time. An example of this would be of some old preacher woman. And her significance was for?As for the funhouse itself, since that is where our story takes place mostly, it works at times. Some of the vintage props look great because by today they look rather creepy. But there were also other items that felt like something today's funhouses would include too. The best particular scene would be the chase in the basement. That was creepier than the actual funhouse. Andrew Laszlo's cinematography, the guy behind First Blood (1982) got some nice shots of the carnival but once inside the funhouse, nothing was really interesting. John Beal's music was alright occasionally. He did have some creepy tunes but other than that it wasn't very memorable. It's not unwatchable but there are better things to see unless carnivals are truly unsettling to you.The setting can't fail at being creepy because what funhouse isn't? What makes it average though is its non-engaging characters and flimsy writing.

I hate a lot nothing happeningness in movies, especially horror films, with not much gore, etc. Sadly Funhouse is one of those movies. It's an under par horror film, and a weak one, but could of been so much more, given the story and it's environment. The slow moving film just has a lot of dry moments. One saving grace of the film, where I thought the small dark haired girl, seen in that other movie, The Beach Girls, was cute, was talented actor, Miles Chapin (The Funny Farm, Get Crazy), the joker of the foursome, who's spirited performance is one of the only reasons to see this. Our foursome, happy and free, decide to stay up in the Funhouse, only they've invaded someone's territory, for the amusement park is owned by a family of weirdos, one sour tarot car reader, who doesn't take kindly to ridicule, or, people interrupting her sessions, like from Chapin's background smirks, that has him trying to suppress his laughter. Honestly Chapin's the best thing about this film, and the tarot card's reader doesn't give them the most warmest of invitations to come back. Personally I'm with her on that one.