Funhouse, the

 

 

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As a huge horror fan, I've always felt as if I should really like and appreciate Tobe Hooper -- but I just don't, really. I keep giving him chances to impress me, and he never does. The Funhouse is a case in point, as it fails to deliver a single memorable moment. When I look at this film, I see a completely predictable story, several irrelevant plot points, a hackneyed ending, and no success whatsoever in delivering even a single "made you jump" moment. Things get off to a bad start, with Hooper totally ripping off Halloween for the opening scenes, and things slowly go downhill from there. Hooper does succeed in generating a few moments of suspense, but that can only take you so far.

Maybe I should confess my own personal abhorrence of carnivals -- the seedy atmosphere, the crooked games, the "scary" rides, and everything else about them. The funhouse is basically the penultimate carnival experience -- patently fake and thus not scary at all. Still, I certainly wouldn't want to spend a whole night in one of them; only really dumb teenagers like the ones in this film go in for that kind of senseless challenge. Our main character, Amy Harper (Elizabeth Berridge), should have known better, but she apparently chose this night to rebel against her nice girl image. It's her first date with Buzz Klemmet (Cooper Huckabee), an older guy from the other side of the intellectual tracks. His hobbies include smoking dope while driving, putting the moves on young, inexperienced girls, and sneaking peeps at adult shows featuring some of the oldest, most disgusting dancing "girls" ever to shake their drooping ta-tas. I guess she feels safe enough in the company of her girlfriend Liz and her nerdy beaux Richie, but look where it gets her -- trapped in a funhouse with a human monster trying to kill her.

To cut to the chase, these four young funhouse trespassers are lured away from groping each other long enough to witness a murder by a weird dude in a Frankenstein mask. Before they can escape, "Frank's" father shows up, learns that he has unexpected and most unwelcome visitors, and sets out after them, alongside his horribly deformed son. That's when the drama and suspense finally kick in. Well before the end, though, the whole concept of funhouse gadgetry and animatronics grows tiresome. Then comes the final straw in the form of a most unoriginal (and thereby quite disappointing) climax.

I'm sure inexperienced horror viewers will find more to enjoy about The Funhouse than I did. The basic idea behind the film is a good one, but Hooper just doesn't take the chances necessary to make something special out of it. I just keep coming back to that ending, as it is just so clichéd. As a result, I look at The Funhouse as a merely competent horror film.

My best friend and I first discovered the book when going through some old stuff left behind by her sisters when they moved out. We both really loved the book. Then one day we discovered the movie at a rental store, we were really excited when we realized it was based on the book. I can't tell you how disappointed we were. We didn't even finish watching it. If I hadn't previously read the book I don't think I would have known what was going on. I gave it two stars because maybe my expectations were too high after reading the book.

After the success of the shocking slasher, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and the eerily vampire tale of "Salems Lot", horror master Tobe Hooper came out with one of his most highly anticipated films yet! While being not as popular as some horror movies, this very rare gem was sadly neglected and barely even heard of throughout the years. Heck it may be low-budget, but I think that during its release it proved to be a very original and nightmarish work of art, showing us the more darker side of how a carnival REALLY can be!

Originally released as a motion picture in the theaters back in 1981, "The Funhouse" was quite the treat for the fan of homemade horror movies. (Those are always the best!) The storyline concerns two young couples who decide to spend the night in the carnival funhouse... BIG MISTAKE! They witness a murder from inside and soon are stalked by a bloodthirsty monster that lurks from inside. One-by-one they fall prey to the numerous booby traps and terrifying surprises until only one remains in a desperate fight for survival against the horror from within!

The actual funhouse itself is a really eerie set, and features some of the most scariest animatronics you'll ever see! (the fat lady one still haunts me today due to that I can't get that bizarre laugh out of my head!) I'd have to say that this may not be all big and bad as Tobe Hooper's other masterpiece, "Poltergeist" (which came out one year later) but it still packs quite punch that no other horror movie can do anymore.

I first saw this on the A&E network a long time ago when I was in the third grade and it scared the hell out of me! It aired again on the Sci-Fi channel and that's when I really started to get into it! Over and over I'd watch and never EVER get tired of it! The actors and actresses did a very good job for their roles and are very convincing that you actually start having sympathy for them. (I felt so sorry for that poor blonde haired girl who becomes the monster's second victim) The soundtrack is also one of the best I've ever heard from a horror movie with it's scary carnival-like organ music.

The effects for the monster were most excellent and truly brought the creature to life with all the fake drool and snot detail. Although there isn't much blood and gore to be found here, "The Funhouse" mostly focuses on the heart-stopping suspense and atmosphere. You want a horror film that's both original and scary? "The Funhouse" is a non-stop thrill ride that will have you on the edge of your seat and is all-in-all a FUN (literally) movie! No horror collection is complete without this! I also recommend, "The Tourist Trap" and "Black Christmas". Both of those movies carry the same similarities to suspense just like this one and are some of the best in classic horror history! They just don't make 'em like they used to! ^_^

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1.0 out of 5 stars movie was so dumb it didnt scare me
when i first seen this movie i thought it be scary but it turned out to be one of the most boring horror movies i seen so far. Read more

Published on April 21 2004 by Dee

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun
No, it's certainly not art and didn't really win over fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but Hooper's Funhouse is worth visiting. Read more

Published on April 13 2004 by Stanley Runk

4.0 out of 5 stars STOP BEING A HORROR MOVIE SNOB
You know, all i ever hear about is how great a director Tobe Hooper is. Then the same people that regergitate this line over and over turn around and say, well Eaten alive was... Read more

Published on Feb 15 2004 by J. P. Stephenson

1.0 out of 5 stars "Pay to get in, Pray to get out"
From director Tobe Hooper, this movie does not live up to the reputation of a director who put out such great films a Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist, and Salem's Lot. Read more

Published on Jan 16 2004 by Danni

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully creepy!
The set of this movie is the carnival. Nearly all the lighting is natural, which means it comes from the lights at the carnival and the atmosphere in which it was shot. Read more

Published on Nov 8 2003 by NHgboy

4.0 out of 5 stars The "other" splatter flick from director Tobe Hooper
All things considered, Tobe Hooper's "The Funhouse" is actually a better movie than his infamous original version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Read more

Published on Oct 31 2003 by Lawrance M. Bernabo

4.0 out of 5 stars scary, original and fun
Tope Hooper directs again another great horror movie as people stay in a funhouse for the night and then start to see the real, funhouse. Read more

Published on Oct 27 2003 by Michael Bolts

3.0 out of 5 stars 2.5 stars.
Knowing that the director of the texas chainsaw massacre was behind this, I decided to look into it. After watching it though I said" that wasn't all that scary. Read more

Published on Jun 19 2003 by Tom Servo

3.0 out of 5 stars half and half
The first half of this movie is brilliant. You have all the ingridients of a classic horror flick: the oblivious parents, the bratty little kid, the sweet virginal heroine, the... Read more

Published on Oct 20 2002 by Kimberley Wilson

3.0 out of 5 stars Was this the Dean Koontz idea?
I read Dean Koontz' novelization of the film. I'm a huge fan of Koontz. He prefaces the book with the info that this film was totally changed and (almost) unrecognizable. Read more

Published on Oct 2 2002 by R. Gawlitta

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