There have been multiple horror films set in the carnival world, but none of them have felt quite as authentic. After seeing the usual attractions, they smoke some dope and have the bright idea to stay in the funhouse. As the film production took longer than expected, the book was released before the film. Rent the funhouse 1981 starring elizabeth berridge and shawn carson on dvd and bluray. Excellent sinister soundtrack score accompanies the animatronic horrors of the funhouse. The funhouse 1981 rick baker in the funhouse 1981 the funhouse 1981. Tom sephton is a filmmaker and animator with over twelve years of professional experience making films and music videos. It is unclear why this tale of carnival jollity made it on to a list of notorious horror movies that tend to deprave or corrupt persons as it is a slasher movie similar to many movies at the time that.
Mercifully, the film abandons all of the excess baggage and strips the story done to the bare essentials. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto. Director tobe hooper the texas chainsaw massacre, poltergeist pays affectionate tribute to various classic horror movies in this tale of two teenage couples who spend the night in a sleazy carnival funhouse. This friday the th marks the 34th anniversary of the funhouse, released in the us on march, 1981 through universal pictures.
Now that list is dumb and arbitrary in a number of ways, but why this nearly bloodless film. This lowbudget horror film about teenagers trapped in a carnival funhouse with a freakish monster is pretty standard stuff. I mean tobe hooper brought us the texas chainsaw massacre. Locked in, amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape. The rides barker, conrad straker, discovers what his son gunther twibunt the masked assistant has done to zena. For the 1981 film, the funhouse, director tobe hooper poltergeist, the texas chainsaw massacre chose composer john beal to make the horror in the film even more horrific.
The disc also boasts some fun special features, the best of which is the. In tow are her boyfriend, buzz, and their friends liz and richie. After production was completed, they paid for the conforming of the negative, the release prints, and advertising costs. Four teenage friends spent the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a frankenstein mask. A creature feature slasher that clearly has something in common with the directors earlier films 1974s the texas chainsaw massacre and 1976s eaten alive, there is a pervasive air of seediness enhanced by a weird carnival locale that proves a perfect horror setting a much more polished film than its predecessors, this one also. Jan 11, 2011 four teenage friends spent the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a frankenstein mask. One of the most over looked and underrated films of the early 80s horror boom the funhouse is the best film from director. The buxom heroine disrobes and steps into the shower while an unseen stalker, tracked via firstperson killercam, slips on a scary mask, grabs a blade, and heads into the bathroom after her. The opening sequence of tobe hoopers 1981 gem the funhouse riffs on psycho by way of halloween. The deliberate, slowburn pacing of the film s first forty minutes are utterly enthralling, taking on the appearance and feel of a naturalistic sliceoflife. Looking for a place to go bump in the night, four horny teenagers travel to a carnival hoping to spend the night together in the funhouse 1981.
Kevin conway, elizabeth berridge, cooper huckabee, largo woodruff, sylvia miles, shawn carson, miles chapin, william finley growing up in a small town, the county fair was a big deal. Locked in, amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers. The funhouse 1981 i dont think of myself as big tobe hooper fan, but when i look at my alltime favorite horror movies, he has four credits up near the very top, which no other director can boast. Four teens amy, buzz, richie and liz are having a double date and decide to visit the travelling carnival. One of the most over looked and underrated films of the early 80s horror boom the funhouse is the best film from director tobe hooper that doesnt have the word chainsaw in the title. Director tobe hooper manages a few shocks and includes some typically. For me, its the cinematic equivalent of sartres no exit. Tobe hooper the texas chainsaw massacre 1974, poltergeist 1982 directed this dark ride with a script from first time scriptwriter lawrence block captain america 1990, while both steven. Some of the interior funhouse shots were filmed with flashlights as the only light source. Gallery of 20 movie poster and cover images for the funhouse 1981. The whole metaartificial feel of the funhouse in itself is both enticing and eerie to the audience. A creepy and enjoyable film, the funhouse shared a double bill in 1981 with my bloody valentine. Ironically, this film is rarely mentioned by horror fans, having been buried amid the morass of friday the th clones that proliferated in this period, but it is definitely one that should be rediscovered.
Rent the funhouse 1981 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Rebellious teen amy defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. The film s plot concerns four teenagers who become trapped in a dark ride at a local carnival and are stalked by a deformed killer inside. I enjoy tobe hoopers direction here much more so than. It would seemingly sprout up out of the ground over night. Mar, 2015 this friday the th marks the 34th anniversary of the funhouse, released in the us on march, 1981 through universal pictures. The funhouse opens with what can only be described as an intentional loving homage to the first scene in 1978s halloween before changing gears entirely. Released in 1981, the funhouse came out when the slashercraze was booming. Naked elizabeth berridge in the funhouse film directed by tobe hooper, written by larry block and starring elizabeth berridge, kevin conway, william finley, cooper huckabee, miles chapin, and sylvia miles. Directed by 1 writing credits 1 cast 30 produced by 5 music by 1 cinematography by 1 film editing by 1 casting by 2 production design by 1 art direction by 1 set decoration by 1 makeup department 4 production management 2 second unit director or assistant director 2. Now, there seems to be no escape from the funhouse and the kids who have disappeared in neighboring towns might have met a similar fate. After seeing the usual attractions, they smoke some dope and have the bright idea to stay in the funhouse after the carnivals closing.
Coming off the cult classic tv miniseries salems lot 1979, it was his first theatrically released film in five years he was replaced as director of 1979s the dark. Its all a big fakeoutthe knife is plastic and the stalker is her horror. The visuals are sharp not perfect, but they pop in many places, and the dtshd 5. Aug 21, 2014 to be honest, the monster part of the film is the least satisfying to me. A creature feature slasher that clearly has something in common with the directors earlier films 1974s the texas chainsaw massacre and 1976s eaten alive, there is a pervasive air of seediness enhanced by a weird carnival locale that proves a perfect horror setting. Funhouse was a negative pickup by universal pictures. After texas chainsaw massacre and before poltergeist there was this little horrorfilm tobe hooper did in 1981, called the funhouse. The opening sequence of tobe hooper s 1981 gem the funhouse riffs on psycho by way of halloween. Directors tobe hooper cast includes cooper huckabee, miles chapin, elizabeth berridge, largo woodruff, sylvia miles, shawn carlson.
The 7 may 1980 hr noted that filming had just completed on the independently financed film, and universal pictures had obtained worldwide distribution rights. Block screenplay, which was made into the 1981 film the funhouse, directed by tobe hooper. One that would probably be too simple in this day and age. The funhouse is a 1981 american slasher horror film directed by.
The funhouse also released as carnival of terror is a 1981 american slasher film directed by tobe hooper, written by larry block and starring elizabeth berridge, kevin conway, william finley, cooper huckabee, miles chapin, and sylvia miles. We have since produced dramatic films, multimedia illustrations, several music videos, and many short animations. This stylish, if somewhat mediocre, horror film might as well have been entitled the good, the bad, and the very ugly. The whole first third of the movie, the carnival experience, the freak show, the bums, carnies, and creepers is what makes the funhouse work for me. Most famously known as the helmer of the gory texas chainsaw massacre 1974, hooper has directed several offthewall films. The funhouse 1981 nude scenes completed, they paid for the conforming of the negative, the release prints, and advertising costs. The funhouse is a 1981 horror movie the place in a carnival. It was one of the few movies that actually gave me a nightmare. Elizabeth berridge, kevin conway, william finley, cooper huckabee, miles chapin, sylvia miles.
The funhouse 1981 british board of film classification. Four teenage friends spend the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a frankenstein mask. Near the beginning of the film, after joey scared amy and she chased him. Although a uk disc, the show ran just fine on my normal u. It is unclear why this tale of carnival jollity made it on to a list of notorious horror movies that tend to deprave or corrupt persons as it is a. Jun 29, 2017 so, turning back the clock, 1981s the funhouse is all the more interesting. Two teenage couples on a double date, with the boys played by men in their late twenties, dare to sneak off the ride and spend the night inside a carnivals haunted mansion. Most famously known as the helmer of the gory texas chainsaw massacre 1974, hooper has directed several off. Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy funhouse horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask.
May 28, 2015 released in 1981, the funhouse came out when the slashercraze was booming. The funhouse is the second of tobe hoopers films to make it to the uk video nasty list the first being eaten alive the film about the crocodile, not the umberto lenzi one about cannibals. The funhouse is a 1981 american slasher film directed by tobe hooper, written by larry block. The film builds up a substantial head of steam before going for broke in a wild grand guignol climax. However, rather than falling into the tropes of the age, the funhouse is more of a throwback, atmospheric monster movie. Four teenage friends spend the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a. Red machete the complete full volume 12 hd twd amc series duration. The guy knows how to make a movie, and with the funhouse he effortlessly blends the slasher, creature, and haunted house subgenres together to give us one hell of a captivating and intense fright flick. Jumping on the final car of the evening, they sneak off for some sexual healing but instead end up witnessing the slaying of a psychic by a burly man in a frankenstein mask. No gore to be found here, and what once was an x film now comes in for a 15cert. The whole metaartificial feel of the funhouse in itself is.
Oct 16, 2012 the funhouse collector s edition film horror. Funhouse is a horror movie, not a really good one, but considering that its central horror. John beals soundtrack is now a collectors item on cd, and is well represented on the healthy 2. There is currently one video available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. Video archive for the film the funhouse, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 1981. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that youve provided to them or that theyve collected from your use of their services. Jan 23, 2018 audio commentary with director tobe hooper. The funhouse is a 1980 novelization by american author dean koontz, based on a larry block aka lawrence j. Arrow videos bluray of the funhouse is a beauty, with a bright, colorful and sharp image that probably bests original universal release prints. The several animatronic dolls like the clown or the executioner and sprung shock props like the plastic skeleton or the spider in the funhouse always deliver a nice jump scare when its appropriate. The special effects are quite well done, especially for the time period. A creepy and enjoyable film, the funhouse shared a double bill in 1981 with my. Some of these elements may be fierce shrieking strings, low brooding woodwinds, strange synthesized effects, and the everpresent highsustained strings.
May 18, 2016 an early 80s slasher flick that is anything but traditional, the funhouse just may be tobe hooper at the top of his game. Its singular call to fame now is that it was once part of that notorious list of nasties. Film massacres dans le train fantome the funhouse en. This week in horror movie history the funhouse 1981. So, turning back the clock, 1981s the funhouse is all the more interesting. Directed by tobe hooper, the funhouse was a low budget horror film. The slasher genre is even poked fun of with a halloweenpsycho homage during the film s opening sequence. The funhouse is a 1981 horror movie the place in a carnivaltobe hooper directed this one, is should be ok, right. Koontz novel, koontz actually wrote the book as a screenplay adaptation under the pseudonym owen.
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