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The Funhouse

The Funhouse

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Carnival In Hell
Review: If Alfred Hitchcock had ever attempted a movie for the teenage set, he would have made this. Dean Koontz claims he novelized this piece after the fact, though I rather suspect he actually just had his name removed from the credits for any number of different reasons. This movie performs like a combination of these two names in the horror-suspense field.

Hapless Amy and her fairly vapid high school friends tour a traveling carnival, and decide to spend the night in the funhouse. They inadvertently witness a rape and murder from their hidden vantage point, and then are discovered by the murderer and his protective father. Needless to say, the pair cannot let Amy and her friends leave the funhouse alive.

This movie succeeds on numerous levels. The imagery alone is so nightmarish as to defy description, the mechanical mannequins of the funhouse and the deformed albino mutant murderer being enough to haunt your dreams for many a moon to come. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, surprisingly made more effective by the vividly garish colors of the carnival, and the musical score is a superior piece of Bernard Herrmann-esque melodic qualities. Light and shadow are used in an incredible display of sturm-und-drang melodrama that is remarkably effective.

The movie's greatest achievement is Tobe Hooper's completely naturalistic and voyeuristic rendering of the whole nightmare, in the same disturbing way that made his famous Texas Chainsaw Massacre such a classic - the audience finds itself throughout in the same shoes as the trapped teens, witnesses to a murder and looking over their shoulders for fear of being next.

But the thing that most makes it work is Elizabeth Berridge, in her first film role, as the last intended victim of the Frankensteinian freak, and the Frankensteinian freak itself. Though the murderer's "makeup" is very obviously a mask, the mask is sufficiently mobile and horrific as to burn itself into your memory, and Berridge's performance never strikes a false note. The finale is unsettlingly realistic and without clear resolution, completing the traumatic climax of the voyeuristic ride in hell by not completing it at all.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Hallowween
Review: It seemed like this movie was on HBO about a thousand times when I was growing up. It starts out with a blatant rip-off of Halloween and moves along nicely to a double-dating couple who decide to spend the night in a funhouse. Not smart.

Inside is an evil carny barker and his deformed Leatherface-ish son. The foursome spends the rest of the night trying to avoid both men, but are unsuccessful, of course.

I don't really know how to review the movie. There's nothing really wrong about it. Stuck in a funhouse is a pretty novel and scary concept. The problem is that there were about a dozen of these movies released the same year. There's nothing that really stands out except for the make-up job on the creature. I can't really recommend this over one of the Halloweens or even Friday the 13th.

If you've seen all the F13th's, Halloweens, and Nightmare movies and you're in the mood for something different but similar, this might be the movie for you. If not, find those other films instead. There's a reason they became franchises and this one didn't.

Thumbs in the middle, leaning toward down.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I LOVE THIS MOVIE!
Review: This is a great horror movie. If you enjoy a great horror movie
on a dark and cold night then this is your movie. Hollywood dosen't make movie like this anymore. From start to finish this movie has mood, plot, and atmosphere. The ending of this movie is one you will never forget...A great movie by Tobe Hooper.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An strong stylish horror thriller.
Review: When a group of teens (Elizabeth Berridge, Cooper Huckabee, Largo Woodruff & Miles Chaplin) decide to stay the night at a sleazy carnival. When they witness a murder of a Gyspy (Sylvia Miles), they are trapped inside a ride called The Funhouse. While two Carnivals workers (Kevin Conway & Wayne Doba) are stalking the teens and trying to kill them, one by one. While the teens are trying to live and fight to survival.

Directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacer, Eaten Alive, Salem`s Lot) brings a visual style to this modern horror thriller with great make-up effects by Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London). This film has a good lead performance by Elizabeth Berridge (Amadeus) and a terrific one by Kevin Conway (Gettysburg) in three roles! DVD`s has an fine non-anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. One of Tobe Hooper Best Films. This film does a funny tribute to Halloween to Psycho in the Opening Scene. This is actually, Based on a Novel by Dean R. Koontz under the Pseudonum-Owen West at that time. (Koontz actually disowned the film before the film`s release, because of Hooper and Screenwriter Lawrence Block wanted to make many changes from his Screenplay). Panavision. Grade:A-.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best horror films made
Review: This is one of those movies that you look twice at while at the video store in the horror section. You decide to give it a watch and hope it's worth the 1.99 rental price. But what you get is much,much more.

This movie is a rare treat for horror fans. The atmosphere of the movie is great.....from the get-go you feel as though is it early fall and the carnival is back in town with all the characters you can imagine....and some you cannot!

Highly recommended for those who like a movie with an actual 'feel' to it. The suspense is good and you get a pretty good look at the carnival(you actually see a magic show,palm reader,etc.) and along with a little humor this film will hold your interest from the start.

If you like this movie then you might want to check out Tourist Trap. It is another one of those overlooked rentals from the past that deserve another look.

A special thanks to Goodtimes for making these films available and at a great price. I would like to see a trailer on here if nothing else and I am sure others would agree.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A true classic must-see from the good old 80's
Review: With all due respect to those who haven't found a good reason to
give my 5 stars to this movie, I can only say that not only
make-up, proper direction and an incredibly photographed final sequence make this a truly necessary entry in any horror library, but it also contains one of the most brilliant and effective symphonic scores in the whole decade by a great talent from the pop music world and hollywood scene, John Beal.
I spent years awaiting for the score to be made available and, in the meantime, enjoyed watching this Hopper solid and well-acted feature over and over.Not to be underated !

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE FUNHOUSE
Review: THE FUNHOUSE is a awesom movie If your a big fan of horror movies this is a must see. Wayne Doba who plays the creature is fantastic the makeup is really cool nonthing about the movie comes off as cheap. The cast does a wonderful job. Elizabeth Berridge does a great playing the lead in her first role. One of the biggest treats in this movie for me was Largo Woodruff she plays amy's "Elizabeth Berridge" friend Liz And she's a real Hottie let me tell you. If your thinking about buying this movie do yourself a favor and buy it tou won't regreat it

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: "Let's spend the night...in the funhouse!"
Review: Tobe Hooper updates his theme from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" by having four luckless teens spend the night in the carnival funhouse, where they get more than they bargained for. The funhouse proprietors are very strange - even for a carnival - and before long the group is battling evil they don't understand. Not a bad one from director Hooper. Great atmosphere, plenty of suspense and scares, and realistic teen characters. Hooper occasionally apes his earlier films, and rips off both "Halloween" and "Psycho" - both in the opening sequence! But all in all a neat but overlooked frightfest.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pay to get in, pray to get out! is the best terror movie!
Review: The Funhouse is the best horror film of all time! It is a flashback to 80's. The theme park scenaries remembers me my childhood. The surround sound is spetacular! When the teens get in the funhouse, you can hear the creepy sounds as you are get in too! You can feel the fear of watching a horror film, and the fear of join the Funhouse ride! The lighting is perfect! Very beaultiful puppets. The Funhouse's monster make-up is better than Predator! Turn off the lights and watch this film with your girlfriend in a saturday night. She will jump out of the sofa direct to your arms! Yeah!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good but.... missing charm
Review: When this movie starts it has the potential of being a really great horror film. But... its really not. Don't get me wrong it is very good and kinda creepy, but, its not exactly a chair jumper. The DVD quality is good, no real features besides production notes but the film is worth the price. Last week I paid 16.99 for it...this week its 9.99...isn't that always the way?! :o) In a line... Its good, not truly scary, boring killer, but creepy atmosphere and good acting make this a 4 star horror flick.


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