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The Funhouse (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Lawrence Block (writer)
Release Date:
13 March 1981 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Something is alive in the funhouse...something that, tonight, will turn the funhouse into a carnival of terror! more
Plot:
Four teenage friends spent the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a frankenstein mask. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(16 articles)
Staunton Hill Coming to DVD
(From Dread Central. 11 September 2009, 5:24 PM, PDT)
G. Cameron Romero’s Staunton Hill coming to DVD
(From Fangoria. 10 September 2009, 12:57 PM, PDT)
(From Dread Central. 11 September 2009, 5:24 PM, PDT)
G. Cameron Romero’s Staunton Hill coming to DVD
(From Fangoria. 10 September 2009, 12:57 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A stylish slasher. One of the bests from the 80's.
more (109 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Elizabeth Berridge | ... | Amy Harper | |
| Shawn Carson | ... | Joey Harper | |
| Jeanne Austin | ... | Mrs. Harper | |
| Jack McDermott | ... | Mr. Harper | |
| Cooper Huckabee | ... | Buzz Dawson | |
| Largo Woodruff | ... | Liz | |
| Miles Chapin | ... | Richie | |
| David Carson | ... | Geek (as D. Lee Carson) | |
| Sonia Zomina | ... | Bag Lady | |
| Ralph Morino | ... | Truck Driver | |
| Kevin Conway | ... | Funhouse / Freakshow / Stripshow Barkers | |
| Herb Robins | ... | Carnival Manager | |
| Mona Agar | ... | Mona - a strip show dancer | |
| Wayne Doba | ... | The Monster | |
| William Finley | ... | Marco the Magnificent |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Carnival of Terror
'n afgrijselijk gebeuren (Netherlands) [nl]
Carnaval del terror (Argentina) [es]
Das Kabinett des Schreckens (West Germany) [de]
Il tunnel dell'orrore (Italy) [it]
Kummitusjuna (Finland) [fi]
La casa de los horrores (Spain) [es]
Massacres dans le train fantôme (France) [fr]
Panoptikum (Czechoslovakia) (informal title) [cs]
To tunnel tou tromou (Greece) [el]
more
'n afgrijselijk gebeuren (Netherlands) [nl]
Carnaval del terror (Argentina) [es]
Das Kabinett des Schreckens (West Germany) [de]
Il tunnel dell'orrore (Italy) [it]
Kummitusjuna (Finland) [fi]
La casa de los horrores (Spain) [es]
Massacres dans le train fantôme (France) [fr]
Panoptikum (Czechoslovakia) (informal title) [cs]
To tunnel tou tromou (Greece) [el]
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
96 min | Sweden:90 min (cut) | Belgium:80 min (video version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
West Germany:18 (cut) |
UK:15 (re-rating) |
Norway:15 (2009) (uncut) |
New Zealand:R16 |
Argentina:18 |
Australia:R |
Finland:(Banned) |
France:-16 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:X (original rating) |
USA:R |
UK:18 (video rating) (1987) |
Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) |
Germany:BPjM Restricted
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Quotes:
Funhouse:
...I've been expecting you.
Amy Harper: Why are you doing this?
Funhouse: I'm just protecting my family.
Amy Harper: Your family? It's not even human.
Funhouse: The Lord works in mysterious ways, little lady... He ain't such a bad fella; he does get himself in all sorts of trouble, though, don't he? Anyway, blood is thicker than water; I'm sure he's gonna be a real comfort to me in my old age. Now, how many people know you're here?
Amy Harper: Lots. They all know.
Funhouse: Well, no matter. We'll be pullin' outta here tomorrow mornin'. There's plenty other carnivals.
Buzz Klemmet: What'd you do with Liz?
Funhouse: Oh, I expect by now he's just finishin' up with her. We'll just wait here till he gets back.
[Richie's corpse appears]
[...]
more
Amy Harper: Why are you doing this?
Funhouse: I'm just protecting my family.
Amy Harper: Your family? It's not even human.
Funhouse: The Lord works in mysterious ways, little lady... He ain't such a bad fella; he does get himself in all sorts of trouble, though, don't he? Anyway, blood is thicker than water; I'm sure he's gonna be a real comfort to me in my old age. Now, how many people know you're here?
Amy Harper: Lots. They all know.
Funhouse: Well, no matter. We'll be pullin' outta here tomorrow mornin'. There's plenty other carnivals.
Buzz Klemmet: What'd you do with Liz?
Funhouse: Oh, I expect by now he's just finishin' up with her. We'll just wait here till he gets back.
[Richie's corpse appears]
[...]
more
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Tobe Hooper's straight slasher flick deserves a chance. We admire this genius for "Poltergeist" and especially "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" but it's fair to recognize the good job he did with "The Funhouse".
The movie is creepy itself because of it's colorful but creepy setting and atmosphere. I mean, how could something go wrong in the fun house? Well, when there's a freak wearing a Frankenstein mask killing other weird people you can imagine that things could get nasty.
The premise is well known. Two couples go to the amusement park at night and soon after they arrive they enter the fun house and witness how a freak kills a woman. That's when the typical killing starts as the freak and his father chase the teens in order to "hide" the murder.
Overall there are some very creepy moments like when the freak takes off his mask revealing his disfigured head, when this freak slaughters a girl with his claws, the crazy witch, the puppets, and the death scenes. Hooper's direction is top class as always. He put a lot of effort in a low budget slasher flick and that's why he deserves some credit. I'm not saying that he wasted his talent on a movie that doesn't asks much for it; I think that this is one of the best looking and directed slasher flicks of all time. There are some camera angles that looked very innovative for it's time (example, Richie's dead body in the moving wagon).
The acting is quite good for a movie like this. I felt sorry for the kids when murdered. Also, the cinematography is quite impressive. The movie is from 1981 and looks very good. The correct use of light in dark settings helped a lot and gave a creepy look to the fun house. The F/X is also good. The freak looks gruesome and horrible in a positive way. The gore is okay.
"The Funhouse" is definitely a must see for fans of the genre. I can say that this is one of the best slasher flicks out there. The movie is not only about a demented killer chasing teens but it has some truly suspense moments and the effective jump-out of your seat scenes. Recommended for horror fans in general; this is another Tobe Hooper classic that shouldn't be missed.
I wonder if this movie inspired Hooper to make "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2". There are some similarities between the two movies; for example, the freak trying to abuse on a girl, the setting, the "child" abuse (uh, the freak is often beaten and yelled by his father), some death scenes, the ending, etc.