Review of Funhouse, The

Introduction

Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) has plans to go to the carnival with her boyfriend Buzz and another couple, Ritchie and Liz, but her parents forbid her to go as two girls` bodies were found the year before at a town where the carnival had been. Amy tells her parents she will go to the movies instead, but is persuaded by her friends to go to the carnival. Unbeknownst to everyone, Amy`s younger brother Joey sneaks out of the house and follows them.

Once there, the two couples ride the rides, see the freak show, eat popcorn and candy floss, smoke some dope and fool around. Ritchie suggests they spend the night in The Funhouse, just as some friends of his claim they did two years ago. Once there, they witness the murder of the Princess Zara, the fortune teller, by Gunther, the masked operator of the titular ride. When they accidentally make their presence known, they are pursued by Gunther, a deformed monster.

Video

A crisp anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer, with good colours and contrast. Although some shots are a little blurry, the film looks great for one made in 1981.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack is loud, with plenty of aural stabs to enhance the jumps. However, sometimes the soundtrack has been mixed in such a way that the surrounds are louder than the dialogue, which can be quiet and slightly indistinct.

Features

Nothing.

Conclusion

`The Texas Chain Saw Massacre` has turned out to be a mixed blessing for Tobe Hooper - on one hand it is regarded as one of, if not the best, pure horror films ever made and the film with which his name will forever be associated. On the other hand, none of his films have come close to matching its critical or commercial success and much of his career output can, at best, be described as mediocre.

`The Funhouse` is one of those mediocre films that, had it been made by a less well-known director, would have surely disappeared into obscurity. It`s standard slasher fare - teenagers are stalked by a murderous figure and picked off one by one until the confrontation between the survivor and the killer at the end. This is not to say this is a bad film, it certainly takes too long to get going and it`s not until the halfway point that the group are discovered, but when the owner orders the deformed operator to make sure they don`t leave, it`s a fairly well made nuts and bolts horror movie.

By no means is this a great film, but is still worth a look, with the lack of extra features counting against a purchase.