The Funhouse (1981)

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1. 

   Zeltaebar

   It starts out well with some excellent character acting by newcomer Elizabeth Berridge who manages to convey both a sweetnes and youthful insecurity into her role. The movie then builds slowly and spends a lot of time on the carnival and the characters fooling around, which is all fine and dandy, but it is surprising then that when the teenagers are all locked up inside the Funhouse and the horror and entertainment is really meant to begin - the movie loses some of its appeal. For a movie that was banned and attached to the video nasty list it is dissapointingly very light on blood and gore. Considering how well shot most of this movie was, it also comes as a big let down that the climax is unimaginative, poorly filmed and awfully edited. For its atmosphere and for Berridge's performance it is worth a watch, but don't expect fireworks. 9 years 9 months ago
2. 

   Siskoid

   I like what Tobe Hooper is doing in the first half of The Funhouse - he plays with the convention of the killer's POV in domestic situation and creates an off-putting carnival setting where the various barkers are all played by the same person, for example, and actual mutant animals are used... never mind the strong animatronic clown content. Everything is slightly creepy or upsetting. Then the teenagers decide to skip out of their buggies inside the funhouse to spend the night - as a dare, but mostly to fool around - and witness something they shouldn't have. The "creature" and its keeper are then after them, gory kills, yadda yadda. While it doesn't stop being entertaining, it's where formula starts to take over and the film becomes more and more predictable. There are worse sins this genre could commit. The setting alone is worth the watch, and while Hooper would go on to weirder heights, his trademark originality is still on show in this 1981 effort. 1 year 11 months ago
3. 

   mcmakattack

   Hooper gives a fun take on the slasher, with a good setting and setup and players that fit the bill. There is some interesting play here with perspective, the victims are the voyeurs and the opening gives a twist on the stalking cold open typical of the genre. At the end of the day, this mostly just an above average slasher though. 5 days 21 hours ago

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