Tourist Trap
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Movie Reviews of Tourist Trap
Movie Review: A Buried Treasure Of A Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Certainly not one of the better-known horror movies out there, I'll admit that I'd never even heard of this one until a year or so ago, despite having been a major horror fan since the late 80s. While purchasing a few DVDs, I got this one thinking it might be good, but largely due to the very low price, thinking I wouldn't be out very much if I didn't care for it. I was blown away with what I got, which was a very sexy, atmospheric, genuinely frightening film which, despite an uninventive-sounding premise (a small group of teenagers/early twenty-somethings take a bad turn in the road and come across a wax musuem that's more than what it seems) packs a surprising dose of originality into the proceedings. It also delivers some vivid characters, high-level production values (including the gloriously eerie beauty of the blue fogs rolling through some of the nighttime scenes), and a couple of points in the movie where not everything is precisely spelled out, leaving what's really just happened open to the interpretation of the individual viewer. A couple of twists and surprises may seem a bit more predictable now than when "Tourist Trap" first came out in 1979 (before "Friday The 13th", "Sleepaway Camp". "Nightmare On Elm Street", et al., and only a year after the first "Halloween"), while others maintain full potency.
And don't let the PG rating on the box deceive you into thinking this is going to be a lightweight in horror movie terms. It got that rating long before there was a PG-13, and definately would have gotten the higher rating if released a few years later, so just remember some of the excellent movies that have succeeded with that rating - The Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, The Ring, etc.
Highly, highly recommended for fans of "When A Stranger Calls Back", the "Friday The 13th" and "Halloween" series, "Wrong Turn" and the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" movies, as well as for those who think there's lots of potential for a horror movie using unnerving mannequins as a central theme.
Movie Review: Classic Horror Exploitation . . . I LOVE IT
Summary: 5 Stars
If you haven't yet had the pleasure, please, see this film ... Much the same as the superb PHANTASM ( released the year before ), TOURIST TRAP leaves logic behind in favor of creativity and vision, and the results are classic ... Director David Schmoller creates a claustrophobic story based on isolation and psychological terror, and in fact, THAT is what makes this film succeed: the gore is minimal ... TOURIST TRAP was released with a PG rating, but don't let that discourage you into thinking the film isn't effective or frightening ... Whenever I read reviews, I prefer not to read TOO much as to spoil the film's impact ... But briefly, as not to give anything away, TOURIST TRAP features Chuck Connors as the lonely proprietor of a forgotten wax museum ... A group of young people stumble upon the isolated oasis, and what follows is like no other horror film ever ... The feel is completely macabre, and there are disturbing hints of infantilism, bondage, telekenisis, necrophillia and transvestitism, all of which add to the disturbing and surreal feel ... One of the most frightening twists in horror is the transformation of the innocent character; when a friend is pitted against friend, or when a once happy character is transformed into something unrecognizable ... Very scary stuff ... Yes, there are situational similarities to TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and PSYCHO, but Schmoller pulls it off with such insane gusto, it works on all levels ... And I can't fail to mention the super sexy teenage Tanya Roberts, who is so hot she momentarily distracts from all the onscreen insanity :) The transfer on the DVD is very good, and the David Schmoller commentary is interestng, if a little blasie ... The only beef I have is the "40 Full Moon trailers" claim: there are only a couple trailers ( NOT nearly 40 ) for other films, all very forgettable ... In my opinion, TOURIST TRAP is a Top 5 Horror Film, and at this bargin price, you can't go wrong ...Movie Review: A late 70's cult horror classic!
Summary: 5 Stars
A group of travelers that just ran out of gas goes into a weird wax museum called "Saluesen's Lost Oasis" owned by a strange man named Saluesen (Chuck Conners)as the mannequins are controlled by some mysterious force made by a madman who wants the travelers dead.
One of the most underappreciated horror movies of the 70's! this Charles Band production is a unique and scary low budget shocker for it's time that has gained a cult following combining thrills and psychological themes along without having to result in gore like the usual slasher flick. It keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats with great tension and atmsophere, this is truly a diamond in the rough of the genre and is worth watching.
This DVD has good picture and sound quality although there is some slight grain in a few scenes and the extras include bios, audio commentary and trailers especially to this movie.
Also recommended: "House of 1000 Corpses", "Pin..", "Dolls", "The Devil's Rejects", "Sleepaway Camp", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( 1974)", "House of Wax ( 1953 and 2005)", "May", "Puppet Master", "Maniac ( 1980)", "Psycho ( 1960)", "Just Before Dawn", "The Hills Have Eyes ( 1977 and 2006)", "Jeepers Creepers 1 & 2", "Hostel", "Waxwork", "High Tension", "Nothing But Trouble", "Evil Dead II", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( 2003)", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2", "Mother's Day", "Halloween 1 & 2", "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Friday The 13th", "Freddy Vs. Jason", "Terror Train", "Scream", "Final Destination Trilogy", and "Mystery at the Wax Museum".
Movie Review: Get Caught in the TRAP!
Summary: 5 Stars
THE TOURIST TRAP was mentioned by STEPHEN KING as one of his favorite movies. It was supposed to reinvent Chuck Connors as a Lon Chaney for the 1980s. It didn't do great at the box office, because ... well it was surrounded by other slasher flicks that were R-rated, and despite what it says on the box this only earned a PG. But it has endured to become a cult classic, largely due to the fact it was easily shown on television (don't have to cut much out!). It's a creepy little story about a group of teens who get stranded on a lonely highway, and taken to a curious wax museum where they are picked off one by one in order of their sexual promiscuity. Sounds pretty typical for 80s horror, but this one has the killer having telekinetic powers so that objects fly, manequins scream, and mayhem breaks out. The climax is very different from its peer group! The last shot of the movie burns into your mind, and suddenly you realize ... TOURIST TRAP ain't a bad place to find some shivers! Kinda like CARRIE crossed with HALLOWEEN! Odd note is that Dino Pinaggio who scored CARRIE also worked on the music for this one.
This DVD version features a wide-screen transfer, and commentary by the director. And it's cheap! You get a lot of bang for the buck here. If you're a horror fan this is a must. If you don't like the gore in most horror movies this is a must! It's a creepy classic that should have everybody caught in its spell.
Movie Review: I know why this is Stephen King's favorite horror film
Summary: 5 Stars
as he states in his biography. There are more cultural references in this film than Tarantino, yet it has never gotten its just acknowledgment as one of the best horror films ever made. Its film references alone are staggering, yet just on a straight ahead basis its unbelivable. Just the idea of putting Chuck Conner's in a Tourist trap venue, and a horror venue, is genius in itself. The scenes are so original..when one victim is psycho-kinetically killed by a pipe, and after the loud rush of violence is over, and the soundtrack carries the drip drip drip of the victims essence dripping away resounding on a tin pie plate..it works at so many levels. Scary, yes, but so much more there. The mannequins remind me of the worthy tradition not of mannequins, but of 'wax museum' movies and stories out of a distinguished literary tradition. This film has not gotten nearly the attention and acclaim it deserves. The soundtrack is phenomenal in itself. For a first time director on this film, David Schmoeller mines an incredible wealth of material in this work, including a level of tongue in cheek humor for viewers who are paying attention. It's fantastic that it is now available on DVD..it's what true horror classic fans like me have been waiting for..to complete their classic libraries..