Carnaval del terror

Fun-loving teenagers break into a carnival funhouse for an overnight spree and discover that there's a bloodthirsty and deformed murderer inside waiting to pick them off one by one.

The Funhouse can't help but be unfavorably compared to director Tobe Hooper's triumph, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It doesn't quite hold a candle to that film and it's intensity, but all the candy colors of the funhouse corridors aren't a terrible place to lounge around for 90 minutes and the makeup effects for the main bad guy are impressive.

Fast-paced and atmospheric thriller set in and around the carnival midway. Two couples visiting the local traveling carnival decide to spend the night in The Funhouse and fool around as a lark. After witnessing a murder, they become the targets of a deformed maniac and his barker dad who are determined they will not leave to report it to the police. I read the Owen West (aka Dean Koontz) novelization back in the day, which was infinitely more padded with back story, abortion issues, religious fanaticism, and a rather Byzantine attempt to link the heroine and her younger brother to the killers before they ever set foot on the midway. Mercifully, the film abandons all of the excess baggage and strips the story done to the bare essentials. I enjoy Tobe Hooper's direction here much more so than that shown in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre as it seems we are seeing a much more polished effort. He nicely establishes the atmosphere of the midway, which by turns is colorful and sordid. The central characters are nicely delineated (although due to the abandoning of the subplots from the novelization, Shawn Carson's younger brother seems like a fifth wheel rather than integral to the story) and well played by an appealing cast. They seem like credible and overwhelmed young people rather than fodder for the axing. Lead Elizabeth Berridge, in particular, has a nice girl next door quality and radiates a resourcefulness through her terror without ever seeming like either Superwoman or a victim. The make-up for the primary killer is particularly effective and novel. The film builds up a substantial head of steam before going for broke in a wild Grand Guignol climax. The score is also worth mentioning as it provides a very effective counterpoint to the action. Ironically, this film is rarely mentioned by horror fans, having been buried amid the morass of Friday the 13th clones that proliferated in this period, but it is definitely one that should be rediscovered.

Four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing. Something is alive in the funhouse...something that has the form of a human, but not the face...something that feeds off the flesh and blood of young innocents...Something is alive in the funhouse...something that, tonight, will turn the funhouse into a carnival of terror! Pay to get in. Pray to get out. Something is alive in the funhouse!

From the director who brought you the cult favorite "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" going on this ¨The Funhouse¨ about four teenagers spending a night at a carnival funhose , they then witness a murder , and become next on the list of victims . This is a nice and entertaining film but nothing that hasn't been seen before . If you are looking for a watchable 80's horror film this is a cool choice providing buckets of blood and several limbs essential elements to movie terror. Tobe Hooper's Terror film in medium budget and lots of violence and gore with excellent make-up from notorious Rick Baker ; made just after the classic ¨Texas Chainsaw Massacre¨ . Hooper's success with "Chainsaw" landed him in Hollywood , then Tobe rejoined the cast of "Texas" and with Kim Henkle again for "Eaten alive" (1976), and subsequently this Funhouse (1980). Filmmaker Tobe proceeds a bestial and savage picture with plenty of grisly killings , disembowelled and butchered corpses , terrible events , sleaziness , and anything else . This is a suspenseful and frightening yarn , and adequately paced with plenty of chills , thrills, surprises , twists and turns. This noisy as well as visceral film contains images of graphic violence , and ominous scenes and it may not be suitable for all audiences , viewer discretion is advised. It boasts a nice main and support cast , such as : Elizabeth Berridge, Kevin Conway, Miles Chapin, Wiliam Finley and Sylvia Miles.

Dark and sinister cinematography by cameraman Andrew Laszlo and the camera often assumes a pointedly aggressive stance . Screeching and eerie musical score by means of strange and offbeat sounds composed by John Beal . The motion picture was competently directed by Tobe Hooper . Hooper had greater success with Stephen King's 1979 mini series ¨Salem's Lot¨ (1979). In 1981, Hooper directed the teen slasher film ¨The Funhouse¨ (1981) for Universal Pictures. Despite its success, "The Funhouse" was a minor disappointment. In 1982, Hooper found greater success when Steven Spielberg hired him to direct his production, haunted house shocker ¨Poltergeist¨ and the inferior remake ¨Invaders from Mars (1986)¨ and the disappointing , minor sequel Texas Chainsaw massacre 2 (1986) . But his essential big success was forever ¨Texas chainsaw massacre¨ that in 2003, Hooper co-produced the hit remake for New Line . In the 1990s, Hooper continued working in both film and television with ¨Spontaneous Combustion¨, ¨The Mangler¨, ¨Crocodile¨ , ¨Mortuory¨, ¨The Apartment Complex¨ , ¨Dark Skies¨, ¨Perversions of Science¨, ¨Shadow Realm¨, ¨Night Vision¨,¨I'm Dangerous Tonight¨ and ¨Djinn¨ got notorious failures . Rating : 6.5/10 . Passable and acceptable.

Certainly not in the list of greatest Tobe Hooper films, but must say it is an old slasher you would need to see if you are a fan of that genre. We are introduced to Amy Harper (Elizabeth Berridge) in a scene that is Alfred Hitchcock's PYSCHO meets John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. It surprisingly does work well and works better than most films that have been influenced by those pair of classics. I think you can thank Hooper for that. Amy is off to the carnival with her new boyfriend Buzz (Cooper Huckabee) and two other friends Liz (Largo Woodruff) and Richie (Miles Chapin). After some good scenes that well set up the carnival atmosphere they decide to spend the night at the funhouse.

Hooper really does create some very good tension in the film. To go along with good and intense music by John Beal. Along the way though we do see a major influence to this film and that is FRANKENSTEIN. What with one of the workers of the funhouse hidden behind a Frankenstein's monster mask and the secrets that are revealed about that character. Personally, I feel the second half of the film doesn't work as well as the first. Not to say that the second part is bad. Far from it, but to me the build up just seemed to work better than when you are getting into the meat of the story.

Rick Baker did some good makeup effects and also starring Kevin Conway who nicely portrays three different barkers at the carnival and William Finley as Marco the Magnificent.

A much glossier and classier film than most of Tobe Hooper's films that came before it. You can tell this was the first time he was playing with big studio money and the film looks beautiful, but it does lack some of the grit and intensity of his early work. The special makeup effects for the lead monster are terrific.