Armadilha para Turistas

This is a bizarre oddity, directed by the guy who edited "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Chuck Conners gives a hilariously over-the-top performance as the owner of a roadside "wax" museum which our doomed teenagers happen to break down near. The wax figures look "so real," one of the teen's points out. Heh, heh, heh...Not so much a slasher film as a weird mix of psychological horror and old fashioned "House of Wax"-style terror. I can think of many, many horror films that are worse than this one.

After many of my friends recommended this to me, I figured I had to check it out, so I bought the (relatively) new Blu-Ray release, settled in for the night, and checked it out. To my surprise, Tourist Trap lives up to its hype and then some. One can see why it never became a huge mainstream success like, say, Jaws or Halloween, but it has all the makings of a cult classic.

The set up is nothing spectacular. In fact, it owes a lot of its plot to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, and House of Wax (even more surprising, the 2005 remake of that film is more of a remake of Tourist Trap than the '53 film). What makes this one stand out from the then growing slasher genre is a sense of the surreal, the dreamlike, and the nightmarish. Attractive teens aren't just killed one by one by some creep in a mask. There's a lot more at play here than your average stalk 'n slash flick. By the last 20 minutes of the film, everything seems like a bizarre fever dream and hope is a thing of the past.

A lot should be said for Jocelyn Jones' wonderful performance - going from kind wallflower to woman in the process of a nervous breakdown. Chuck Connors is also terrific as Mr. Slausen, the owner of the titular Tourist Trap whose motives seem to always be up in the air. And yes, that's future Charlie's Angel, Tanya Roberts, as one of the other victims.

For those looking for something creepy and different, Tourist Trap delivers in spades. Perfect for a Halloween party or even for a kid's first horror film (it is rated PG after all).

Although widely under appreciated, "Tourist Trap" is still a notable and worthwhile entry into the horror genre. The first film directed by David Schmoeller (of Puppet Master fame). Pino Donaggio's score is nothing short of amazing; elevating the film to a whole other level in terms of both tension and atmosphere. Connors delivers a deliciously over the top performance as Mr. Slausen; the other actors are all competent considering that this is a low budget flick. For being close to 26 years old, the film has stood up extremely well - a creepy back woods setting, decent effects, and few hidden surprises in the script; it's worthwhile viewing for any horror enthusiast. A definite cult classic! My grade 8/10.

I have no idea where Tourist Trap even came from or how someone even dreamnt this strange movie up. On paper, it sounds like your average Texas Chainsaw Massacre rip off following a handful of young adults who break down during a road trip and find themselves stuck at a creepy, nearly abandoned wax museum and tormented by a deranged psychopath.

Tourist Trap takes this already well-worn formula and injects it with a pleasant amount of surrealism and nightmarish imagery. Chuck Connors stars as Mr. Slausen, the proprietor of said wax museum who seems concerned that his brother, Davy (who lives in the house down the hill from the museum), won't take too kindly to intruders. It's an unexpected and fun performance from him and he really gets into it.

Future Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts offers up some eye candy in a halter top as one of the victims, but it's Jocelyn Jones as the prudish Molly who steals the show and creates a very genuine nervous breakdown as the horror builds.

There are elements of House of Wax, Carrie, and a few others thrown in, but Tourist Trap really isn't like anything else from that time (or any time). It's a unique and creepy entry in the 70's horror cannon.

During the late seventies and early eighties, Paramount Pictures began a streak of quality horror films paralleled only by the Universal Films of the thirties and forties. Exemplified by the Friday the 13th series, My Bloody Valentine, Silver Bullet, April Fools Day, Tourist Trap, and many others, these films, though headed by diverse directors, presented a singular atmospheric moodiness, attained through a mandated set of production techniques. As a result Paramount was able to consistently release films that seemed vaguely familiar in a comforting way, yet dealt with a wide variety of unique subject matters within the expansive slasher genre.

Tourist Trap evokes the carnival imagery of Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse, yet brings it within the guidelines of the Paramount Films from this era. The dark settings and unsettling mannequins and masks lend a scary non-human atmosphere to the film that belies it PG rating. The acting is consistently solid as can expected from Paramount films from this era. The characters are even likable, making their deaths all the more tragic and shocking when they inevitably occur, a rarity in the films of competing studios such as New World or Vestron during the same era, where deaths are treated as a comic or joyful event. Under-appreciated in its day, and nearly forgotten now, this film has truly withstood the test of time and has become a classic in the eyes of those who are lucky enough to revisit it. Do yourself a favor and pay a visit to this incredible "Tourist Trap".