The Funhouse (1981)

People are voting emotionally.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I'd have to say that for me this is definitely a good slasher but not exactly a brilliant one, it's pretty slow going, it doesn't have any impressive gore effects to display at all, and the cast is a fairly generic and unlikeable bunch whom I struggle to care when they begin to get bumped off in unspectacular ways.. Very unspectacular and bland ways, how this was ever considered a Video Nasty is beyond me, those idiots were truly outta their friggin minds! I've never been proper blown away by this movie but it does have its strong points,, it has a good spooky atmosphere that makes terrific use of the natural weirdness of its grubby, tacky travelling carnival setting, and it does get a little freaky in more ways than one! That's what the movie does best in my opinion, capitalises on the carny atmosphere, those kinds of places always lend themselves well to a sinister horror scenario, and I'm considerably more disturbed by all of the cackling low rent animatronic decorations than the horrible depraved albino freak! And I don't think the monster works as well as he probably should. It is a very well done and impressively grotesque design, looking oddly like a pig combined with two faces trying to come together, quite bizarre. He's definitely scary, but I can honestly say that for me he was more unsettling with the oversize Frankenstein mask on, they really should have saved his big face reveal for right at the end because you do see just a little too much. I wouldn't even say that the movie needed Gunther all that much, I liked it better before he appears, just the cheap carnival atmosphere and sly looking carnies are enough to make it creepy and give it a strong dark tone, they should have had Kevin Conroy be the main killer, he was scarier anyway! I suppose one good thing is that it showed Tobe Hooper's understanding of the genre and that he was capable of putting something together that was entertaining and had good suspense to it after his one and only truly great classic. There are better 80s slashers to enjoy but this has its place and is not the best but it's certainly not a bad example, and some might find it amazing and some underwhelming, but I like it just enough as a fun grungy nightmare ride through trashy funhouse terror! Very worth your while watching and a good surprise to check out if you've never seen it. X

I bought this bluray at a record shop for dirt cheap. It was 5 bucks or so, which is pretty amazing for a Shout! Factory release. I saw this way back in the day because I thought Elizabeth Berridge was hot (and she definitely is, I can confirm). I didn't love the film back in the day though. I re-visited it because I just felt the need to watch anything in my collection. I still don't think its great. There are aspects of it that I like but overall as a horror film it doesn't deliver on much.The film is about four teenagers who decide to go check out the local carnival despite warnings not to because of dead bodies that had previously turned up. Once they get there they discover that a monster and his handler are killing others and are soon gunning for them. The film is directed by Tobe Hooper,a horror film legend alone just for giving us the gift of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This film pales so much in comparison. I know they are completely different types of films but this one really could have used some of what made TTCM so legendary.Positives first. I like the carnival fun-house theme. Clowns and the atmosphere of freakshow performers really go hand in hand with horror. The style with which this setting is filmed is quite nice. Other than that, the characters are typical horror junk. There are very few scary moments if any real ones at all. The little brother in the film is completely pointless. I can't even tell you why he has a prolonged role in this film.Tobe Hooper has been known for better. There's no suspense, chills, wit, or blood and gore to make this film memorable. As an 80s horror it pales in comparison to other contemporary works. Carnival theme aside there isn't anything that's overly great about this. I am reminded that there are a few other films from Hooper that I need to check out and probably will.5/10

"The Funhouse" is a film which everyone has spoken something about, even thought it's not even a classic of the genre. As the movie began, I felt like I was about to see the most bizarre and horrifying thing of my life, when, in fact, it was just the most bizarre. It is like this because, despite Tobi Hooper being a horror master, this project doesn't seem to be made to be (exclusively) creepy; the funny aspects of the story are what, in fact, bring some charm to it. Honestly, I thank god that it wasn't creepy; if director wanted it to be, he would SURELY be able to. All in all, if you've enjoyed 2007's "Dead Silence" and you want to see a corny and hilarious version of that, "The Funhouse" is probably a good choice for you.

Amy and her friends are going off to a local carnival with a sleazy reputation. It looks fun on the outside but beneath the cheery atmosphere is a very frightening world and the kids are about to find out what is so scary about the funhouse when they decide to be idiots and spend the night inside, encountering a deformed slasher-killer.This slasher film deserves better reviews, it is one my favorites. Although my all-time favorite movie s the 1981 slasher film My Bloody Valentine, this movie is thrilling, entertaining, funny and creepy all in one. I think my favorite character was the pretty minor magician who scared the pants off an audience when he pulled a prank on them. The acing overall wasn't that good but the soundtrack was memorable and the movie does manage to remain shocking. It also shows a side-story with Amy's little brother getting lost at the carnival while sneaking out after dark.This isn't a bad movie, it's worth watching and really fun to see with friends. If the whole point of slashers is to have fun watching them, the Funhouse delivers.