Customer Reviews

Tourist Trap

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One of the best horror films of the 1970's has finally been given a long overdue home video makeover. TOURIST TRAP is the most frightening movie ever made about mannequins, and a classic example that a low budget can be a horror film's greatest asset. In today's predictable, estrogen-driven MTV style of filmmaking wherein the writers believe that blood, gore, and throwaway lines are the ingredients necessary to make a horror film, TOURIST TRAP blows that notion out of the water. The film possesses an air of originality thanks to Nicholas Von Sternberg's beautiful visual style and superb editing by Ted Nicolaou. The story itself is similar to PSYCHO, but it's done with such pinache that one might not initially realize it. Brian DePalma's SISTERS (1973) is another great PSYCHO inspiration that you should check out if you already have not.

I first saw this movie one Saturday afternoon on TV in the mid-80's and it left one hell of an impression on me. It begins with what is unquestionably one of the most bizarre and frightening openings ever done in a horror film. A group of friends are on vacation when one of their tires blows out. Woody, the driver, walks to a gas station to get some help, but he finds himself in a situation that would give just about anyone a heart attack.

Enter Chuck Connors. He gives a wonderful and ultimately surprisingly sympathetic performance as Mr. Slausen, a congenial and charming gentleman who owns a now-defunct roadside souvenir shop/wax museum. When he meets up with Woody's friends who are concerned about Woody's whereabouts, Mr. Slausen comes to the rescue, but a series of horrendously bizarre events begin to transpire. As the story progresses, the natural inclination on the part of the viewer is to refute the plausibility of the bizarre set pieces that slowly mount. I find that if you watch it from the standpoint of falling asleep and having a nightmare about mannequins that come to life, this film is much more frightening and enjoyable.

When I was seven, I used to play in my grandmother's basement that was populated by some truly horrific dolls. One of them had outstretched hands with no hair that walked when you wound it up, and let me tell you - they were frightening. This film has that kind of effect.

This film inexplicably received a PG rating during its theatrical release which, the director states, killed it at the box office. I would have demanded an R rating if I were him! While the film contains no overt bloodshed, one of the murders is particularly gruesome and cruel (that's not counting the opening scene!)

The DVD transfer of this film is a revelation. Colors that were originally muted on the old 16mm faded prints that made the rounds on late night cable are now rich and vibrant. Pino Donaggio's score, which is one of the best elements in the film, comes through in full force. As a bonus, director David Schmoeller gives a running commentary throughout the film, though I wish he divulged more information than he actually does. Although he mentions TOURIST TRAP's origins - a film school thesis project called THE SPIDER WILL KILL YOU - he fails to disclose the film's budget. Disappointingly, why wasn't this thesis film included on the DVD? Why does the DVD state that it contains 40 trailers to other horror films when I can only access seven?

Despite my carpings, the DVD is well worth the asking price. The trailer for TOURIST TRAP is included.

For those of you who love gaffes, check out the left side of the screen at the 72:52 point during Tanya Robert's death scene. A stage hand can be seen behind a pane of glass.

Forget SCREAM and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. If you don't have a DVD player yet, this is one reason to purchase one. The film is currently out of print on VHS, but VHS stinks anyway!

Thank you, David Schmoeller, for making one of the best horror films EVER.

TOURIST TRAP is superb.

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.

Like many reviewers have already stated here, "Tourist Trap" is the kind of movie you see as a little kid and have horrifying flashbacks of, even years later. It's a testament to this film's intense settings and mounting suspense that it's still regarded so highly today, because not much of it is original.

Director David Schmoeller, who got a tour-de-force performance out of Klaus Kinski in "Crawlspace," does the same with aging rifleman Chuck Connors. He plays Slausen, a lonely yet kind man who runs a curio shop in the middle of nowhere. A group of teens show up quickly enough with the requisite car trouble, and Slausen shows hospitality but can't warn them enough about staying away from a nearby farmhouse. In typically predictable fashion (once night rolls around, of course) the teens start to disappear and will--at one point or another--come face to face with "Davey," Slausen's alleged brother who turns his unfortunate victims into mannequins.

Sound familiar? It goes without saying that a bulk of "Tourist Trap" is ripped directly from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but manages to stand on its own. The supporting actors make a genuine attempt to be more than one-dimensional mannequin fodder, Pino Donaggio's score is effectively creepy, and the settings are terrifying in their realism (the farmhouse populated with mannequins is the stuff nightmares are made of). Schmoeller builds suspense beautifully here, and for once makes the dead of night seem brilliantly unpredictable, instead of the opposite.

In short, "Tourist Trap" is as potent today as it was over 20 years ago. The remastered DVD looks great, has sufficient extras, and can be found pretty cheap (depending on where you look). This is a treat for genre fans--sure, it isn't very original, but you're not likely to see many films more intense than this.

When you go into a movie, you can go in two different ways. You can go in to it not expecting too much or you can go into it expecting a lot. After reading reviews for "The Tourist Trap" I decided to check it out. While the movie wasn't the worst I've seen in that genre it's far from the best.

What you do expect from almost every horror movie made between 1978 and 1983 is delievered here, bad acting, cheesy effects and a trite story line.

Synopsis: Four young travelers come upon an old, abandoned gas station that turns out to be a creepy, deserted wax museum. When Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors), the owner of the macabre museum, lures the tourists into what he calls Slausen's Lost Oasis, mannequins begin to come to life and one by one the tourists become victim to the killer.

The movie's strong point is that of the mannequins themsleves. Very creepy and lifelike which gives you an uneasy feeling throughout the film. Perhaps I went into the film expecting too much and therefore was a bit disappointed. I would recommend this film to lovers of the late 70's and early 80's cheesy slasher flicks that we all know and love. You'll most likely enjoy "The Tourist Trap" if you don't go in expecting too much. Worth an evening.

Ahhh, tourist traps! Those ramshackle buildings hugging the sides of state highways all across this great land of ours, places where you pay through the nose to see the world's biggest ball of used bubblegum, or sculptures of American presidents made out of navel lint. Who wouldn't want to shell out a few traveler's checks to see the only preserved Sasquatch in existence only to discover it looks like your rolled up entryway rug with a wig placed on top? No matter what your destination, whether a secluded little hideaway with your significant other or a march across the country with five kids in the backseat, the lure of the tourist trap is often too strong to resist. Especially for that one feebleminded passenger found on every lengthy trip, the one who messes with the radio stations and has to go to the bathroom every five minutes. If you anticipate problems in this area on your next vacation, pick up a copy of "The Tourist Trap" on DVD and show it to the family before backing the car out of the garage. I would be surprised if they still want to stop and see the largest collection of used cat litter after viewing this nightmarish movie.

To be fair, sometimes you cannot help but stumble over a tourist trap. What happens if you get a flat tire and the only place to phone for help turns out to be a museum full of odd mannequins? That is exactly what happens to the hapless travelers found in David Schmoeller's "The Tourist Trap." An unfortunate puncture at an inopportune time finds a gaggle of young people--the most noticeable being a very young and very curvy Tanya Roberts--rolling into Slausen's Museum, a boarded up tourist site presided over by the (who else) lumbering Mr. Slausen (Chuck Conners). Nothing seems amiss at first, as the owner of the tourist spot hands out drinks to the exhausted travelers and promises to help them fix their car. When several of the young people express interest in the mannequins, Slausen is only too happy to show them off. As he walks out the door with the only male member of the gang, he warns the ladies to wait for them to return. Moreover, he strongly advises the girls to stay inside since coyotes roam the area and he doesn't want anyone to get hurt. Predicatably, one of the girls almost immediately disobeys orders by heading over to a huge mansion behind the museum. Curiosity killed the cat, so to speak, and it might do the same to busty young ladies who don't keep their nose where it belongs.

When their inquisitive friend fails to return, Becky and Molly (Tanya Roberts and Jocelyn Jones, respectively) head over to the house to investigate. The house and museum sit in the middle of a heavily forested area, which looks mighty creepy late at night. Shrugging off the spooky surroundings, Becky enters the house in search of her friend despite Molly's whispered warnings. Molly reluctantly returns to the museum, thereby missing the unfolding horror in the seemingly abandoned mansion. It turns out that Slausen's crazy brother Dave lives there, a man who doesn't take kindly to strangers snooping around his mannequin-making factory. Dave Slausen has a penchant for wearing masks himself, as Becky soon discovers when the insane man captures her and ties her up in the basement (where Jerry, the aforementioned male member of the quartet, resides as well). Becky and Jerry soon discover that Slausen has telekinetic powers, which he uses to move objects and mannequins around at will, and they also notice he has a yearning to turn human beings into mannequins even if it means committing murder to do it. Things are not what they seem in this movie, with revelations occurring constantly against a backdrop of plot twists and turns. The conclusion alone makes picking up this DVD a necessity.

The performances, with the exception of Chuck Conners and Jocelyn Jones, are mostly forgettable. Jones as the goody-goody Molly and Conners as the omnipresent Slausen elevate "The Tourist Trap" above the run of the mill slasher/low budget horror flick. After seeing Jones shriek and scream through the last quarter of the movie, I wondered why she never attained the type of scream queen status accorded to the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis. She does a wonderful job here, neatly playing off of Conners's creepy turn as the enigmatic museum owner. Who knew Conners had it in him to play such a sick, offbeat role? Too bad he didn't follow this movie up with a few other equally deviant performances. As for Tanya Roberts, well, she does parade around through the woods in a pair of cut off shorts and a tube top, so I guess we cannot complain too much. She made this movie immediately before signing up for the last season of "Charlie's Angels," and the two projects couldn't be further apart in terms of subject matter.

I take exception with people who claim that the picture quality is great on this DVD. It isn't, not by a long shot, but for some reason this is one of the few times where a grainy hue helped give a movie great atmosphere. I'm not sure I would want to see this sleazy little gem with a crystal clear picture. Happily, the amazing score by Pino Donaggio sounds great, achieving as it does a spectacular mix of lazy whimsy and eerie sweep. The DVD itself sports an interview with director Schmoeller, a collection of schlock trailers, cast bios and filmographies, and a few other minor goodies. Note: don't watch the interview with the director before you watch the movie. It contains spoilers that will ruin the whole experience. If you like horror, be sure and check this little movie out as soon as possible.

This is one of those excellent low-budget 'B' movies of the late 70s. Unfortunately, it didn't do too well at the box office during its release and was long forgotten and neglected until today. Now, the original cult classic makes its way to DVD with good sound and so-so picture quality (Not the best, but it DOES fit the horrifying atmosphere quite well) In addition, there is also an interview with director, David Schmoeller and even a commentary track included! At first, I was not too sure about checking this one out or not, knowing that the film had gotten mixed reviews here. But I'm actually very glad I did! Once I saw the trailer, I decided to take a chance. I wasn't disappointed!

While the plot may not be all that original (Much of it hints that the creators were probably inspired by other classics such as Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", & Steven King's "Carrie") it still never fails to keep the viewer terrified and send chills down the spine! You won't find as much blood/gore here but unlike many horror films, "Tourist Trap" uses the unique element of creepy atmosphere involving a rundown wax museum with some of the most grotesque and scariest looking mannequins you will EVER see! Originally, the movie was rated PG when it first hit theaters in 1979 (which is why it didn't stand out so well when it was first released, according to Mr. Schmoeller) but the DVD version has been changed to an R rating, considering the fact that some scenes may be too intense and scary for a younger audience and the death sequences are pretty cruel. (Who can forget the poor, innocent girl who suffocates from the molten wax covering her face?) Honestly, I think that it was reasonable for them to up it a bit.

The story concerns four youths who take a summer afternoon drive (Again, this shows a bit resemblance to TCM) and end up having their car broken down. Coincidently, an old wax museum is nearby and after meeting the owner, Mr. Slausen (given an AMAZING performance by Chuck Conners) they decide to check it out, unaware of the horror that awaits them! Mannequins suddenly come to life and begin to commit acts of murder (laughing and screaming insanely in the process) while Slausen's mysterious younger brother who lives right next door in an abandoned house, holds the teens captive and terrorizes them with unspeakable horrors! The truth behind the mannequins coming to life and Slausen's brother later unfolds, but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet.

Yes, the acting drags, a little at SOME points but it is really hardly noticeable. Despite the limited budget that this film received, it is truly one of the BEST horror movies I've ever seen! The special features claim to contain over 40 Full Moon trailers for other movies, but this is actually a lie because there are only seven! However, the original theatrical trailer for this film is included, which is quite nice nevertheless! All horror buffs (such as I) should definitely give this one a try! I also recommend Tobe Hooper's "The Funhouse" & Steven Spielberg's "Poltergeist"! All carry the same style to horror and haunt you to the bone!

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. Tourist Trap is directed by David Schmoeller (who also made another great horror flick The Puppet Master), features Tanya Roberts, and superbly mixes elements from the original House of Wax, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Carrie. The result was truly a one-of-a-kind horror film which wonderfully exploits the fear created by wax dummies and mannequins. This was something Mario Bava had touched on in his films Blood and Black Lace and Hatchet for a Honeymoon.

Director Schmoeller and his co-writer J. Larry Carroll took it even further in Tourist Trap by having the dummies laugh, scream, and even move which is very creepy to say the least. The score was composed by Pino Donaggio, who also created the memorable music for both Carrie and Dressed To Kill. As with those films, his work on this one was typically classy. The story was about a group of young people who are traveling through the desert. Eileen (Robin Sherwood) is with her boyfriend Woody (Keith McDermott) while their three friends Becky (Tanya Roberts), Jerry (Jon Van Ness) and Molly (Jocelyn Jones) are driving separately in a jeep. When the car Molly and Woody are driving in gets a flat tire, Woody takes the tire and goes off to find a gas station.

He finds one but it appears to be deserted. They end up in a place called Slausen's Lost Oasis and it includes a western museum and they also meet the proprietor Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors) and that's when the horror starts. The film uses atmosphere instead of gore whichy is a nice change of pace and some of the visuals in this film were quite stunning and very memorable including the killer with the blond wig and doll mask "You look sooooo pretty!!". The scriptwriter delivers many original moments, and the final ten minutes are simply splendid. And, apart from the killer's costume there are no predictable cliches either, this excellent horror flick has quickly become one of my favorites. A must see for fans of supernatural 70's horror and slasher films.

I saw this movie when I was eleven years old, back in 1981,and I have to say...looking at those mannequins opening their mouths, going 'UUUUHHHH' still ranks as one of the most TERRIFYING scenes -I have ever saw since the original 'The Fly'when he was trapped in the spider's web.This is one of those movies that WILL LINGER on your mind loooonnnggg after seeing.Still gives me the creeps.Buy it. Must own. Period.

THIS MOVIE BRINGS BACK THE JOY OF WATCHING A "REAL" SCARY MOVIE. IT IS CORNY,BUT IT'S SOOOOOOOO CREEPY. THERE ARE MANY PARTS THAT ARE ALSO FUNNY,WEIRD AND DOWN RIGHT STUPID,BUT THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS MOVIE SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH,PLUS IT'S PRETTY DAMN SCARING AT TIMES..... I LOVED IT!

3.5 Stars.

Aaaah, the Seventies. Horror from this decade had such a particular 'vibe' to it. "Tourist Trap" is no exception. It oozes all the grand fun of a cheesy 1970's shockfest. And what's more, it's not completely bad. After a head-scratcher of an opening in which a poor lad is done in by objects that should be inanimate, we meet our group of happy travelers. The kids need help with their car, and the kindly proprietor of the old wax museum is glad to be of service. What follows is a blend of Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Carrie, and the original House of Wax.

There''s not much original material here but a few things elevate this above the usual slasher fare. Chuck Connors is enjoyable, with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. And Pino Donaggio's frenetic score is unsettling and appropriate (he had also scored Carrie, and his music seems like a cousin to Bernard Hermann's score for Psycho).

"Tourist Trap" plays by the rules of horror films: The kids poke their noses where they shouldn't, and pay the price. Nothing is what it seems. Strangers offering assistance can only lead to danger. Endings aren't always happy or tidy.
Maybe this film is cheesy and predictable, but there is something about it that makes it more enjoyable than many other horror features of the same era. Maybe it's the mannequins, or the horrible voice of brother Dave, or Chuck Connors. You either love it or loathe it, I guess.