Pay to get in. PRAY to get out.
Directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ’74, Salem’s Lot ’79, Poltergeist ’81, Toolbox Murders ’04, Mortuary ’05) and starring Wayne Doba as The Monster, Elizabeth Berridge as Amy Harper, Cooper Huckabee as Buzz Dawson, Largo Woodruff as Liz and Miles Chapin as Richie. Also stars Kevin Conway as Freak Show Barker/Strip Show Barker/Funhouse Barker, William Finley as Marco the Magnificent, Sylvia Miles as Madame Zena and Shawn Carson as Joey Harper.
Two couples (Amy & Buzz, Liz & Richie) go to a carnival. After visiting a few of the carnival’s attractions, the freak show, Marco the Magnificent and Madame Zena, a fortune teller, they decide to spend the night in the funhouse, they get off the ride and remain inside after the carnival closes. It isn’t long before they witness a murder committed by someone in a Frankenstein’s Monster mask. They find themselves trapped and hunted.
I really like The Funhouse, I’ve seen it a lot of times over the years, first as a video rental back in the 80s, now on Blu-ray (a fantastic release by Arrow complete with free double-sided poster!). It’s a classic slasher film with a strong cast, striking visuals and a big powerful score. It’s also got a highly memorable killer. Not a gory film, just an awesome one. No slasher fan can afford to miss this. Hooper has made some of the very best horror films in his time and while this may not be his most renowned it’s up there with his most renowned in terms of quality. Maybe over the years it’s become overshadowed by the Friday the 13th films and the Halloween films, there were no sequels to The Funhouse, but trust me, The Funhouse is every bit as good as any other slasher film I’ve seen and I love it.
