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  • There was a time, back before USA became the home of Emmy-award winning programming, when you could turn on the TV on a Saturday night and be treated to such highbrow programming as "Slugs," "Shock Waves," and the pervasively atmospheric creepfest, "Tourist Trap." Out of all the horror films I remember from my childhood, TT arguably left the most visible mark. As my family would gather around the TV and behold the spooky wonder of a house full of mannequins (my father was a fan of Chuck Connors as "The Rifleman"), I would go to my room and cower under the bed when things got too scary. For as much as this film (and others) frightened me, I was simultaneously drawn to the discomfort they produced. Scenes of a woman's face being turned into a plaster mask, a man impaled by a flying pipe, and a knife to the back of the skull left haunting marks on my neuroses that periodically popped up in the years that followed (during which, unfortunately, TT was near impossible to find on VHS).

    Having 'grown up' considerably since that time, and recently revisiting the 'ol "Trap" on DVD, I must say it has lost only a smidgen of its ability to shock. As a child, I didn't pay as much attention to pacing (especially with commercial breaks inserted every 10 minutes) or acting quality, because the horrific events were amplified ten-fold in my eyes and mind.

    Now, a lot of the acting seems over-the-top and amateurish (Connors, however, maintains a professional veneer throughout), and some scenes drag to the point where the subtitle "Just killing time" should be superimposed at the bottom of the screen. Granted, these are just minor quibbles from a fan/critic who has seen much worse instances of both these traits.

    Though TT still maintains a sense of terror that builds as the film progresses, my downgraded impression of it has come from being exposed to "Carrie," "Halloween," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Psycho" and others that TT writer/director David Schmoeller liberally borrows from. However, he incorporates the killer-with-psychic-powers angle with great skill, careful not to overextend his homage to the point of parody, creating something genuinely offbeat as a result. As is properly cited on the DVD, the film branches off into different levels of insanity, to the point where kindly Mr. Slausen's (Connors) mannequins begin to resemble real live people...

    Not a masterpiece but far from a waste of time, "Tourist Trap" is a montage of elaborate face-masks, creepy vocal distortion, atmospheric nights, and desperate, panicked emotion. One of the more notable sleepers in the annals of horror, for those with adventurous tastes.
  • Three girls & two guys break down in the hills north of Los Angeles and are helped by the genial owner of a defunct desert museum with a penchant for spooky masks & mannequins (Chuck Connors).

    "Tourist Trap" (1979) combines elements of several previous horror flicks, like "Psycho" (1960), the desert museum opening of "Gargoyles" (1972), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), the telekinesis of "Carrie" (1976) and the creepy mannequins of several 70's movies/shows, including Kolchak: The Night Stalker ("The Trevi Collection"). It was made by the creator of "Puppetmaster" (1989) and heavily influenced "House of Wax" (2005); it even had an impact on the imminent "Friday the 13th" flicks.

    If you like those movies you'll like this one. It's not as good as the better ones, and is overrated in some circles, but it's solid for a late 70's horror flick in the rural slasher mode. The highlights are Connor's sympathetic portrayal, the rural locations, the sets/props and, especially, the female cast, featuring Robin Sherwood (Eileen), Tanya Roberts (Becky) and Jocelyn Jones (Molly).

    The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area: Samma Ranch, Agua Dulce (near Vasquez Rocks) and Latigo Canyon, Malibu (the waterfall scene).

    GRADE: B
  • Warning: Spoilers
    The slasher sub-genre has been pretty much exhausted - in fact, even by 1979, just one year after the supposed 'first slasher', Halloween (which was released seven years after Bay of Blood), was released; the sub-genre wasn't far from being exhausted; but Tourist Trap represents one of the more original outings. The film follows the same basic formula as most slashers - i.e. madman murders a load of kids, but draws its originality from the fact that madman is shown from the beginning (as opposed to an unseen assailant or a man in a mask) and we actually get some insight into his character. The fact that this killer also has telekinetic abilities, including being able to control the wax dummies that fill his house, adds to the originality. We kick off with a great opening sequence, which sees a young man fall foul of having a flat tire after finding himself in a gas station of terror. The scene is amazingly creepy, as the wax dummies taunt him and things fly from the shelves - and it gives the audience a great insight into what is to come; namely, a very creepy horror film!

    The acting credibility is as non-existent as you would expect from a seventies slasher, but to be honest; it's not all that bad. The girls look hot, the boys don't really matter; and Chuck Connors is more than adequately creepy in the role of the psycho. He's not exactly Anthony Perkins; but still, good enough. It's not the acting that's the star of the show, however, and as you might expect - the creepy atmosphere takes that prize. Wax models, as proved by the likes of House of Wax (Vincent Price version...) are very creepy; and the film makes best use of that fact. There are very few things in cinema that can be frightening by simply being there - but wax statues are definitely one of those things. The killer's special ability could easy have gotten in the way of the atmosphere, but the film makes best use of this fact, even, by having various things fly off shelves and it goes well with the rest of the movie. On the whole, this is a very good film. While Tourist Trap might not be absolutely essential viewing; it's well worth seeing and I can recommend it.
  • 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".
  • 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.
  • All you need to know about Tourist Trap is that it is tense with suspense, clever and most of all a genuinely captivating horror movie. I enjoyed it very much mainly because of the mixture of 70s horror thrillers and early 80s slashers.
  • "Tourist Trap", is a very unique and forgotten movie. Its definitely a weird one, its not for everybody. However, its pretty creepy and disturbing. Though some of the acting is poor, and its just flat out strange, it's original and creepy enough to keep you entertained.
  • A group of young people breakdown in the middle of nowhere and set out in search of help. They find an old roadside museum filled with mannequins, run by an old guy named Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors). Very quickly, the group realizes all is not right when, one-by-one, the friends go missing.

    I'm shocked to see all of the glowing, 10/10 reviews for Tourist Trap. I've probably seen the movie three or four times over the years and it's never really done much for me. It's got too many faults for me to rate it average or above. First, the movie is horribly predictable and the final twist is easy to guess about 20 minutes in. There are no surprises. For the most part, the acting is abysmal. Chuck Connors is the only real "actor" in the cast. The group of friends aren't the brightest bulbs - and that's by horror movie standards. Could they have made it any easier for the killer? They each take a turn wandering around aimlessly and alone in the dark. It's hard to feel anything for people this stupid. Finally, unlike most reviews I've read, I've never found Tourist Trap all that atmospheric. Yes, there are some creepy moments, but overall, the movie's never worked on that level for me.

    I always try to include the good side of any movie I watch, so here it is for Tourist Trap. Chuck Connor is good. He is the creepy part I was referring to earlier. Other than a few instances, Pino Donaggio's score is quite good. Much of the film's music belongs in a better movie than Tourist Trap. Finally, one of the movie's real highlights is Tanya Roberts' tube top. It's the center of attention in most scenes.
  • 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.
  • Maciste_Brother2 April 2003
    2/10
    Huh?
    Made in the same era of HALLOWEEN and PHANTASM, TOURIST TRAP has always been eclipsed by the other more famous horror films made in the 1970s. And there's a reason for this. It's because it's not very good. After watching it again for the first time in 20 years, I went "Huh? What was that all about?" The production values are very cheap, the sound is terrible, the script is disjointed, the acting is uninspired, and the characters are uninteresting. There's not enough blood in TT for gorehounds and the confusing story is too crappy for those who love their horror movies with more chills than blood. I really can't imagine who came up with such a murky, stupid story: a man who has psychic powers and lives with mannequins. Scary...not. And to make things worst, there are so many continuity errors that it looks like the film was rushed and made in only a couple of days. The only good thing in TOURIST TRAP are the following: music by the always great Pino Donnagio, the original movie poster and Tanya Roberts, who's totally hot. If none of the latter is of interest to you then there's no need for you to watch TOURIST TRAP.
  • george.schmidt9 January 2004
    Warning: Spoilers
    TOURIST TRAP (1979) *** 1/2 Lurid and spooky low-budget horror quickie of some cult quality about a group of young friends on a road trip that are detoured into a nightmare when their Jeep breaks down in the middle-of-nowhere discovering a broken-down wax museum run by a deranged caretaker (Chuck Connors channeling Vincent Price and affectively off-beat to boot) with a madman brother named 'Davey' whose telekinesis leads to murderous activities. Creepy and often joltingly scary thanks in large part of the film's singular stroke of genius in using the disturbing imagery of the mannequins that seemingly come to life with screaming, gaping eye-less maws that get under one's skin and has a long-lasting effect long after viewing this arguably guilty-pleasure cheese-fest (Connors has some loony moments including a riotously black humor soaked 'soup sequence' and playing with dolls) that provides some unsettling choice edits of shock and disbelief of what is unspooling. Pre-'Charlie's Angels' sexpot Tanya Roberts is one of the doomed guests providing a few moments of genuine terror at the proceedings at hand. Kudos to filmmaker David Schmoeller (who co-wrote the screenplay with J. Larry Carroll) in treading the sublime with the ridiculous to the utterly horrific. A blend of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' by way of 'Carrie' and 'Psycho' yet original none-the-less as a precursor to the genre yet to come: madman-slasher-on-the-loose. Best bits: the first victim's genuinely scary demise (those laughing dummies scared the hell out of me!); the attic sequences with 'Davey' and the film's freeze-frame ending that will haunt you for days! One of the few films that truly unnerved me when I saw it as a kid and recently viewing it on DVD gave me pause to watch in the dark ….alone! Screams for a remake! Best line: 'See my friend!'
  • Imagine if Leatherface had telekinetic powers and enjoyed making mannequins of his victims. That's pretty much Tourist Trap! The teenagers are pretty likeable and well-acted and the film builds some nice tension and intrigue as you try to puzzle out how the killings are taking place and how the mannequins are moving, and just what the deal with the affable but eccentric Mr Slausen is. Chuck Connors, by the way, is great in this. He has that old reassuring charm, but an imposing presence that has you second-guessing his motivations.

    It builds tension and is full of nightmarish visuals and scenarios. Sometimes it feels a bit too formulaic and like it's going through the slasher motions, but then it will go and capture your attention with some particularly inventive death or creepy visual.

    Essential viewing for fans of slashers, and for everyone else: it's probably still worth checking out as it brings something new to the table of this well-worn sub-genre.
  • cameo-56 March 2001
    I can't believe that I wasted 90 minutes of my life watching this movie. I often like cheap, slasher flicks. But this is among the worst I've seen. Terrible story; terrible dialogue; terrible directing; and unbelievably bad acting. There are a lot of entertaining movies out there that you can watch, including even some bad horror movies. Don't waste your time with this one.
  • Warning: Spoilers
    This is an old movie and probably doesn't hold up well for younger audiences, but it still deserves credit for it's weird atmosphere/ideas, especially on such a low budget. Scares in the best way, by tapping into dark psychological fears. Anyone can throw something at you on a screen to make you jump or show a decapitation in all it's grue in close-up, but this one takes it's time and works its way under your skin, trying to push you into the same state of madness as all the characters in it are taken to. And unlike horror movies of today, the lead characters are vulnerable and human, not smart-assed and invincible.

    Along the way you get one of Pino Donaggio's best scores ever, an over-wrought swirl of strings and sighing women that perfectly compliments his other scores of the era (Carrie, Pirannah, Dressed To Kill, The Howling and Body Double). There are, of course, mannequins, Tanja Roberts with dark hair in a tube top with big boobs, Chuck Conners wearing masks and talking like Harvey Fierstein(he did such a good job I didn't believe it wasn't two people!), an almost unwatchable suffocation scene and enough warped moments to give you nightmares for awhile.

    The DVD is a surprisingly stunning transfer with an OK commentary track by the director, who's other films didn't impress me much. This is a one of a kind flick. "My brother doesn't want her to see meee...do you know why?...do YOU know why? (singing) He's afraid she'll beee attracted to meee...heh heh hehhhh..."
  • Ghostly8313 November 2001
    I really enjoyed this movie. While it is a little campy it's still good. the acting was good compared to other 70's horror films. And I'm glad someone finally showed just how scary those freaky shopping mall dummies can be! If you can find it then give it a chance you just might like it and if not you only lost 2 bucks.
  • Okay, so I'm a big Chuck Connors fan...so maybe that's why I liked this film more than say if Mike Connors played the lead. Chuck, in a dual role, pulls it off brilliantly. Why this guy (and I heard from people who worked with him that he was really a nice guy) didn't get more credit (and bigger roles) is beyond me.
  • This has a great premise, if a little indebted to Hitchock's Psycho, but after a brilliant opening, during which you hardly dare breath and some startling mannequin imagery, this slows to a snail pace before it eventually perks up for a bravura ending. There is a decent idea here and plenty of spooking props but the writing is lazy and whilst one sequence of someone from the stranded car 'going to see what's in the house', is fine, we really shouldn't have to endure all repeat the same trip, one after the other, so very similarly. This is worth seeing for the beginning and a strange scene where Chuck Connors, as the Tony Perkins type, chats to the three young ladies as they tread water in his idyllic woodland pool.
  • Tourist trap starts off decidedly weird and continues to get plain weirder as the running time flies by. David Schmoeller's tale of a derelict wax museum run by a 'not all there' Chuck Connors sticks to the stalk and slash basics by taking a group of kids to a house and bumping them off one by one. However rather than a lone axeman or maniac in a hockey mask doing the bumping, the main bad guy (or guys) is the wax mannequins of the museum and their creator who brings them to life.

    Quirky from the start, 'Tourist Trap' waits for no establishing set piece scenes or even spends any time introducing characters, it just moves a broken down car load of would be victims (including the delectable Tanya Roberts sporting black hair) off to their impending doom. After a brief skinny dip, along comes Chuck Connors to tell 'those pesky kids' that the area they are hanging out in, isn't quite right since 'they built the highway' through it, and he ain't telling the half of it!

    'Tourist Trap' seems to show promise early on when the dummies are first discovered, with some genuinely eerie scenes with dummies in frozen poses and fixed smiles, moving their eyes. However when their creator is introduced the film takes a different direction, away from the Scooby Doo plot and edges toward Texas Chainsaw Massacre territory with a few supernatural touches and attempts at humour thrown in.

    Along with the drudging chase sequences through the undergrowth and too many cat and mouse scenes, 'Tourist Trap' eventually sinks in it's repetitive nature, and the unsurprising revelation of the identity of the main villain offers little to the movie's mediocrity.
  • I'm a bit late to the Tourist Trap party and I don't know what to wear. For years, I'd heard stories from my friends about how they'd seen this film when they were children on TV or at the video store (somehow, this nightmarish flick was rated PG!) and how much it had traumatized them. I'm in my 40's now, but I found myself equally as traumatized during portions of this movie.

    The plot is simple enough. Think Texas Chainsaw Massacre mixed with House of Wax with a dollop of Carrie thrown in and you'll get the idea. This is a movie that builds and builds until you realize you're standing in the middle of someone else's nightmare. The atmosphere is filled with doom and gloom and escape seems impossible.

    The score by Pino Donaggio is equally as odd as the narrative itself. His opening theme is, perhaps, a bit too playful and doesn't do much to conjure an oppressive mood, but once the film starts kicking it into high gear, the imagery and performances do that by themselves as Donaggio's score becomes more and more lyrical and rather beautiful. It's like trying to imagine Ennio Morriconne scoring Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It doesn't always fit, but it sure is beautiful and makes the film even more bizarre than it already was.

    Acting wise, no one is any worse than your typical slasher film, but Jocelyn Jones does stick out as being a bit more interesting than the others. There's a slightly haunted quality about her that I really loved and you get the sense that, in some ways, she might be as lost and stuck in the past as the Chuck Connors character. Just look at the way she's dressed as compared to her friends. She looks like she's ready for Sunday school.

    The ending itself is incredibly haunting and I don't think I'll be forgetting about that one for quite awhile.

    Tourist Trap more than deserves your time.
  • Oh, man, I don't know how I've missed this one all these years! My generation will see The Rifleman (Chuck Connors) play dual roles - as a kindly, lonely old man and as a freaky weird homicidal lunatic! What a strange part for this guy to play, but I think the mis-typed casting lends this piece a particularly sinister effect.

    The best part of the movie, though, is the mannequins! Within the first ten minutes, you'll know you found something special because those things are CREEPY!!!

    I seldom watch a film as an adult that truly creeps me out, but those things are the stuff of nightmares! I'm just glad I never watched at age ten! Okay, so the story gets a little hoaky toward the end, but you won't notice since you'll be hiding beneath that afghan on your couch!

    Watch this movie but be warned... you'll wet the bed after, I bet!
  • In the excellent making of extra included on the "uncut" (har har, due to a mistake on Full Moon's part) Blu-ray (really just an interview with the director), Schmoeller states he felt the movie deserved an R-rating on the disturbing factor alone. The MPAA gave it a PG (because there is no reading those clowns). YET he's got a skinny dipping scene with three fetching young ladies (Tanya Roberts is uber foxy in this), a 6'6" hillbilly with a shotgun shows up and kicks them out, and... there is ZERO skin! Get on the ball, David. There's your R-rating.

    I have to point this out with every Full Moon Blu-ray I see. Always a big stink about being "remastered in hi-def from the original 35mm negative," and consistently THE worst Blu-ray video quality I see. I'm sure there's worse out there, but you've got to put in the effort to back up claims like these.
  • "Tourist Trap" is a genuinely spooky low-budget horror film that will surely satisfy horror fans.It contains extremely strange atmosphere and there are some quite unnerving moments of total dread and fear.Some scenes are downright bizarre for example there is one scene when Chuck Connors sits down to have dinner with a mannequin that comes to life and starts conversing with him before its head falls off.There is very little gore,but the violence is quite strong for PG-rated horror film.The mannequins look very sinister and the climax is horrifying.David Schmoeller returned to make several other genre films including "Crawlspace","Puppet Master" and "Netherworld".Still "Tourist Trap" is definitely his best horror film,so if you want to be scared give this little gem a look.9 out of 10.
  • Tourist trap it is a basic film similar the Texas chainsaw massacre & house of wax with its countryside setting to it. A bunch of friends are out for a drive and they come across a roadside attraction and stop by only to be pursued by a mask killer. A basic idea for a horror film by today's standards but back then it was more fresh. While all the characters Aren't that interesting with the exception of Chuck Connors none of them are really unlikable. They do tend to jump to basic tropes such as running off further into the woods away from help. Or exploring random houses not without even announcing their selves. Overall the thing that will determine how one feels watching this movie is how you feel about dolls and manikins. The overall highlight of the film. Rooms and rooms just chock-full of manikins with creepy faces. Even in the background there's always something staring back at you all the mannikins with their fix positions creepy grins offers somewhat of a uncomfortable atmosphere to the film. Tourist trap is your average horror film that is good for a watch and have some memorable things to take from it.
  • Group of older teens on a mountain road run afoul of the owner of a defunct tourist spot now overrun by suspiciously lifelike mannequins. Ridiculous, lethargic horror piece certainly gets no points for originality. Screenwriters David Schmoeller (who also directed) and J. Larry Carroll (who also produced) have come up with an outrageous and inept hybrid of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "House of Wax" and "Psycho" (with a bit of "Carrie"-like telekinesis added to the mix, apparently a demand handed down from executive producer Charles Band). The kids escape and are brought back, escape and are brought back, while Schmoeller keeps the ladies crawling across floors, scaling wire fences and running through misty forests at night. "Tourist Trap" may work for those creeped-out by mannequins in general; the dummies on-display here (both living and dead) have a fleshy texture and roving eyes, but Vincent Price is sorely missed when it comes down to dipping the girls in goop. * from ****
  • When his car has a flat tire, Woody (Keith McDermott) seeks a gas station in an empty road. He finds a deserted place and is attacked by mannequins in a room and dies. Meanwhile his girlfriend Eileen (Robin Sherwood) waits for him in the car. However their friends Jerry (Jon Van Ness), Molly (Jocelyn Jones) and Becky (Tanya Roberts) arrive and they decide to look for him. They find a paradisiacal waterfall but their car breaks down. While Jerry tries to fix the car, the girls bath in a lake. Out of the blue, an old man arrives and he introduces himself as Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors), who owns the place. He brings Molly, Becky and Eileen to his house and tells that he would help Jerry. They find a waxwork museum with armed cowboys. Eileen decides to leave the house to find a telephone, but she is attacked and strangled by a masked stranger. Who might be the killer and how will he girls flee from the spot?

    "Tourist Trap" is an unoriginal slasher with a mad serial-killer that seems to be a magician. The plot is totally predictable and how the insane killer controls the mannequins is not explained. In addition, the boring music score by the Italian musician Pino Donaggio is annoying. My vote is six.

    Title (Beail): "Armadilha para Turistas" ("Tourist Trap")
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