Video Nasty - The Funhouse

The Funhouse

1981

Universal Pictures / Mace Neufeld Productions

Universal Pictures / Arrow Films / MCA/Universal Home Video

6.25 / 10

This film goes to show how stringent the English film board was back in the eighties as this got an X certificate on release and then ended up banned...  and now in its UNCUT version, it rates a 15 certificate.

To be truthful though, after watching - and still viewing - films on the video nasties list I cannot understand why or how this film achieved a banned status.  In Tobe Hooper's other banned film Eaten Alive there are scene's of torture and animal cruelty, whereas in Funhouse there's nothing along these lines.  In fact, this is pretty standard fayre in the slasher mould.  There are rumours of the BBFC getting the certification wrong by choosing the wrong Funhouse to ban.  In 1977 there was a film released called The Last House On Dead End Street, which was nasty enough to make the list, though didn't, and had previously been released in 1972 as The Fun House - see my review here.

You have a deformed man who is unable to find love due to his looks and personality buying sexual favours from the carnival's fortune teller.  Unfortunately, for her, he finishes prematurely and when she demands money for services rendered he gets upset... and she gets dead.  This interlude is viewed by four teenagers who thought it would be fun to hide out in the ghost train.  Of course, one of them makes a noise and draws the attention of the deformed killer who must dispatch them to keep his secret safe.

Though the concept is good its development onto film is strained.  As most of the action takes place in a limited area Tobe Hooper should have tried to develop a tension of claustrophobia as our witnesses find it increasingly difficult to escape the funhouse.  However, the carny ride appears massive and unending - could it be a Gallifreyan Time Machine(?)  For me, there wasn't enough tension or excitement and at times I found my attention drifting.

The actors are above average and cope well with building their characters and making them realistic, though none of them stands out above the others.  It would have been nice to have been introduced to some of the major characters back stories and more personal insights so the viewers could relate to them a little more.  This would make their murders more emotionally stronger and bring the viewer into the story more.

There is one brilliant thing about this film and the writer, Lawrence Block, and the director should have tried to work it into the story more as it would have added more depth, mystery, and paranormal atmospheres if done correctly.  At each of the carnival's rides and shows, there's a barker shouting the attractions merits to entice the people in.  Though the barkers are constantly at their positions and could not be the same person, each one is played by Kevin Conway.  This is a subtle thing that when spotted adds a mysterious element to the story, which is then completely ignored.  It's like somebody had an idea but couldn't come up with a suitable resolution to it.

This is not a bad film, by any means, it's just average; one of those films you'd watch if you'd not seen it before and there was nothing else on.  Worth watching at least once.  Not Tobe Hoopers best film and not his worst.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - The Funhouse

Video Nasty - Eaten Alive

Eaten Alive

AKA: Death Trap

1976

Mars Productions Corporations

M & M / Dark Sky Films / Video Instant Picture Company

7.5 / 10 

I've never been a great fan of Tobe Hooper's (I find him pretty average, though I do like quite a few of the movies he's shot) so I was happily surprised to find this was a treat to watch.  The thing which I was unprepared for was the stylish way that Hooper directed the movie, full of vivid and startling reds and blues.  Not the usual fair for Hooper though it does add an extra element to the atmosphere of the movie, as did the constant twangy country soundtrack about the most depressing things in life.

The story about a Motel owner and his crocodile.  Though, it's never stated you get the feeling that Motel owner Judd may be a veteran whose seen more than his fair share of action and has returned shell-shocked and schizophrenic, as some of his rantings have this impression.  Either way, this man is mentally broken.  When a runaway girl takes a room for the night he get's the idea that she's a hooker who worked at Miss Hattie's place and he doesn't like those types of girls.  She ends up being the entree for the crocodile who will be well fed before the end of the night.

There's not much to the story and it all takes place in or around the motel, what makes this a really watchable film is the characterisations and the actors and actresses who portray them.  In particular, Neville Brand who does a brilliant job with Judd from mannerisms to ticks to different personalities when the voices start speaking to him.  He was the right choice for this role and very strong within it.  Another strong actress is the beautiful Carolyn Jones (of King Creole and The Addams Family fame), though it's really hard to make her out as Miss Hattie.  To be honest, the cast is pretty top-notch and has the likes of a young Robert England, Mel Ferrer, and Stuart Whitman.

However, there is one family that turn up at the motel and the dynamic between the mother and father is damn strange, in fact, the father's personality is downright weird.  This does deter from the power of the film and it's characters, to the point of severing the link of believability with the audience.

Overall though this is a film that I would recommend to everybody who likes a good psychological thriller.  It is definitely one to watch with the curtains drawn and the lights turned off.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Eaten Alive