Tourist Trap (1979)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

David Schmoeller

Writers:

David Schmoeller (written by) and
J. Larry Carroll (written by)

Release Date:

16 March 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Every year young people disappear

Plot:

A group of young friends stranded at a secluded roadside museum are stalked by the owner of the place, who has the power to control his collection of mannequins.

Plot Keywords:

Mannequin | Mask | Friend | Museum | Possession

Cast

Chuck Connors	...	Mr. Slausen
Jocelyn Jones	...	Molly
Jon Van Ness	...	Jerry
Robin Sherwood	...	Eileen
Tanya Roberts	...	Becky
Dawn Jeffory	...	Tina
Keith McDermott	...	Woody
Shailar Coby	...	Davey
Arlecchino	...	Mannequin
Victoria Richart	...	Mannequin
Millie Dill	...	Mannequin

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | West Germany:18 | Australia:M | France:-12 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Company:

Compass International Pictures

Trivia:

Jocelyn Jones was a classically-trained actress, whereas Chuck Connors was self-taught. During filming, Connors would often ask Schmoeller why Jones would have to go through various routines before filming scenes (such as breathing exercises.) (According to Schmoeller's commentary on the 25th anniversary DVD.)

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Mr. Slausen leaves Molly with the rifle in the truck, you can see a short male mannequin standing behind her in a sort of saloon setting. Thereafter any time you see her from the same shot, he's no longer there.

Quotes:

Davey: [deep, raspy voice] We're going to have a party!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fade to Black (1980)

Creep City!

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!'