The Funhouse (1981)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writer:

Lawrence Block (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Something is alive in the funhouse...something that, tonight, will turn the funhouse into a carnival of terror!

Plot:

Four teenage friends spent the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a frankenstein mask.

Plot Keywords:

House | Night | Carnival | Murder | Mask

Cast

Elizabeth Berridge	...	Amy Harper
Shawn Carson	...	Joey Harper
Jeanne Austin	...	Mrs. Harper
Jack McDermott	...	Mr. Harper
Cooper Huckabee	...	Buzz Dawson
Largo Woodruff	...	Liz
Miles Chapin	...	Richie
David Carson	...	Geek (as D. Lee Carson)
Sonia Zomina	...	Bag Lady
Ralph Morino	...	Truck Driver
Kevin Conway	...	Freak Show Barker / Strip Show Barker / Funhouse Barker
Herb Robins	...	Carnival Manager
Mona Agar	...	Strip Show Dancer
Wayne Doba	...	The Monster
William Finley	...	Marco the Magnificent
Susie Malnik	...	Carmella
Sylvia Miles	...	Madame Zena
Sid Raymond	...	Strip Show MC
Larry Ross	...	Heckler - Girlie Show
Frank Grimes	...	Strip Show Voyeur
Frank Schuller	...	Poker Player #1
Peter Conrad	...	Midget with Tall Lady
Mildred Hughes	...	Tall Lady
Glen Lawrence	...	Spectator
Shawn McAllister	...	Garbage Collector #1
Sandy Mielke	...	Garbage Collector #2
Mike Montalvo	...	Spectator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sherman 'Big Train' Bergman	...	Carnival Worker (uncredited)
Allison Caine	...	Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Raymond Forchion	...	Man in Tent Show (uncredited)

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Lawrence Block		(written by) (as Larry Block)

Produced by
Steven Bernhardt	....	producer
Mark L. Lester	....	executive producer
Brad Neufeld	....	associate producer
Mace Neufeld	....	executive producer
Derek Power	....	producer

Original Music by
John Beal

Cinematography by
Andrew Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Hofstra

Casting by
Pamela Basker
Fern Champion

Production Design by
Mort Rabinowitz		(as Morton Rabinowitz)

Art Direction by
Jose Duarte

Set Decoration by
Tom Coll

Makeup Department
Rick Baker	....	special makeup design
Marlana May	....	makeup artist
Donisia McGowan	....	hair stylist
Craig Reardon	....	special makeup execution

Production Management
Norman Cohen	....	unit production manager
John Orland	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adrienne Bourbeau	....	second assistant director
Norman Cohen	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Harold Collins	....	construction coordinator
Nicholas J. Romanac	....	property master (as Nick Romanac)
Neal Adams	....	conceptual designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Dalton	....	sound mixer (as Jack Dalton Sr.)
Robert L. Hoyt	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Robert Hoyt)
Dale Johnson	....	sound editor
Earl Madery	....	sound re-recording mixer
John J. Stephens	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Stephens)
David A. Whittaker	....	sound editor (as David Whittaker)

Special Effects by
J.B. Jones	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Destolfe	....	still photographer (as Robert De Stolfe)
Russell Engels	....	gaffer (as Rusty Engles)
Ed Kammerer	....	best boy (as Eddie Kammerer)
Ed Knott Jr.	....	key grip (as Eddie Knott Jr.)
Walter G. Morris Jr.	....	gaffer (as Walter Morris Jr.)
James Pergola	....	camera operator
John Winner	....	first assistant camera
Oscar Barber	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
Oscar Barber	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Daniel Pearl	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Susie Feldott	....	casting: Miami
Bob Gordon	....	casting: Miami
Jonathan Lane	....	casting: Miami (as Jonothan Lane)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Benedict-Pierce	....	wardrobe (as Linda Benedict)
Andre Lavery	....	wardrobe
Harold Richter	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Vicki Hiatt	....	post-production assistant
Robert Leader	....	assistant editor
Angelo Ross	....	location editor

Music Department
Tom Catalano	....	music supervisor
Ken Johnson	....	music editor
John Beal	....	conductor (uncredited)
John Beal	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Miles Goodman	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Daniel J. Johnson	....	music editor (uncredited)
Rick Riccio	....	music scoring mixer (uncredited)
John Rosenberg	....	orchestra contractor (uncredited)

Other crew
Don Gilman	....	production assistant
Melanie Grefe	....	production assistant
Arnold Leibovit	....	production assistant (as Arnold Leibowitz)
Murray Naidich	....	main title design
Susana Preston	....	script supervisor
Roberta Rose	....	production accountant
Daphne Stacey	....	assistant: Mr. Hooper
Jeffrey W. Stacey	....	production assistant (as Jeff Stacey)
Cynthia Streit	....	production coordinator
Dee Dee Winner	....	production coordinator
Kathy Day	....	assistant: Mr. Neufeld (uncredited)
Jonathan Lane	....	assistant to director (uncredited)

Thanks
Mary Lee Lander	....	the producers wish to acknowledge the contributions of
Shari Lewis	....	dummy courtesy of
Bob Megerle	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Mace Neufeld Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Succéfilm AB (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Arrow Films (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Arrow Films (2011) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-Ray) (special edition)
• Arrowdrome (2012) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Esselte CIC Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Esselte CIC Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• EuroVideo (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD) (cropped to 1.78:1)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Sound FX  sound editing
• Megerle Shows  special thanks
• Universal Pictures  "Bride of Frankenstein" courtesy of
• Animated Display Creations  animated figures in funhouse by
• Dade County Film Commission  the producers wish to acknowledge the contributions of
• Florida Film Commission  the producers wish to acknowledge the contributions of
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  titles and opticals
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music

Also Known As:

Runtime:

96 min | Sweden:90 min (cut) | Belgium:80 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

West Germany:18 (cut) | UK:15 (re-rating) | Norway:15 (2009) (uncut) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) | France:-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

North Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Dean R. Koontz wrote a novelization of the screenplay under the pseudonym Owen West. The book contains a lot of backstory added by Koontz. Because of this, and the fact that the book was released before the movie due to a delay in post production, it is often mistaken that the movie is based on the book, but the book is in fact based on the movie.

Quotes:

Liz Duncan:I hate people who preach. Especially in bathrooms.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Halloween (1978)

Above average 1980s scare flick

Fast-paced and atmospheric thriller set in and around the carnival midway. Two couples visiting the local traveling carnival decide to spend the night in The Funhouse and fool around as a lark. After witnessing a murder, they become the targets of a deformed maniac and his barker dad who are determined they will not leave to report it to the police. I read the Owen West (aka Dean Koontz) novelization back in the day, which was infinitely more padded with back story, abortion issues, religious fanaticism, and a rather Byzantine attempt to link the heroine and her younger brother to the killers before they ever set foot on the midway. Mercifully, the film abandons all of the excess baggage and strips the story done to the bare essentials. I enjoy Tobe Hooper's direction here much more so than that shown in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre as it seems we are seeing a much more polished effort. He nicely establishes the atmosphere of the midway, which by turns is colorful and sordid. The central characters are nicely delineated (although due to the abandoning of the subplots from the novelization, Shawn Carson's younger brother seems like a fifth wheel rather than integral to the story) and well played by an appealing cast. They seem like credible and overwhelmed young people rather than fodder for the axing. Lead Elizabeth Berridge, in particular, has a nice girl next door quality and radiates a resourcefulness through her terror without ever seeming like either Superwoman or a victim. The make-up for the primary killer is particularly effective and novel. The film builds up a substantial head of steam before going for broke in a wild Grand Guignol climax. The score is also worth mentioning as it provides a very effective counterpoint to the action. Ironically, this film is rarely mentioned by horror fans, having been buried amid the morass of Friday the 13th clones that proliferated in this period, but it is definitely one that should be rediscovered.