The Funhouse (1981)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writer:

Lawrence Block (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Night | House | Carnival | Murder | Funhouse

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
Sonia Zomina	...	Bag Lady
Ralph Morino	...	Truck Driver (as Ralph Marino)
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
Richard Bellis	....	orchestrator
Tom Catalano	....	music supervisor
Don James	....	orchestrator
Ken Johnson	....	music editor
Jo Ann Kane	....	music preparation
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)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray) (collector's edition)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• 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:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) (1981) | France:-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | West Germany:18 (cut) | UK:15 (re-rating) | Norway:15 (2009) (uncut) | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-18 (2010)

Filming Locations:

North Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Reshoots of scenes took four days due to lost film footage which had got caught up in a local teamster war. Director Tobe Hooper has said that the filming of this movie in Miami / Florida occurred during the Scarface (1983) era.

Quotes:

Funhouse:...Who will dare to face the challenge of the Funhouse? Who is mad enough to enter that world of darkness? How about you, sir...?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

The sets are cool.

The production of this film included the use of a real vintage carnival from the 40s/50s. For anyone interested in the appeal of a traveling carnival, this film has some great sets. "The Funhouse" also features some great Rick Baker/Craig Reardon effects in the form of the movie's "villain", a deformed albino with fangs and claws.

But the rest of the production is sorely lacking. Tobe Hooper does his best with the material, but he's not too good at smoothing over the obvious lack of logic inherent in the film. For instance, the plot concerns a small group of four teenagers who decide on a lark to "spend the night in the funhouse" of the traveling carnival they're visiting...the same carnival that was around "when those two girls were found dead in the woods some time ago". Now, why on Earth would anybody in their right minds find the idea of staying in a carnival funhouse overnight exciting? Where will they sleep? What will they do the next day? Won't they get hungry? Thirsty? Have to brush their teeth? Use the bathroom?

Not only that, but the attractions in this carnival are most definitely not of the transportable variety. The titular dark ride seems so immense that our teen protagonists find it impossible to navigate their way out of the funhouse when danger rears its ugly head. Here's an idea: maybe follow the metal tracks in the floor until you are standing at the exit? In fact, the funhouse is built like a permanent fixture, with at least two floors and what appears to be a sub-basement! How would the carnies ever be able to dismantle this thing and move it in one day?

This flick also suffers another blow by giving us nobody to root for. The teenage "protagonists" are wholly unlikeable. They smoke pot like they're sipping soda out of a can, they steal money from strangers, they are stupid enough to want to spend the night in a carnival attraction, and they commit the unpardonable horror movie sin of fornication--all except for the female lead, of course, although she isn't even interesting enough to be engaging. The dialogue in the film is flat, and it has no success in establishing any characterizations on behalf of the would-be victims. I wasn't even paying attention to most of the film's first reel.

"The Funhouse" is also one of those movies where the villains seem to know exactly where their victims will be standing, like directly on top of a trap door that is conveniently deployed right on cue. The machinery of the funhouse also knows exactly how to deposit dead bodies so that they will stop exactly in front of our screaming victims.

Suspension of disbelief aside, "The Funhouse" stirs up some uncomfortable feelings when the filmmakers use their "monster" to get scares out of the audience, then tell us he's simply deformed. In reality, he is one of the only sympathetic characters in the movie, and the film's climax is the only portion that packs a wallop: the script pits the only two characters in the film worth caring about against one another.

Hooper throws in some sly references to "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", even if it does involve the gratuitous and illogical use of swinging hooks (haw haw), but by the time the movie delivers any real shudders, it's too late. Ironically, Dean Koontz was hired to write a movie tie-in novel for "The Funhouse", which was published under the psuedonym Owen West. Koontz fleshed out the story considerably, adding some great touches that the filmmakers would have been wise to exploit in their own movie. Too bad, because Koontz's treatment may have given Hooper a bigger, sharper hook on which to hang this film.