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.

On an isolated stretch of Southern California road, a group of five friends find themselves stalled when some car trouble leads one of their group to set off and find a service station. After some time the others soon follow which leads the others to travel in the other car to look for him which leads them to Slausen's Lost Oasis, a tourist trap that has since closed with the construction of the main highway. While the closed attraction's eccentric proprietor Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors) claims not to have seen their friend, something about the uncharacteristic creepy mannequins decorating the attraction leaves them in a state of unease.

Tourist Trap is a 1979 horror film written by David Schmoeller and J. Larry Carroll, the former of whom also directs. Inspired by the stylistic approaches of surrealist filmmakers like Alejandro Jodorowsky and the mannequins of department stores, the film was initially intended as a possible vehicle for John Carpenter to direct but due to Caroll's dissatisfaction with the financial agreements opted instead for Schmoeller to direct. While supposedly a smaller scale horror film in its day (though successful enough Schmoeller would collaborate with Band on several follow-up projects including the first Puppet Master), the film has gone on to find retrospective appreciation. Tourist Trap is strange little movie that even if logically I'm not sure all the pieces fit, there's an undeniable sense of atmosphere to the proceedings.

While the film follows a seemingly similar setup of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre only with the backwoods areas of Texas replaced with isolated backroads left behind by the establishment of freeways and highways, the movie features a tonally different approach with the music in particular slightly more playful while also holding a slightly demented air to it. While the five main characters we follow aren't the deepest characters, they are likable enough and never annoying so you're invested in whether they survive. Chuck Connors steals the scene as the tourist trap owner Mr. Slausen, and he has this jovial and yet slightly threatening air about him that makes him perfect for this kind of role. Despite being a PG rated film and possessing only some blood and implied nudity, Tourist Trap doesn't skimp on the scares that start out of the gate from a memorable opening sequence involving a gas station. In many ways Tourist Trap feels like a modern update on those old William Castle films only with a post Texas Chainsaw Massacre coat of paint, and I mean that in the best way possible. While the actual revelations as to the "what" and "why" behind what's going on feel very strange and almost like there were two different ideas at play for what to do, it's such a surreal experience that I was inclined to give it some leeway.

Tourist Trap is a very strange little horror film whose seemingly simple setup and story leads to some outlandish and memorable scenes. While I can't say it's scary throughout especially regarding some of the plot points incorporated, it's an undeniably memorable film with a scene stealing turn by Chuck Connors as Slausen.

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.

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.

I have no idea where Tourist Trap even came from or how someone even dreamnt this strange movie up. On paper, it sounds like your average Texas Chainsaw Massacre rip off following a handful of young adults who break down during a road trip and find themselves stuck at a creepy, nearly abandoned wax museum and tormented by a deranged psychopath.

Tourist Trap takes this already well-worn formula and injects it with a pleasant amount of surrealism and nightmarish imagery. Chuck Connors stars as Mr. Slausen, the proprietor of said wax museum who seems concerned that his brother, Davy (who lives in the house down the hill from the museum), won't take too kindly to intruders. It's an unexpected and fun performance from him and he really gets into it.

Future Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts offers up some eye candy in a halter top as one of the victims, but it's Jocelyn Jones as the prudish Molly who steals the show and creates a very genuine nervous breakdown as the horror builds.

There are elements of House of Wax, Carrie, and a few others thrown in, but Tourist Trap really isn't like anything else from that time (or any time). It's a unique and creepy entry in the 70's horror cannon.