Four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing.Four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing.Four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing.
Ralph Morino
- Truck Driver
- (as Ralph Marino)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Tobe Hooper was at one point nearly struck by a flying cog but was saved by an extra who broke their arm in the process.
- GoofsDespite the funhouse being a portable carnival attraction, it has a basement.
- Quotes
Richie Atterbury: Amy'll hit it off for sure. Buzz is a terrific guy.
Liz Duncan: She's stoned. When you're stoned, Charles Manson is a terrific guy.
- Alternate versionsAlthough the 1987 UK CIC video release was uncut in terms of violence it ran around 3 minutes shorter than the cinema version, and the differences appeared to be some dialogue and narrative edits. It contained the scenes of reefer smoking which were missing from some later Film Four showings.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)
Featured review
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.
helpful•287
- mnpollio
- Nov 7, 2008
- How long is The Funhouse?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $7,886,857
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,765,456
- Mar 15, 1981
- Gross worldwide
- $7,886,999
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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