The Funhouse presents a not so pretty picture of carnival life, and a somewhat pathetic-albeit homicidal-monster with a decidedly unhandsome visage, and penchant for mayhem.
The opening of the film is a nod to Halloween and Psycho, two other masterworks of the genre, and from there builds into a creepy story revolving around teen lust, sleazy carnival characters, and a 'man-made' monster that has needs like everyone else, but simply cannot satisfy them in more socially acceptable ways. A fascinating subtext running through the story is that it is a variation on the tragedy of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. In Tobe Hooper's tale, the monster is one born of genetic mutation, cleverly foreshadowed by the Freak Animals Alive tent exhibit, where the fetal brother of the monster floats in a jar as an abominable attraction for the hoi polloi.
Indeed, in the film's opening sequence, the Frankenstein monster is shown, first as a poster showing the Glenn Strange characterization (my favorite!), and then as a Mego dolloh sorry, action figurecarried by the young boy, Joey, whose sister soon curses him because of his bizarre prank that scares the wits out of her. Joey's actions are also another subtext running through the film: he dons a mask to become a monster that frightens his sister, and the actual monster wears a Frankenstein mask to become less of a monster, and therefore less frightening to others. It is interesting to note that, unlike the current spate of horror films that feature eye (popping)-candy and little else, in this film, the characters are presented with choices, yet consistently make the wrong ones. And as we all know, in a horror film, when you make the wrong choices, someone, or more likely today everyone, winds up dead. Amy, Buzz, Liz, Ritchie, and Joey consistently make the wrong choices, and suffer the dire consequences. In the tale of Dr. Frankenstein and his monstrous creation, wrong choices also led to death and disaster, but at least here we have the Funhouse!
The funhouse is surrounded by the carnival, a seedy, grimy affair filled with seedy and grimy denizens. There is a bag lady that looks very much like Grandmama from the Addams Family spouting "god is watching you!" a homeless man that wonders around like a zombie, a few bums, the past her prime fortune teller and palm reader (well played by Sylvia Miles), the not so magnificent Marco the Magician, and the barkers (three of them superbly played by Kevin Conway as if he were a natural). Properly toned by John Beal's score and Andrew Lazlo's cinematography, the loud and brightly lit carnival facade hides a darker, more primitive underbelly of murderous anarchy, and its nexus is the funhouse, established by Mr. Hooper's use of two tracking crane shots, one at the beginning and one at the ending of the mayhem, that emanate from the funhouse to encompass its surroundings.
Our hapless group of monster fodder soon regrets their decision to stay the night in the funhouse, and Joey soon regrets sneaking out from his bedroomdown the trusty-trellis-by-the-windowto visit the carnival. We also learn that the father of the monster has regrets about letting it live, in a scene that contains a wealth of hinted at backstory, but must share responsibility for its actions because of choices he has made. Dean Koontz, in his novelization of the film, includes this back story.
The climactic confrontation in the mechanical belly of the funhouse is suitably horrific, yet uses little gore, and, unlike the requisite sequelization antics of many fright films today, provides a definitive and satisfying closure. Unlike the mindless snuff horror approach to today's films, The Funhouse explores themes and provides a story depth that is worth viewing, along with the thrills and chills.
The opening of the film is a nod to Halloween and Psycho, two other masterworks of the genre, and from there builds into a creepy story revolving around teen lust, sleazy carnival characters, and a 'man-made' monster that has needs like everyone else, but simply cannot satisfy them in more socially acceptable ways. A fascinating subtext running through the story is that it is a variation on the tragedy of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. In Tobe Hooper's tale, the monster is one born of genetic mutation, cleverly foreshadowed by the Freak Animals Alive tent exhibit, where the fetal brother of the monster floats in a jar as an abominable attraction for the hoi polloi.
Indeed, in the film's opening sequence, the Frankenstein monster is shown, first as a poster showing the Glenn Strange characterization (my favorite!), and then as a Mego dolloh sorry, action figurecarried by the young boy, Joey, whose sister soon curses him because of his bizarre prank that scares the wits out of her. Joey's actions are also another subtext running through the film: he dons a mask to become a monster that frightens his sister, and the actual monster wears a Frankenstein mask to become less of a monster, and therefore less frightening to others. It is interesting to note that, unlike the current spate of horror films that feature eye (popping)-candy and little else, in this film, the characters are presented with choices, yet consistently make the wrong ones. And as we all know, in a horror film, when you make the wrong choices, someone, or more likely today everyone, winds up dead. Amy, Buzz, Liz, Ritchie, and Joey consistently make the wrong choices, and suffer the dire consequences. In the tale of Dr. Frankenstein and his monstrous creation, wrong choices also led to death and disaster, but at least here we have the Funhouse!
The funhouse is surrounded by the carnival, a seedy, grimy affair filled with seedy and grimy denizens. There is a bag lady that looks very much like Grandmama from the Addams Family spouting "god is watching you!" a homeless man that wonders around like a zombie, a few bums, the past her prime fortune teller and palm reader (well played by Sylvia Miles), the not so magnificent Marco the Magician, and the barkers (three of them superbly played by Kevin Conway as if he were a natural). Properly toned by John Beal's score and Andrew Lazlo's cinematography, the loud and brightly lit carnival facade hides a darker, more primitive underbelly of murderous anarchy, and its nexus is the funhouse, established by Mr. Hooper's use of two tracking crane shots, one at the beginning and one at the ending of the mayhem, that emanate from the funhouse to encompass its surroundings.
Our hapless group of monster fodder soon regrets their decision to stay the night in the funhouse, and Joey soon regrets sneaking out from his bedroomdown the trusty-trellis-by-the-windowto visit the carnival. We also learn that the father of the monster has regrets about letting it live, in a scene that contains a wealth of hinted at backstory, but must share responsibility for its actions because of choices he has made. Dean Koontz, in his novelization of the film, includes this back story.
The climactic confrontation in the mechanical belly of the funhouse is suitably horrific, yet uses little gore, and, unlike the requisite sequelization antics of many fright films today, provides a definitive and satisfying closure. Unlike the mindless snuff horror approach to today's films, The Funhouse explores themes and provides a story depth that is worth viewing, along with the thrills and chills.