'Tourist Trap' comes from Charles Band and Full Moon Pictures. It was Directed by David Schmoeller, who would go on to make the first in the extremely poor 'Puppet Master' franchise however, with his first film he brings a unique take on the 'Texas Chainsaw' formula. The film has a group of young teens (of course) who have busted a tire and go looking for help down the highway. They manage to reach what looks to be an abandoned tourist trap attraction run by a mysterious old man named Slausen (Chuck Connors) who holds a dark secret in the old farmhouse behind the attraction.
The film starts off immediately letting you know that it won't be a typical slasher film. We are introduced to a mysterious psychic powered killer, who seems to be controlling the various mannequins and displays throughout the museum and this is where the film stands out. The environment these kids find themselves in is absolutely creepy as hell. Old dolls, mannequins, or wax figures have always freaked me out even to this day and here you get a doozy. Every scene seems to be overcrowded with these things, and on top of that, their eyes move, they laugh manically and evilly at their victims, and the killer himself even wears various masks to look like them.
It's a really big aspect of 'Tourist Trap' and it really makes it a hidden gem among the pile of crap. You get a great performance out of Chuck Connors here, who I honestly thought wouldn't be caught dead in a film such as this. He hits it out of the park though, and he seems to really enjoy what he's doing. He's very joking towards the characters, and dead serious and creepy when needed. He's clearly a ripoff of Norman Bates but he still makes it his own and really does a great job.
The teens themselves are actually likeable compared to most 80's slashers. You get a performance from a young Tanya Roberts (That 70's Show) before she really hit it off, and the final girl is one of the best I've seen, though her fate isn't any better than theirs I must say. The ending, which I won't spoil but I must bring up the sheer insanity of it. I loved that a film would be that ballsy and not go with the ending most would assume. Well done. I just wanted to mention a funny piece of trivia about 'Tourist Trap' that it strangely resembles the 2005 remake of 'House of Wax'. The film has various similarities involving twins, covering people in plaster and wax, and an off-road tourist trap luring victims. The film feels much more of a remake to 'Tourist Trap' and I love it more for it.
'Tourist Trap' is a perfect example of a lost gem. It is such a creepy film to sit through and I wish I had obtained it much earlier in life. It's a great addition to the horror genre in the spirit of 'Halloween'. It's style and what you don't see that makes it more disturbing rather than a gorefest. The best thing is you can grab it dirt cheap right now on Blu-Ray. Perfect for Halloween night or a night with your buddies, check it out.
Tourist Trap ((A+))
Pros:
-Chuck Connors
-Freaky as Hell
-Likeable Characters
-Atmosphere
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