Review of The Funhouse (1981) by Alex R — 06 Dec 2010

The Funhouse is a terrifying gem of the horror genre. A film with loads of atmosphere and odd characters, this is one terrificpiece of early 8o's horror. Aside From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is the best film by Tobe Hooper.

Elizabeth Berridge gives a fine debut performance as Amy, and Berridge would later land the role of Constance Mozart in Amadeus. A very talented actress, she pulls off something terrifyingly convincing here.

Another unique performance is Kevin Conway as the Funhouse Barker, the villain of the film. Conway is simply diabolical and adds a lot of flavor to the film with his performance. Sure theres nothing really happening for at least the first 45 minutes of the film, but with a film like this, Hooper doesn't want to jump into the terror just yet.

He wants us to connect with the characters, and when something happens to them, you feel something. The first 45 minutes was designed to establish a character relationship with the audience. Tobe Hooper manages to do something well here, and The Funhouse is a cleverly crafted horror film with tons of scares.

When the terror starts, it starts. The Funhouse is awesome horror film that delivers top notch entertainment and scares The Funhouse is a very underrated film in my opinion. I personally feel that this is one of Tobe Hooper's best films after The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The thing that I really like the most about the film is that the setting is set in the Carnival. A very spooky, and chilling atmosphere. The acting is decent, some may fine the film too slow and the pacing not up to their standards.

But The Funhouse is what I'd consider a semi classic film, in the sense that this is a film that take time to effectively build the tension and horror thats to come. The Funhouse is definitely a fun ride into terror, and is not a film to be missed.

Recently, Tobe Hooper has lost more than his touch in the horror game. He no longer makes quality horror films, and falls short on many occasions. At least we have such a classic like The Funhouse, a film that doesn't attack the viewer with straight forward terror.

The film steadily builds up it's characters and tension to get an effective reaction out of the audience. The Funhouse is definitely an underrated classic of the Horror genre, and is one of the finest films that Tobe Hooper has directed.