Tourist Trap (1979)

3 / 5

Tagline: Every year young people disappear
Directed By: David Schmoeller
Written By: J. Larry Carroll, David Schmoeller
Actors Include: Chuck Conors, Tanya Roberts, Jon Van Ness
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: nope
Country: USA

Review:
There was actually plenty to like about this and well plenty to dislike. It's a shame this was so poorly made because the idea is a decent one (okay so it's not exactly an original idea but the execution is). If only they'd had a bit of a budget and tried to make this a little more frightening things could have been so much different. As is it's campy fun and it's easy enough to get through once but not exactly a movie you'll want to see again and again (or maybe that's just me). An abandoned tourist town has a wax museum (I think it's supposed to be that) and some motorists get stranded. Of course things get crazy and people start dying...and in really stupid stupid ways. The set is loaded with mannequins which is actually kind of creepy except they make this stupid angel humming sound and for some reason their jaws are all hinged like a Pez dispenser. It makes otherwise creepy scenes laughable but that's not the only issue, the erm killer doesn't shut up...I mean rarely ever and he's annoying. I'm not very afraid of someone who is simply annoying, I just leave the room! The deaths were also ridiculous, it's the first time I've seen someone whip creamed to death (or it looks like whipped cream anyhow), and I won't spoil the other deaths but I assure you that they are equally lame. This would have benefited from someone else directing it and then I could say it'd be really honestly awesome but as it is it just has too many shortcomings. Oh and it never seems to end which is never a good thing. Some of the mannequin stuff is a bit creepy and having them wait for the murderer to come back in his lair is kinda neat but that's about where the thrills stop. Perhaps check it out for a few laughs but scares and blood aren't really available with this one.

Availablity:  On DVD