One of the more interesting type of film - Horror or otherwise - is what aficionados call the “one room” film. These are movies where the majority of the story takes place in one location; like a hotel room, an apartment, or a house. In Drama, these films are often adaptations of stage plays for obvious reasons. In Horror, however, it is usually a budgetary issue. It takes a skilled hand to pull these films off and one of the better “one room” film that we’ve seen in the Horror world was Tobe Hooper’s cult classic from 1981; THE FUNHOUSE.
More below!
In THE FUNHOUSE, our hero, Amy (Elizabeth Berridge), and three of her friends head out for an evening at a traveling carnival. As the night winds down, one of the group, Richie (Miles Chapin) dares the group to spend the night in the funhouse, which is actually more like a gothic dark ride. They sneak in and once the park closes, they witness the murder of fortune-teller Madame Zena by a mute man in a Frankenstein mask. As the kids try to leave, they find themselves locked in, and they further witness the ride’s barker Conrad (Kevin Conway) berate the man in the mask (who he reveals is his hideously deformed son) for what he has done. A dropped cigarette lighter tips Conrad off that they are not alone in the ride and he and his son spend the night stalking and eliminating the teenagers.
Tobe Hooper directs THE FUNHOUSE with his usual energy and flair. He uses the limited space and gothic theme to great affect - making us feel just as trapped and helpless as the teenagers inside. Cinematographer Andrew Laszlo uses the rickety wooden structure to create light and shadow that recalls a cage. The production design of the funhouse itself perfectly balances cheesiness and genuine creepiness, and Jeff Beal’s score became a cult classic in the world of Horror music. The film was also only the second screen appearance for Elizabeth Berridge, who carries the narrative with a compelling, sympathetic performance. After watching her in this movie, is no wonder that only a few films later she would win the role of Constanze Mozart in “Amadeus”.
One of a string of winning films for Tobe Hooper in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, THE FUNHOUSE is a cool, creepy, and exciting example of a “one room” film. It uses its setting in a creative way and delivers the thrills and chills without feeling cheap. It is one of those films that sort of disappeared after its release, but enjoyed a renaissance on home video. The years have been kind to the film and it holds up very well all these years later. Give it a try if you dare face the challenge of THE FUNHOUSE!
Parental Guide: Not a lot of gore, but some intense shocks and suspense. Keep this one 16+
THE FUNHOUSE fun facts -
Tobe Hooper was asked by Steven Spielberg to direct E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, but Hooper was busy with this film. They would later collaborate on POLTERGEIST.
The film was released in Brazil under the title “Pay to get in, Pray to get out”. The French release was called “Massacres on the Ghost Train”.
Wayne Doba, who plays the monster, was a professional mime.
The two-headed cow shown in the film was real.
Funhouse - “Who will dare to face the challenge of the Funhouse? Who is mad enough to enter the darkness? “
Buzz Klemmet - “Hey, watch who you‘re calling “asshole”, asshole!”
Funhouse - “Come on, I just want to give you your lighter back. What are y‘all doing up there? You know you‘re trespassing on private property. Come on, you‘re going to have to come down sooner or later, ain’t no other way out of here. Come ON now! Ohhh, ain’t no reason to be afraid of him. He‘s harmless… once he‘s been fed. All right, have it your way. Finders keeper! Losers, weepers!”