countchocula
09-26-2002, 03:29 PM
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1573471046.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif
MINOR SPOILERS
I’m a sucker for southern-fried horror platters. There’s just something about cornfields, farm equipment, and remote, isolated locations in the middle of a sea of dust that stimulate the macabre region of my brain. Of course, the epitome of this style of genre filmmaking is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The entire film feels barren. You never get the sense that civilization is even close to the Sawyer’s humble abode, which effectively magnifies the ominous atmosphere. There are a slew of other “redneck” chillers that tickle my fancy. We’ve got Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Joy Ride, Jeepers Creepers, Children of the Corn (which didn’t tickle my fancy), Pumpkinhead, Signs, Frailty, and a gem I just recently discovered, Tourist Trap! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect stepping into this flick. Hell, I didn’t even know what the plot entailed, which is actually a good thing, a very good thing. I may stop reading synopsis…es (what’s the plural form of synopsis???) altogether. The many twists and turns this hellish hayride takes caught me off guard, and sweetened the viewing experience. I tried to predict the next development, but I simply couldn’t. There’s a surreal vibe here that accentuated the film’s unique edge.
Hmm, where do I start? I know! I’ll start with Davie’s creepy fucking voice! At first, I just assumed that he would remain silent. After all, that’s what I’m used to. So obviously, Davie’s first spoken words jarred me a bit. An articulate villain is usually a nuisance, but here, it elevates the scares. Davie uses perfect diction, and has a few quirks about him. But even with quirks, he’s one unsettling dude. And his many masks are disturbing as well, despite them being slightly derivative of Leatherface’s array of masks. Now that I think about it, there are quite a few similarities between this film and TCM. Not only are they both set in Texas, but they both feature an exhausting chase sequence that ends abruptly with the heroine being consoled by the seemingly harmless old man. Molly waits for Slausen outside of the wax museum; Sally waits for the cook inside of the gas station. Of course, we know what happens after that. Coincidence??? Y’know, I’m shocked that Tourist Trap was originally slapped with a PG-rating. It’s not like Spielberg pulled some strings for this flick in addition to Poltergeist. The opening death sequence alone is enough to warrant an R-rating. And then you have the “suffocation” scene! Shit, that’s a morbid way to go! It’s bad enough without Davie’s eerie play-by-play commentary. I feel the need to mention Pino Dinaggio’s diverse score. It’s eccentric, romantic, menacing, and beautiful. Every mood that this film seamlessly wades through is perfectly captured in the music. What’s even more impressive, is the fact that it kept me awake during the dull opening credits. You’ve accomplished the unthinkable, Pino!
The cast deserves a round of applause. These roles could have been throwaways, but somehow, stereotypes are dodged. The characters are just your regular teens. That’s it. But they aren’t boring in the slightest. Distinct personalities are evident without them having to be blown out of proportion for the viewer to recognize them. It was a pleasure watching Tanya Roberts in brunette mode. She’s just as hot today! It goes without saying that Chuck Connors delivers a layered performance as the troubled, lonesome Mr. Slausen. He displays a very wide range of emotions, and handles each one convincingly. I know it sounds like I loved every aspect of this film, but such isn’t the case. Our villain’s telekinesis, while taken advantage of with some creative death sequences, feels out of place. I can’t help but to think that this should have been a stripped down slasher. I mean, Davey’s special powers aren’t even made reference to, save for a couple of lines. If you’re going to incorporate telekinesis into your script, at least acknowledge it! My second disparagement has to do with the anticlimactic third act. The pace just rolls over and dies. I lost interest in the proceedings, and I lost sympathy for Molly. I’m clueless as to how the film lost so much steam in the final twenty minutes or so. Everything seemed to be going fine, and then…a lifeless thud.
But in the end, I was more than satisfied with Tourist Trap. The atmosphere was effective (excellent use of fog), Chuck Connors was entertaining, Davey was unnerving, and Tanya Roberts was hot. Watch this in a double feature alongside Maniac, and savor the fucked up mannequins!
My rating-4/5
MINOR SPOILERS
I’m a sucker for southern-fried horror platters. There’s just something about cornfields, farm equipment, and remote, isolated locations in the middle of a sea of dust that stimulate the macabre region of my brain. Of course, the epitome of this style of genre filmmaking is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The entire film feels barren. You never get the sense that civilization is even close to the Sawyer’s humble abode, which effectively magnifies the ominous atmosphere. There are a slew of other “redneck” chillers that tickle my fancy. We’ve got Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Joy Ride, Jeepers Creepers, Children of the Corn (which didn’t tickle my fancy), Pumpkinhead, Signs, Frailty, and a gem I just recently discovered, Tourist Trap! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect stepping into this flick. Hell, I didn’t even know what the plot entailed, which is actually a good thing, a very good thing. I may stop reading synopsis…es (what’s the plural form of synopsis???) altogether. The many twists and turns this hellish hayride takes caught me off guard, and sweetened the viewing experience. I tried to predict the next development, but I simply couldn’t. There’s a surreal vibe here that accentuated the film’s unique edge.
Hmm, where do I start? I know! I’ll start with Davie’s creepy fucking voice! At first, I just assumed that he would remain silent. After all, that’s what I’m used to. So obviously, Davie’s first spoken words jarred me a bit. An articulate villain is usually a nuisance, but here, it elevates the scares. Davie uses perfect diction, and has a few quirks about him. But even with quirks, he’s one unsettling dude. And his many masks are disturbing as well, despite them being slightly derivative of Leatherface’s array of masks. Now that I think about it, there are quite a few similarities between this film and TCM. Not only are they both set in Texas, but they both feature an exhausting chase sequence that ends abruptly with the heroine being consoled by the seemingly harmless old man. Molly waits for Slausen outside of the wax museum; Sally waits for the cook inside of the gas station. Of course, we know what happens after that. Coincidence??? Y’know, I’m shocked that Tourist Trap was originally slapped with a PG-rating. It’s not like Spielberg pulled some strings for this flick in addition to Poltergeist. The opening death sequence alone is enough to warrant an R-rating. And then you have the “suffocation” scene! Shit, that’s a morbid way to go! It’s bad enough without Davie’s eerie play-by-play commentary. I feel the need to mention Pino Dinaggio’s diverse score. It’s eccentric, romantic, menacing, and beautiful. Every mood that this film seamlessly wades through is perfectly captured in the music. What’s even more impressive, is the fact that it kept me awake during the dull opening credits. You’ve accomplished the unthinkable, Pino!
The cast deserves a round of applause. These roles could have been throwaways, but somehow, stereotypes are dodged. The characters are just your regular teens. That’s it. But they aren’t boring in the slightest. Distinct personalities are evident without them having to be blown out of proportion for the viewer to recognize them. It was a pleasure watching Tanya Roberts in brunette mode. She’s just as hot today! It goes without saying that Chuck Connors delivers a layered performance as the troubled, lonesome Mr. Slausen. He displays a very wide range of emotions, and handles each one convincingly. I know it sounds like I loved every aspect of this film, but such isn’t the case. Our villain’s telekinesis, while taken advantage of with some creative death sequences, feels out of place. I can’t help but to think that this should have been a stripped down slasher. I mean, Davey’s special powers aren’t even made reference to, save for a couple of lines. If you’re going to incorporate telekinesis into your script, at least acknowledge it! My second disparagement has to do with the anticlimactic third act. The pace just rolls over and dies. I lost interest in the proceedings, and I lost sympathy for Molly. I’m clueless as to how the film lost so much steam in the final twenty minutes or so. Everything seemed to be going fine, and then…a lifeless thud.
But in the end, I was more than satisfied with Tourist Trap. The atmosphere was effective (excellent use of fog), Chuck Connors was entertaining, Davey was unnerving, and Tanya Roberts was hot. Watch this in a double feature alongside Maniac, and savor the fucked up mannequins!
My rating-4/5