hellholehorror A good popcorn horror. I sat there and ate food whilst this scary movie took me on a hellish night. The main girl is pretty and the main monster hideous. It works really well. The early parts of the movie seemed a little dull in places and there weren't enough killings but it was gruesome with some shocks.

redsox-37418 I used to love those types of Funhouses or Haunted Houses when I was a kid. There was some type of element of nostalgia when watching them in the movies but they don't have them anymore. At least not at the carnivals in my area.I loved this movie. It had the right amount of graininess (if that's a word) and realism that it really got me feeling this could happen. I know some might not share my enthusiasm but I watch Funhouse at least once a year.

Raul Faust "The Funhouse" is a film which everyone has spoken something about, even thought it's not even a classic of the genre. As the movie began, I felt like I was about to see the most bizarre and horrifying thing of my life, when, in fact, it was just the most bizarre. It is like this because, despite Tobi Hooper being a horror master, this project doesn't seem to be made to be (exclusively) creepy; the funny aspects of the story are what, in fact, bring some charm to it. Honestly, I thank god that it wasn't creepy; if director wanted it to be, he would SURELY be able to. All in all, if you've enjoyed 2007's "Dead Silence" and you want to see a corny and hilarious version of that, "The Funhouse" is probably a good choice for you.

TheRedDeath30 Tobe Hooper is a mystery to me. His debut film, Texas CHAINSAW, might be the greatest horror film in modern times, a benchmark in which to compare all horror movies since. So, why is it that he's never really been able to come close to the majesty of that movie? Yes, you can point to POLTERGEIST, but many in filmdom would argue that movie is more Spielberg than Hooper.I would put this movie in a similar category with EATEN ALIVE, his previous film, a movie which I seem to enjoy far more than most. Both movies carry a similar problem, though. They are gorgeously filmed, stylishly lit, artistic slashers with wooden characters, dull plots and poor pacing. Part of that blame lies in the screenwriters, to be sure, but it's as if Hooper spent far too much time worrying about how to shoot his films and not enough wondering if it was a worthwhile film to make in the first place.The movie starts off with an "homage" to HALLOWEEN, introducing us to the main heroine and her kid brother who will be pivotal to the plot. We could, also, argue here that there is a fine line between "paying homage" and "ripping off". Our final girl has a typical a*hole boyfriend who is taking her to a carnival against her father's wishes, with two stereotypical teens in tow. From here, the movie spends a little bit too much time with the teens exploring the carnival. It badly cries out for something similar to the Hitchhiker scene in TCM to establish a bit of tension that will carry the plot through this portion, something that portends the doom to follow, but it's essentially nothing more than 4 generic teens walking around a carnival. When I say generic, I mean it. There is no personality to here. Nothing to like or dislike. They exist only to die later. I do think Kevin Conway's multiple appearance as a carny barker are good here and help to set somewhat of a tone. There's something inherently creepy, to me, about that poor audio, cheap microphone sound that's used well. The fun starts when the teens decide to spend the evening in the funhouse. This is where Hooper really shines. He uses the spooky qualities of the old school carnival shocks to maximum effect, combined with his always excellent sense of lighting to create a genuinely unsettling funhouse atmosphere.The teens then witness something that will spell out their inevitable doom and our creature is unmasked in a reveal reminiscent of Chaney's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. The monster makeup is excellent and provides a unique slasher villain. From here, though, the movie just never goes anywhere you want it to go. Hooper sets up these amazing sets and excellent shots and you want so much for him to use this setting to the same max effect that he was able to use the old farmhouse in TCM, but it never gets there. The killings become paint by the numbers, formulaic slasher deaths, all leading up to the inevitability that our final girl will escape and the monster will meet its' demise.It's better than the majority of generic slashers that came out in the wake of HALLOWEEN and Friday THE 13th, but can't quite elevate itself to classic level.