Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

hellraiser7 There is always something creepy about inanimate figurines that come to life that can be creepy sometimes. It's hard to say why maybe it's because of how their made, like their made a little too real or even unreal. Though for me it's a more psychological reason on how much we blur the line between real and unreal and by doing that we become unable to distinguish the difference, which makes us vulnerable to whatever forces threaten us from both realms.This is an under the radar gem that I really like, I really like the plotline which is the typical one you've seen in lots of horror films like "Wrong Turn", "House of 1,000 Corpses" etc. Where some young people go on a road trip but have got themselves going the wrong direction or had a break down at the wrong place at the wrong time. But it's what they always run into that makes the story stand out.Not much in the characters, the group of young adults they serve their functions. Though if anyone it's Chuck Connors, never thought this actor would be in a film like this but he is. I really like his performance as Mr.Salusen, he's the kind of character your not 100 percent sure about where at first he comes off as an alright guy and he's a bit sympathetic as he's a person that has gone through a loss but is down on his luck as his old wax museum no longer gets business. However you sense something about him isn't on the level, like in one scene we see his phone doesn't work. Not that that's a big deal as it doesn't seem like he has anyone to really call but I feel that little thing is a big way of telling you not just he doesn't get out much but how long he hasn't gotten out.The killer Pugface doesn't disappoint, the mask he has along with that voice it will just give your spine a chill tickle, he looks and sounds like Zeke the Plumber from an episode of "Salute Your Shorts" wonder if the writer of that episode saw this film, on a side note that guy creeped me out too. Just the way the guy moves which is sometimes regular speed but also stilted, even with his own mouth or let alone how much the guy stands still. At time your almost not sure if he's a mannequin. The guy utilizes automotive devices to make his mannequins move, however it's not all automated as he is also armed with telecentric abilities to make he's sculptures have life. I also really like that there is a bit of a guessing game on the identity of this killer, though you can easily guess who it is but I like how it's handled because there are times it can really throw a curve ball on you assumptions to keep you guessing.Other than that we're all really in this film for the suspenseful horror as well as effects. The effects in this film are astounding, as it's all practical there's no CGI bull crap. This film really had the best use of puppeteering, electro magnets, automation and even make up designs as there were some people made to look like mannequins/ wax figures, those make up effects were convincing because half the time I wasn't sure. I really like how the mannequins move which I'll admit really creeped me out, though some of the movement was done by the actors as mannequins. It's very strange because it's like the inanimate figures move and don't move at the same time like you would miss it if you blinked or turned your head for a second. That's a creepy feeling because it's that feeling of dropping your guard and becoming vulnerable for a mere moment.The suspense throughout the film is very good it is just creepy as heck from beginning to end, from the use of darkness, seeing those figurines move, that big gapping mouth, the sounds you hear from them or quietly in a different direction. There is that unsafe feeling as there is a great sense of isolation from the fact that they all drove of in the middle of nowhere which means help won't come for miles. That each of them are getting picked off one by one and your honestly hopping at least one will make it. And just simply blurring the line from the real and unreal just like some of the poor characters, even you at time have trouble distinguishing the difference as it's constantly messed with; there is one final scene near the end which I'll admit gave me chills I won't say what it is but it's the time when that line between both real and unreal almost completely disappears.But the very best thing about this film is the score which is great, it's one of my favorite horror movie scores ever. It almost reminds me of the kind of score I would hear from the Italian Horror films. Because the score has this very strange everything out of wack vibe mainly from the theme song, down though out the film to it at first and then cuts to filling you with a sense of dread, which perfectly fits the nature of the film.Watch out for the next mannequin you see, it might have it's eye on you. Rating: 3 and a half stars

adriangr I'm a big fan of this movie even though it is rather uneven. The basic story is not original: a group of touring your people get a flat tyre and stop at a remote roadside "attraction", from where they are menaced and murdered by persons unknown. The movie does not have a big budget, but it does what it can within the restraints, and the source of the danger is where the movie does show imagination.The tension and horror is provided by the many mannequins that litter the attraction and a private house behind it. Always a creepy prop in many movies, with added creepiness coming from the fact that these mannequins can move. Which makes for many eerie scenes as they appear to come to life, much to the dismay of the cast. There are some great scenes, although as I mentioned, there is a lot of variation in how effective this all looks. Some of the movie is nightmarish - most notable in the very opening scene when one of the young people is terrorised in an abandoned gas station by moving mannequin parts and levitating every day objects. It's quite startling and provides a great sense of unease. Things continue in a similarly baffling way as various masked figures, mannequins and wax figures pop up all over the place. When things work, the film looks like a piece of genius, but some flaws do show. Whenever any of the moving dummies are seen in any type of sentient operation, it's obvious right away that these are actors dressed in costumes, which immediately takes away any mystery. The better scenes are when genuine mannequins become animated, which presumably is done by pulling offscreen wires and jiggling from out of shot stagehands. Believe me, this is far better then live people trying to pass as statues. There are so many mannequins and spare parts that I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the availability of free props came first, and the movie was written around them!There is very little violence or gore in the movie, and zero nudity, which allowed for it to pass with a very low rating. This may have contributed to the movie being less successful than it's peers which were starting to push the envelope in terms of gore. Surprisingly, though there is a fairly shocking and sadistic scene showing a victim being slowly suffocated that I found very uncomfortable. The acting is not bad, and the movie benefits from a fantastic final 30 seconds and freeze frame ending. Something that really doesn't work is the score, from industry big name Pino Donaggio, which is a painful "children's clockwork toy" theme that inspires no suspense whatsoever, and would be more at home in a William Castle movie.Despite these shortcomings, the movie is still enjoyable. Anytime the mannequins are rolling their eyes, or dropping their mouths open in horrible gaping screams, you'll be entertained, but when you see through the effects, or try and work out the logic of the events, you will be less impressed. But I would say give this one a go. It's certainly unlike any other slasher movie from the same period

Joseph Brando Ever notice how often the earliest flicks by horror directors, before they go on to bigger and higher budget-productions, are usually the ones that are the coolest and creepiest? Having budget restraints forces a talented director to utilize everything they've got to bring us a story that "wows" us, without taking the easy ways out! Four decades later and TOURIST TRAP is still effective, still creepy, still able to make store mannequins scare the @#$! out of you! Chuck Conners is the ghoulish remnant of his shuttered roadside "tourist trap" - a wax museum/gift shop - along with his plethora of mannequins. Five unlucky young adults have the unfortunate experience of having their car break down in the middle of nowhere and getting a personal tour of this closed down roadside attraction. Gritty and unpolished, but never succumbing to over-the-top shenanigans that plague so many horror movies, Tourist Trap slow burns with a nightmarish tone, and a very effectively eerie score courtesy of Pino Donaggio.Many mannequin horrors have come since, but none are as effective as this low-budget classic from 1979. A must for Horror Fans who prefer the macabre and disturbing over the shocking and gory.

Bonehead-XL Horror doesn't have to be original to be good. "Tourist Trap" is boldly derivative of several classics of the genre and yet contains some truly startling, creepy imagery. Like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," it follows a group of youths traveling through the American South, unaware of the terror they're about to encounter. They find a creepy wax museum, like in "House of Wax," and are soon stalked by a murderer with telekinetic powers, like in "Carrie," and a split personality, like in "Psycho." Considering producer Charles Band never met an idea he liked that wasn't worth ripping off, this isn't surprising. "Tourist Trap" is a prime example of an early slasher film. The killer wears a distinctive mask and offs his victims in creative manners. Of the three girls, two wear skin-tight tops and barely-there jean-shorts. The survivor wears a long dress that nearly covers her whole body. Molly seems much less interested in skinny dipping then her girlfriends and, most obviously, doesn't have a boyfriend. She's the classical final girl, through and through, even the killer admires her purity. The success of "Tourist Trap" has little to do with its imitative story. Instead, the film mines the natural creepiness of mannequins to great effect while creating a surreal, blackly comedic tone. An early scene is a dozy. One of the girl's boyfriends walks into an empty building. The audience has no idea what the film is about yet so when mannequins begin smashing through the windows, we're caught off-guard. The mannequins proceed to laugh wickedly. One's head falls off, its mouth flapping open on a hinge, a demonic laugh echoing out. This is a simple effect that is incredibly creepy for reasons I can't quite explain. Objects fly out of a cabinet, a pipe clatters around on the floor, the victim yells for help, and the mannequins keep on laughing. When the pretty boy is struck dead, the scene falls silent, save for the sound of his blood dripping from the pipe. As far as horror movie opening statements go, "Tourist Trap" packs a great one.There are other notable scare sequences. A seemingly unmoving mannequin leaping from a chair is a great jump-scare. Two victims, the viewer along with them, are forced to sit and watch as an innocent girl is tied down and suffocated by having plaster smeared over her face. It's an intense, cruel, frightening moment, focusing on the girl's agony more so then her impending demise. The screaming mannequin head appear again, tossed across the forest, the slack-jaw mouths hanging open again. I still don't know why that's so unnerving. This leads to a fantastic moment of the killer rising out of the water behind the final girl, ready to hold her down. More subtle moments involve mannequin eyes slowly moving, living actors among the still dolls, the figurines sighing in sing-song fashion. "Tourist Trap" knows all about the uncanny valley and the effect it can have on people. Those that suffer from pediophobia will want to stay clear of this one.The film also has one of the more endearingly bizarre villains of seventies horror cinema. I've long been a Chuck Connors fan, since watching reruns of "Branded" with my grandfather as a little kid. His tall, imposing figure and stout chin got Mr. Connors many roles as heavies, cowboys, gangsters, and bad dudes. Mr. Slausen is bad too, of course, but in an altogether different way. When in his 'sane' personality, he tells deeply affecting stories about his long-gone wife. Even when describing how he murdered his wife, Connors maintains that folksy likability. It's fairly obvious from the beginning that the benign Mr. Slausen and his psychotic "brother' Davey are one person, especially since the film makes no attempt to hide Connors' distinctive frame. When the two personalities start to cross over is when "Tourist Trap" gets truly weird. The towering, stocky Connors applying make-up, going on about how 'pretty' someone is, playing with dolls, makes for a strange effect. No scene is stranger then Slausen sharing a bowl of soup with one of his mannequins, a moment as comical as it is bizarre. Chuck Connors goes for it, clearly having the time of his life, giving the deranged Davey personality an exaggerated cartoon voice and having the sane Mr. Slausen walk with the limp. The look of glee on his face is visually obvious during several scenes.The victimized girls aren't as fascinating as their stalker but are memorable for different reasons. This was a Charles Band production, after all, so of course there's some exploitation. Future Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts looks spellbinding as Becky, clad in a low-cut, very tight tube top and itty-bitty cut-off shorts. As delicious as Roberts is, Robin Sherwood gives her a run for her money as Eillen, the other girl in a similar outfit. Jocelyn Jones, though much more conservatively dressed, is just as likable. When she is left alone with a shotgun, crying at every strange noise, you get a great sense of her vulnerability."Tourist Trap" goes off the rails at the end. There's a surreal tone throughout but the ending goes straight-up into dream logic. It feels very much like the screen writing couldn't figure out how to end things. Never the less, "Tourist Trap" is still a delightfully weird, very creepy horror cult classic. Pino Dinaggio's fantastic, fun house score helps establish that oddball tone, as does David Schmoeller's atmospheric direction. It was the first of several great, quirky horror films Schmoller would make, including the similarly underrated "Crawlspace" and Full Moon franchise-starter "Puppet Master." Stephen King raved about "Tourist Trap" in "Danse Macabre." If you haven't seen it yet, seek it out now.