I am a total sucker for ’80s horror movies, and when I saw that this one was also directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), I knew I had to watch it this month.
Four teens (Amy, Buzz, Liz and Richie) are at the carnival, even though Amy’s dad told her not to go. Apparently it’s the same carnival that went through a nearby town a while back and two kids were murdered there. And Amy’s like, “No, of course not! We’re going to the movies!” Oh, Amy. Never, ever lie in a horror movie.
So they’re at the carnival and eating cotton candy and riding the rides and then they decide that what would be REALLY fun is spending the night in the funhouse. Which honestly, I don’t get AT ALL. Because it’s basically the carnival version of a haunted house—which is to say, not haunted at all. It’s not like you’re spending the night at the Amityville house or anything.
ANYWAY. So they’re hanging out at the funhouse and it turns out that they’re not alone…
This movie is so ridiculous, I can’t even tell you. And if you want your horror movies to not have anything but scares, you’re going to hate this. It doesn’t get into the “stalking teens” part until well after the movie starts (I wasn’t watching the clock, but I think easily 45 minutes and maybe even an hour). But what Tobe Hooper did really well was making me like the teens, which makes it sad when they start getting picked off.
