TOURIST
TRAP (1979)Director: David Schmoeller
Koch Full Moon Releasing
TOURIST
TRAP (1979)"Every year young people disappear."
During the late 70s when "splatter"
came into its own as a viable (and lucrative) sub-genre of the horror cinema,
first-time director David Schmoeller (of PUPPET MASTER fame) slipped his quirky
outing, TOURIST TRAP, in among the growing brood of Halloween slashers, malevolent
morticians, and summer camp slaughterhouses. While other pictures of the day
summarily sliced, diced, speared, and sphered their stable of victims,
Schmoeller's disturbing tale of five young adults who unwittingly stumble upon
a roadside museum and its creepy caretaker offered a less visceral yet undeniably
more chilling brand of terror that, now 20 years later, still gives g
ood
reason to squirm.
When their friend fails to return from his trek to seek help with a blown car tire, Elaine, Becky, Molly, and Jerry travel up the road to find their lost travel-mate. Their jeep (a VW Thing, to be precise) conks out as they approach Slausen's Lost Oasis, a seemingly deserted tourist stop that likely went under after the local highway was rerouted. While Jerry fiddles with the vehicle, the three girls find an inviting swimming hole and set about for a skinny dip. Old man Slausen, however, steps up shore side but appears friendly enough since he doesn't get many visitors anymore. He offers to drive Jerry up the road for some help with the jeep's engine while the girls explore the odd Oasis' wax museum, full of all manner of life-like mannequins.
Curious
about the home that stands quietly beyond the museum, Eileen ventures off to
explore, ultimately finding her way into the house only to be confronted by
the mysterious Davey, Slausen's deranged brother responsible for crafting the
mannequins and now taken with wearing a mannequin face. Soon, Becky ventures
into the house when Eileen fails to return, leaving Molly to discover the truth
about Davey, Slausen, and the dark secret the lost Oasis holds for wayward visitors.
Despite the low body count (when
compared to peers FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN, and others of its time), TOURIST
TRAP is no less effective and rightfully even more frightening than it's screen
contemporaries as it breaks from the quickly detectable promiscuity-leads-to-death
template. The film succeeds on a darkly psychological level because, rather
than pump rivers of blood, it has what the routine slasher pics don't - mannequins.
Undeniably and uniformly, mannequins (and their half-sized brethren, ventriloquist
dummies) are creepy. Who hasn't considered, 
while
strolling through a department store or perhaps being employed at one and milling
about when the lights are dimmed, what they might do "if one of these dummies
moved - or spoke?" Though a laughable notion initially, this is the sort
of thought that can eventually evoke genuine shivers. It's a frightening thought,
really, akin to encountering silhouettes in a darkened room and has been the
basis of other frightening excursions into the purportedly inanimate unknown
as in Richard Attenborough's MAGIC and television's THE TWILIGHT ZONE. The mannequins
in TOURIST TRAP, though, are downright twisted and, thereby, all the more frightening.
In various states of completeness and dress, with maws that spring open to unleash
unsettling shrieks and moans, these mannequins are unrelenting in their pursuit
of hapless prey.
Beyond
the mannequins, though, are the characters of Slausen (superbly played by veteran
actor Chuck Connors) and his deranged brother, Davey. Neither of them seems
very well grounded, emotionally speaking, Davey being especially distressing
given his penchant to dress up in mannequin garb and ability to effect telekinetic
forces. It's Davey's deliberateness and calm that propels the truly unsettling
nature of his madness, an unmitigated e
vil
thing, such as has been likened to Norman Bates and Leatherface. The rest of
the cast performs serviceably with Jocelyn Jones as Molly leading the pack in
terms of believable terror and a young Tanya Roberts (later to join CHARLIE'S
ANGELS) looking absolutely stunning in her over-tight tube top complimented
by her dazzling blue eyes.
Credit Koch Full Moon Releasing
for recognizing the need to issue TOURIST TRAP on DVD in this 20th Anniversary
edition. The image, digitally mastered from an original negative, looks far
better than any of the few video incarnations of the past. Presented in its
original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the image quality strikes a generally consistent
level of detail and color balance despite the fact that the source material
was prone to softness and occasional grain. Much of the film is dark, as filmed,
yet this transfer is managed well enough to avoid murkiness during such sequences.
Source print damage is evident (mainly during reel changes) but clears up quickly.
The audio, presented in Dolby Digital Stereo is more than serviceable and effectively
accentuate composer Pino Donaggio's (CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL) lush score without
upstaging
the dialog and sound effects. That score, formerly available on vinyl, is likewise
need of re-mastering and reissue from Varese-Sarabande.
The disc also includes a running commentary from director Schmoeller who shares a generous amount of information early on yet, unfortunately, resigns himself to merely viewing the film with occasional comment as the story progresses. Still, he offers plenty of anecdotal musings regarding the film, its origin, and his relationship as first-time director with his cast and crew. Although it becomes a bit sparse, it's a useful track nonetheless.
The disc wraps up with the film's original trailer plus trailers from a bevy of other Full Moon DVD releases. In all, it's a great package and does reasonable justice to the oft-overlooked sleeper. If you're looking for a more mature sort of late-70s horror, look no further than TOURIST TRAP. (Dennis Prince)