Tourist Trap (1979)

Director: David Schmoeller

Starring: Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood, Tanya Roberts, Dawn Jeffory, Keith McDermott, Shailar Coby

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Every year young people disappear

Plot: Four people go in search of their missing friend. What they find is Slausen's Lost Oasis, and mannequin dressed museum and a seemingly abandoned mansion owned by gentle old Mr. Slausen. He agrees to help with the car trouble, but some of the girls decide to look for a working phone inside the house even though Mr. Slausen warned them not too. Hidden within the home is Mr. Slausen's misunderstood mask hidden younger brother. What they learn is that the mannequins seem very much alive, or is there something much more terrifying behind the mask?

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? Nooooo.

#227 on Drive-In Delirium Vol. 1 (Part of the Trailer Trash Project)

The first 20 minutes or so are fantastic. The first kill is outstanding with the shit flying straight out of the pantry and right at the stuck in the door. WOW! And what's better is the moment the final blow is struck there's no sound but that of slowly dripping blood (which takes a few seconds before we see it). I'm shocked. This is going to be one hell of a movie!

Then the kids show up and there's some skinny dipping...nice but no cigar as there's not a lick of nudity in the entire picture which is too bad because this movie would have benefited with some.



The next few minutes are fine as we get introduced to the the main protagonist of the piece played by Chuck Connors. Apparently we're in the South because most everyone attempts a Southern accent on certain words and they all fail miserably. I can look past that but what I can't get past is the following hour of all the mannequin stuff and the 'huge reveal' that's not much of a surprise. You'll figure it out early on or at least suspect it. That hour gets pretty damn dull. There are some really good ideas but they just don't gel the way it's filmed. It's dull and without any fun or interest. But, MAN, that first half hour is great.