Years ago at a horror convention, I met a guy pretending to be Tobe Hooper, a complete moron swelled up with boastfulness & showing around his three-ring notebook binders full of faked stills for a planned horror film he said he was raising money to complete.

I was so unimpressed & could hardly believe a self-important dumbshit like that made Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) & Funhouse (1981). What a relief to find out the guy was a complete fraud & Tobe Hooper was not at the con.

My all-time fave by Hooper is Funhouse. I just loved every minute, & will never forget the first time seeing it with chums on a big drive-in movie screen.

We all knew, "oh wait until that mask comes off, oh shit I bet he's much creepier without the mask!" And sure-nuff.

The tale develops slowly like a thriller; I suppose if it were made today it would have to have some extra gore effects thrown in, but it's better without them, because it permits real focus on the creepy carnival. Even with the standard set-up of teenagers daring each other to sneak in & spend a night in the funhouse, hoowee it has such a gruesome pay-off.

I'm a pushover for Creepy Carnival tales to start with, & this is just a topnotch take on a preferred theme.

copyright © by Paghat the Ratgirl