Another scary movie for Halloween! I’d only heard of Tourist Trap (1979) due to Waxwork Records reissuing the Pino Donaggio score on vinyl. The film itself is like a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and House Of Wax as a group of young friends (including Jocelyn Jones, Robin Sherwood and Tanya Roberts) blow a tire and get stuck at a rundown roadside historical museum with its folksy “howdy there” caretaker (TV western actor Chuck Connors). But what do you know, there’s a masked killer on the loose with psychic powers and a penchant for turning people into mannequins! There were some eerie, creepy moments here particularly with the mannequins (their eyes turning slowly towards the next victim) and the weirdness with the psychic displays of power. As a slasher, it’s low on gore (copping a PG rating in the US) though still disturbing at points – though I did get restless and my patience tested throughout since it was a handful of characters running around a doll-filled mansion making the same mistakes (truthfully, this type of thing is not high on my list of favourite horror sub-genres). Also, it feels a bit too much like Texas Chainsaw at key moments. Still, Connors is a hammy hoot and when they reveal the killer’s identity an hour in, I was laughing, like “Yeah, we all ASSUMED this!” Donaggio’s score is good, much in the tone of his work for De Palma, but with some kooky, breathy turns. Directed by David Schmoeller and produced by Charles Band. Available to stream on Tubi.
VHS Tracking 