After earning a Master’s degree from the University of Texas, David Schmoeller got an internship working on 1978’s Capricorn One. Following his internship, Schmoeller was developing a screenplay off of his thesis film The Spider Will Kill You. He wrote the screenplay alongside J. Larry Carroll, and they tried pitching it to Sam Arkoff and Bruce Cohn Curtis. Eventually, they pitched their screenplay to Charles Band, who liked it and agreed to produce, with Schmoeller serving as director. He was given a $300,000 budget, $50,000 of which would go towards a name actor, that actor being Chuck Connors. The rest of the cast consisted of relatively unknown actors, though they helped Schmoeller learn working with actors. The crew included production designer Robert Burns from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Pino Donaggio as the composer. Finally, March of 1979 saw the release of Schmoeller’s directorial debut, Tourist Trap.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Friends Molly (Jocelyn Jones), Jerry (Jon Van Ness), Eileen (Robin Sherwood), and Becky (Tanya Roberts) are traveling through the desert. Unfortunately, their car breaks down, but fortunately, they get help from Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors), a tourist trap owner. The four follow him to said tourist trap, a museum full of lifelike wax mannequins, some having mechanical movements. Slausen tells the girls to stay in the museum while he and Jerry go off to fix the truck. Eileen, however, ignores his warning and goes to check out a nearby house, where she runs into a masked killer. When they don’t hear back from them, Becky and Molly decide to go find them, only to find something horrifying. Turns out Slausen’s brother, who built the mannequins, has been in hiding and killing any tourists who come by. But not all is as it seems at the local tourist trap!
Review
Tourist Trap is a very underrated chiller that could be considered a slasher film, releasing one year after Halloween. Admittedly, its plot is nothing special: young people stranded in a deserted area being stalked by a killer. Not only that, but the film borrows elements from other films, including Psycho, Carrie, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. That being said, this film has plenty to help it stand apart, such as its mood and emphasis on atmosphere. Chuck Connors delivers a phenomenal performance as Mr. Slausen, who seems innocent and charming, but you know there’s something off. The other actors do a serviceable job, Jocelyn Jones, in particular, standing out as our main heroine and final girl. For a first-time director, Schmoeller shows quite a lot of potential here, creating an effectively creepy and unnerving mood throughout. It’s easy to see how he went on to later direct Puppet Master.
For a PG-rated film, Tourist Trap is surprisingly disturbing, even with the lack of excessive blood and gore. For instance, there’s a death scene where a woman suffocates from having plaster applied to her face without breathing holes. Also, if you’re freaked out by mannequins, this film will haunt you with all the shots of their blank faces. There are some supernatural elements added in which, while not a detractor from the film, feel somewhat out of place. On the flip side, Donaggio’s score is very unique, at times playful and innocent, and other times haunting and creepy. Even with a 90-minute runtime, the film can be slow at times, but it does work to build up tension. Even with its flaws, it’s a shame this movie is so overlooked as it’s an effectively creepy film deserving recognition. Overall, Tourist Trap is an effective chiller worthy of its cult status.
Buy Tourist Trap from Full Moon Direct: https://bit.ly/2EG12PM
