Tourist Trap (1979)
By A. Jaye
One of the pleasures of writing these A1 reviews is that Shane will suggest movies I’ve never heard of, let alone seen before. The Tourist Trap is 70′s horror in the tradition of Wes Craven and George A Romero. It is low budget and savage. Think The Crazies. This is a subgenre of movies where production values, special effects and acting performances are lacking, but the story makes up for it. To wit; none of Romero’s and Craven’s 70′s films created movie stars. Those films are arguably their best work.
The premise of city slickers being set upon by native savages is well worn. It was well worn in 1979 (the year of the film’s theatrical release). Deliverance came out in 1972 and has been the yardstick for that subgenre ever since. That said, Tourist Trap has a slight variant; the protagonists are teenagers passing through – and are hijacked. This film was in the vanguard of teenagers-in-peril movies. The progenitor was The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Today, we have Cabin Fever, Jeepers Creepers, Forget Me Not, et cetera.
Unlike many a (horror) film today, this prologue actually sets up the rest of the movie. What appears to be a standard opening sequence begins to raise questions as the film proceeds. The story remains functional. Nothing more of significance happens. Then Chuck Connors appears.
Connors was a supporting actor of huge physical stature. He was eclectic in choosing roles and menacing on screen. His diction betrayed malevolence. His blue eyes were capable of madness. His was a talent that could be used in thrillers and comedy. He died in 1992. He hasn’t been replaced.
The plot is as follows: five kids in two cars are on a trip. A flat tire forces Woody to park at the side of a country road. He leaves Eileen and goes off looking for a gas station. Jerry drives up in his jeep. His girl Becky and friend Molly are with him. Eileen is still fuming and joins them to go find Woody. They find Mr. Slausen. Or rather, he finds them. It’s his land. With the jeep broke down, he takes them back to his home. He and Jerry leave to fix the jeep. Despite Slausen’s warnings, the girls venture out of his home into the night. Into the abandoned museum. They were warned. They begin to disappear.
One of the joys of this movie is the swerve of the plot. One other film with a somewhat similar shift in tone is Martyrs. Tourist Trap is superior, especially in tone. There is a sinister quotient that crawls over the skin as images and plot unfold. Said plot is multilayered and creeps toward the macabre. It is unexpected and jolting. This is not Wrong Turn 2. These kills are cinematic. The attempted escapes are tense.
The plot is not without its problems. There’s a drawn out incident – seemingly to fill running time. The reveal is seen before the killing starts. The effects are so shoddy they can nudge the viewer out of the movie experience. I went with it. The story is good enough.
Credit goes to Connors for holding this film together. His work is admirable. He carries this horror movie alone. The story is to be applauded, too. The final shot is of a moment few movies have achieved in over a hundred years. The apex of these moments is the original Planet of the Apes. Tourist Trap, while not jaw dropping, is apropos.
Hollywood should look close to home when scouting for remakes. This film is ripe for a bigger budget and special effects. Cast accomplished actors to play the teens, as well as a sterling talent to fill Connors’ shoes, and a new icon is born. Until then, watch this original with open eyes and mind and enjoy the horror of the Tourist Trap.
(This Tourist Trap movie review is printed with kind permission of Thrill Fiction.)
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This Tourist Trap movie review is copyright 2009 Small World Marketing and Shane Rivers. This Tourist Trap review should not be reprinted without the permission of the copyright holders.
This movie review of Tourist Trap expresses the opinion of the author only. Other Tourist Trap movie reviews are available online, and some of those might or might not express different opinions on the movie. Like those other Tourist Trap movie reivews, this Tourist Trap review is intended for the entertainment and education of the reader. This Tourist Trap movie review is provided as is with no warranty or guarantee implied.
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