 Thanks for checking out this movie review video. So let's talk about the 1979 film tourist trap now I know some people will immediately think Did he know about tourist trap prior to Joe Bob Briggs doing it on the last drive-in? No, I did not so Joe Bob Briggs did introduce me to tourist trap And that's one of the reasons I watched Joe Bob is to be introduced through these crazy often not seen films so That said I liked it so much that I went ahead and purchased through diabolic DVD But it is a full moon features release the blu-ray for tourist trap Now I'm gonna say I have not yet checked out the special features on this But it does have an interview with the director David Schmoller It also has a commentary tract Track with David Schmoller which both of those sound very interesting to me Because I'd like to know kind of a lot of the behind-the-scenes and the why of things So I very much look forward to digging into that at some point, but I haven't at the moment So anyway get yourself tourist trap plus the other thing is like look at this like how creepy and weird is This very creepy and weird But that's to her strap. Okay, so I will say also spoilers for this obviously because it's an older film Definitely watch it if you haven't seen it It's available for streaming on shutter when I'm doing this review and also if you've already seen it with Joe Bob I'm not gonna be talking about the same stuff that Joe Bob talked about So if you watch what he did and you watch what I do, they will be different. We talk about things differently So like I said directed by David Schmoller He did films such as crawl space and puppet master now Obviously puppet master was after tourist trap and that was with Charles band as well Written by Schmoller and J. Larry Carroll who wrote mainly show episodes J. Larry Carroll did Mainly cartoons. He did a lot of cartoon episodes, which is weird when you see a movie like this And then you find out that one of the people who wrote it mainly was writing episodes of cartoons. It's just you know It clashes. It's it's odd Produced by Charles Bam of full moon features, but this was before full moon features was a thing I think full moon came to be in like 88 or something like that. So it'd be like, you know nine years later Stars Chuck Connors if you haven't seen the Joe Bob Briggs episode where that he does tourist traffic He talks a lot about Chuck Connors. He's a big Chuck Connors fan that guy did a few films Yeah, I mean he did a lot of films. He did a bunch of Western type films But I just picked a few out Geronimo old Yeller the show branded and the movie so you like green Which is most important to us horror fans because it was a horror film He was the third choice. I don't know if people knew this He was the third choice for the for the titular role of slosson slash Davey in this film the people who were Second choice was gig young which I looked him up and I'm like, okay He was just in a bunch of older films that I haven't seen. Let me know if you know gig young though You can put some comments down there Educate me on him and what I do know Jack Palance Jack Palance was their number one choice to play slosson He passed gig young past so they went Chuck Connors and I'm gonna be honest I love that Chuck Connors is in this. I think he threw himself into the role You know say what you will about the film is in like it's not like a good film It's just so odd and crazy that it's a lot of fun, but it's I mean I think Chuck Connors just he brought his all he really really did I think he was given a crazy wacky concept and a crazy wacky character and he did a great job with it for what it Would it what it was? So initially there's another interesting thing they wanted John Carpenter to direct this they sought him out But his the financial package for him was gonna be way too much in Comparison to what the budget of the film was so they had to say no we can't get John Carpenter You have to consider that one year prior was when Halloween came out So John Carpenter, you know did well with with Halloween They sought him for this obviously a little too hard to get him at a budget price So they ended up going with Schmoller The telekinetic powers in this film actually were not in the original script That was an idea from Charles Bann himself and he insisted that in order for this film to be done That had to be in the script. It had to be a part of it now I like that it's in there because it's such a wacky Extra layer to the film itself, but it also makes me wonder What would the film have been like if it didn't have that aspect to it? And I think it would be less enjoyable because it would have been more of like a kind of more straight-up slasher type film which You know nowadays would just be more lost the fact that the telekinesis was a part of it I'm sure hindered its ability to make money back then but I think it increases its value now because you know Obviously people are trying to dredge up the most odd and out there horror films nowadays So that's why this has kind of become more of a cult classic now because it's out there So bad at the time but good for the future There's a lot of movies like that the house interior Interior shots were done in an abandoned house that was actually going to be demolished They actually paid the owner of that property some money to not demolish the house They had to delay the demolition of it. I think like a week or two It was shot in 24 days in the Los Angeles area and they constructed the set for the beginning You know the beginning part where Woody goes into that gas station and then he's having all these things being chucked out of that like dresser what they did with that is they built the set at a 90 degree tilt and so Behind the dresser there. They just have crew members just throwing things out So instead of having to like throw it out. It's at the 90 degrees So it just kind of falls out in a sense and that's why it was going so fast towards Woody So I thought that was a very interesting thing It was actually attached to the ceiling when it was done at 90 degrees but If you pay attention to the acting Chuck's like I said Chuck Connors really put a lot into the role I feel like a lot of people don't pay all that much attention to the acting in this because they just get so wrapped up in The crazy premise of it at least not the first time you watch it Multiple viewings you start to kind of see what's more at work here the directing the camera work the acting all that type of stuff so The setting and the broken down car in the beginning for me kind of reminded me of the Hills have have eyes I felt like the environment really looked like Hills have eyes the whole broken down car and everything like that Like it just felt very Hills have eyes. I know that a lot of people talk about this being very Texas chainsaw massacre seeming especially with the mask and everything. I see that as well So for me, it's kind of if you have to bring two films into it to describe it I'd be like it's kind of heavily inspired by the Hills have eyes and heavily inspired by Texas chainsaw massacre in my opinion They say there isn't air in the tire in the beginning when Woody's taken that tire to get air But it rolls unbelievably well for not having air in the tire Now this is something I was watching the film with my buddy on the phone because we're social distancing but Rich and he was saying he brought that up. He was just like for not having air in the tire It's all it's rolling awfully well, and that's a very good point It's just you know small thing, but it's kind of funny when you notice that Introducing a mannequin so early already signals that it's gonna be a super weird film Yes, because if you think about other films that have used mannequins in it When can you think of a normal film that used mannequins? You know like I feel like throwing things like mannequins in or dolls in or anything kind of like that Just indicates immediately up. This is gonna be weird. This is gonna be over the top, which you know if I see that I'm all in I'm like let's go because that's what I'm looking for a lot of time The early scene in the gas station is pretty over the top because it just keeps going You know with with all the things being thrown at Woody It just keeps going and going and going although I quite like the end to it where he gets the pipe in him And then there's that noise and you're like what is that noise of that running? And then you you realize before you actually see it that it's blood running out of him through the pipe and onto the ground I like that how they pan down you're hearing it clearly first and then they pan down and show it I think that's very effective filmmaking and it makes it creepier of a situation and and scarier too The low-level grumbling that starts with that scene is very weird But it's also very disturbing and I think it helps bring a whole sheen of creepiness to the film very early on It's kind of laying that track down You know like introducing the mannequins early on having all that stuff thrown early on like those things are introducing the crazy early introducing the disturbing the weird the creepy and that like the grumbling noises and then paired with Later on all the like the aural type sounds of the women when when the mannequins end up opening their masks like the Like that music is just it's something it really sets the mood appropriately a Vulture on the sign when they were driving down the road. There's a vulture on the sign going to slossons Clear for shadowing just like over-the-top type before shadowing I maybe not so much as much back in 79 but still pretty pretty clear Why are they not concerned that they found Woody's tire and he's not there because if you remember when they're driving They pass the tire on the side of the road and they're just like oh, there's the the Woody's tire But everyone says it's just like oh, yeah There's Woody's tire like not concerned of the fact that there's Woody's tire and Woody is nowhere to be seen And even if they did see it wouldn't they stop and look around for Woody like Woody could be faced down in the bushes right there Right behind the tire, but they just keep going. There's like there's Woody's tire. Okay Just didn't seem to make sense The waterfall scene is cool. The waterfall looks amazing. So great scouting For the locations on that that looks great. You know water moccasins are not The way Slosson just leers and casually chats is Unbelievably creepy just another thing and that's the thing I'm talking about with Connors doing such a good job with the role Like he's supposed to be off. He's supposed to be creepy He's supposed to be weird even early on when you're questioning whether he's okay or not. Okay Immediately when you meet this character of Slosson like you don't know what to think you're like Is this some creepy dude who could harm them? Is this some guy who's just totally benign? He's just kind of a weird old coot. I think they call him an old coot at one point But like when he's standing there and all the women are nude, which you know, you don't see but you know They're nude in in the the water He's just like very creepily just carrying on this conversation and won't leave and just Leering at these women and making weird comments about like the water moccasins and don't be here when it gets dark Which is foreshadowing By the end of the chat, you're not sure if maybe Slosson is just some old coot Yeah, I already said that Slosson repeatedly keeps trying to hide things by not answering questions If you notice that he does a lot of redirecting when questions are asked which makes him very suspect But I think the way they wrote His dialogue for redirecting those questions is actually kind of slick in the point where it's believable That people would kind of move on from that because he really does a good job of kind of redirecting the focus of the conversation So it's believable The appearance of Davey is so freaky But he's just showing off when he's blowing up the bottles while choking Eileen with the scarf telekinetically Like yeah, like I get like telekinetically like choking her with the scarf and stuff when he shows up But then he starts making all the bottles explode and I'm just like it's so over the top But I think this actually speaks to a thing that Then I'm gonna talk about a little bit more later because there are other examples of it in the film where it kind of seems that Davey or Slosson in his Davey mindset is Really into just making people more fearful. He's in he's into like playing around with people, you know, just causing more fear It's not just all about the killing for him. It's it's it's about the ambiance and and getting the fear out of people getting into Reactions so that's why he does all this extra stuff. That's what it seems like to me And like I said, I'll point more of those out as I keep going in my notes How realistic the mannequins are is talked about so much in the beginning of this film that it's very very clear Because of how much they're talking about it that there's more to these actual mannequins This is one of those things where it probably would have been better if they kept it more subtle to just you know Make an off-handed comment about oh my gosh It looks so real or something But they keep talking about them so much and there's so much focus on them in like the wax museum area that You are like beating over the head with there's obviously something else going on with these So I think they could have like pulled that back a little bit. It would have been better But then again, you know, I'm making the suggestion and it's just an over-the-top crazy film anyway You almost feel like these people deserve it when they When they get killed because they are breaking into a house like they're just breaking in then they keep breaking into This house and you know, I know Joe Bob even pointed it out that when the one character I forget who it was goes and Doesn't just like go in a window on the the first floor like climbs a trellis and breaks into a window in on the second floor Like I don't feel that bad for you when you're gonna get it because you're doing too much snooping like way too much snooping You're breaking into someone's house Literally, it's like these people want to be killed. It's like it's crazy You you do get a leather face vibe from Davey. I definitely felt that way. I'm sure a lot of people did It's so unsettling and odd when the mannequin keep the mannequin to keep coming to life and moving in on people Yeah, that is just like the way they shot the mannequins the way they Articulate them the way they do the mouths like gaping open when they drop open and the noise is associated with the mannequins So creepy works really really well in my opinion The basement scene is potentially one of my favorite scenes because that's when you first start getting Davey talking because prior to that He doesn't talk at all which causes them The most torment for the tourists actually because he's really playing with their minds And then this is actually when the plaster portion goes on with the face and he's talking about you know People dying of fright and everything and that goes back to what I'm talking about before of like He loves the fear he loves working people up before he actually kills them like it's about the whole experience for him Not just I just need to kill this person. It's I need them to be afraid of me I need to cause as much fear as possible. I need to see it in their face I need to hear it in their voice, you know all that stuff and that really plays out in that basement scene Plus like the plastering and the way Chuck Connors changes his voice is just so funny The whole talk about his powers is funny the low voice and sing song parts are just Plain unhinged and it works for this film, especially because like I said, it's one of those kind of over-the-top ridiculous films The part with Davey holding the yelling mannequin heads saying be my friend as he chases Molly Hilarious, that's another one of my favorite scenes. It's it's sort of at the top. It's so weird It's so funny like and that's a comedic moment like clearly he's holding that mannequin head and it's yelling and he's like be my friend be my friend Who comes up with this? You know what I mean? Like who comes up with it? But it works in the context of this. I Also love the scene of Slosson and Davey having a meal It's funny because it's that wacky interaction between Slosson and Davey and it's just It's weird and once again, it's just so weird So it seems Slosson has a bunch of personalities because of when he has the blonde wig on and he's playing with the baby doll Yeah, you get the idea that clearly in this It's not just Slosson and Davey as the two personalities But he's been his brain is kind of fractured into multiple personalities That are played out with different wigs and masks and all that type of stuff. So But then there's this kind of question Throughout it of like how connected is he to it because at times it seems like he's aware that he's acting as Davey Or someone else and other times he's he's disassociated from that So it's really hard to know like how much he's aware of and how much he's not aware of within the context of the film So, yeah, he's just showing off again with the mannequin shooting But that's part of tormenting his prey That's another one of those moments when it's in back in the wax museum and they just keep shooting around the room That's just another way to work up his victim work her up work her up and you know Another one of those examples The music with the breathy female noises is probably the most effective creep factor Music in the film. That is the best piece of music within it because the environment that it creates. I Feel like Slosson was planning to make one of the girls his new wife all along You know, not just when he's talking to Molly and in the end it feels like as soon as he saw this group of kids He was like I'm gonna make one of them my wife We'll see which one lives longer the longest and then that's the one that's kind of what it seemed like to me The scene admitting to killing his wife and brother for Horan Shows everything was a lie at this point But you also do kind of feel for him a little bit because of the whole Horan situation But I feel like this is the moment where it really Shows you the moment where he went from just being lost in to being slosson and Davey and whatever other personalities he's harboring in his head at this point in the film because That was such a terrible moment in his life It was so traumatic that it basically caused his brain to fracture and caused all those multiple personalities Which I would then argue that's actually what they insinuate happens to Molly at the end of the film as well As she's driving away and she now has all these mannequins in her car showing just like slosson had all these mannequins as his friends She now has all these mannequins as her friends and now her brain because of her traumatic experience has also shattered And she now has the same thing going on as slosson. So it really sets it up for another film Which obviously we didn't get but would be very interesting for someone to do now of Her being slosson and doing the same type of thing. I would pay to see that When Jerry is revealed to be a mannequin. It's a shock all hope is gone at that point. It's a great kind of Red herring of hope where he shows up and Jerry's like I'm gonna help you. I'm getting you out of here And then you realize oh my gosh He is one of these mechanical mannequins All hope is lost for Molly. It's it's all over It was another one of those ruses by slosson much like when he gave her the shotgun with blanks Same thing. It was it was that whole, you know playing with her playing with her upping the fear You know making her feel hopeless and and part of that at the end with Jerry I think has a lot to do with the fact that he wants to her he wants her to accept You know being his new bride basically and saying look you thought you had hope There's absolutely no hope after this just stick with me, but obviously that doesn't work out for slosson Slosson dies in a lame way by the way the way he just gets whacked with the tomahawk in the neck. It's It's not cool. It or is an axe. It was dumb. They could have done something a lot better Do-do-do It seems like slosson enjoys playing both sides Be friending the tourists he it's he seems to actually enjoy But then he also likes it on the other end probably a lot more because you know everything's going to that point And part of the befriending him liking the befriending is probably just he's lonely, you know He's got nobody else except what's rolling around in his head The part where he gives Molly the gun with blanks shows. He likes playing with this prey Yeah, I kind of already talked about that but like I said, I said it a bunch of instances where that just keeps happening throughout the film I think that's one of the best things about the film in my opinion are all the times where he's just messing with them before he's Actually killing them so All right, so that's all I have to say about tourist trap obviously it's a fun time So this is one of the films where I'm gonna do two different types of ratings I'm gonna do a star rating in the pantheon of all film like as an actual film and then I'll do a star rating as So bad, it's awesome So the normal rating out of out of five stars with half stars in play. I mean you gotta give it like a One and a half for like actual filmmaking But for a so great it's bad or so bad it's great I Mean I gotta throw it at like a four like four stars for that because it's so wacky. It's so out there There's so much nutty stuff going on Yeah, actually I Mean I might give it two stars actually for the regular version because the directing is actually pretty well done the acting for the most Parts pretty good. Anyway, but that's it Do me a quick favor real fast hit that subscribe if you are not a subscriber If you are a subscriber hit that thumbs up just let me know you're still watching and to keep encouraging me Put some comments down there. Let's talk about tourist trap and whatever else you want to horror wise Yeah, that's the biggest thing but thanks for checking this out and until next time keep it brutal