The Funhouse (1981) **1/2

On "Take 2," the first half of The Funhouse (1981) was better than I remembered and the second half was the same as I remembered (which is to say plodding and meandering). It's a shame because the premise is cool, the visuals are great, and the score is fantastic. But Tobe Hooper's carnival slasher suffers from poor pacing and tighter editing could have increased the tension. Rick Baker's mask is pretty good but certainly not his best work. Additionally, the monster is frequently bathed in too much light and shots linger too long on the character, robbing it of menace. I liked the film a bit more this time but with both viewings I was left feeling underwhelmed.

Tobe Hooper Feature Films Ranked