Editorials
Roadside Attractions and Creepy Mannequins: ‘Tourist Trap’ Turns 40
When Tourist Trap arrived in limited theaters on March 14, 1979, its quiet release meant it didn’t last long at the box office nor did it create much of a fanbase. Heavily inspired by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and early on in the wave of the golden age of slashers, Tourist Trap fell through the cracks. But its PG rating (which ironically likely doomed it at the box office) made the film suitable for airing on syndicated television, where it received plenty of broadcasting throughout the ‘80s. Its creepy atmosphere, marked by a great score and eerie mannequins that lurk at a roadside attraction, makes this slasher memorable. That was the beginning of Tourist Trap finally finding the following it deserved, and now, 40 years later, it’s well regarded as a cult classic.
Writer/director David Schmoeller was a budding filmmaker and grad student at the University of Texas in Austin. He just so happened to be shooting his thesis film, a short called The Spider Will Kill You, while Tobe Hooper was filming The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. When Hooper’s film broke out in a huge way, Schmoeller was inspired to turn his short into a feature length film in the hopes of following Hooper’s footsteps. He co-wrote the feature length script with J. Larry Carroll. They then took the premise of his short, which revolved around a blind man and creepy mannequins, and implemented elements from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Psycho. Thus, it became about a group of traveling young friends who find themselves getting stalked by a masked maniac when they stop by a secluded roadside museum.
It was Carroll who pitched their script to executive producer Charles Band, who produced it under Charles Band Productions. It was Band who suggested the killer have telekinetic powers, pushing this slasher into supernatural territory and taking away the psychological mystery Schmoeller originally envisioned. Schmoeller also wanted John Carpenter to direct, but he was far too expensive for their meager budget and Carroll convinced Schmoeller to direct himself, making this is feature debut.
Tourist Trap effectively uses its mannequins in unsettling ways, long before the actual killer is revealed. A large part of that is the special masks and mannequin effects by the makeup department, which boasted names like Bob Burns (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes), Ken Horn (The Hills Have Eyes, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers), and Ve Neill (Beetlejuice, Constantine). The other vital component of what makes the mannequins so creepy is Pino Donaggio’s score. Schmoeller had met Donaggio on Joe Dante’s Piranha, where he served as the non-English speaking composer’s interpreter. Band also hit it off with the composer, and was willing to concede the higher fee for his work.
Despite the inherent creepiness of mannequins, they’re eventually revealed to be mere tools for telekinetic killer Mr. Slaussen, the friendly owner of the isolated tourist trap. Slaussen is played by Chuck Connors, an accomplished actor known for his work in films like Soylent Green, Old Yeller, and The Rifleman. When most masked killers in slashers are silent, the talkative Mr. Slaussen stood out. His initial charm gave way to frightening madness. Essentially, he’s one of horror’s more entertaining psychopaths.
A decade later Schmoeller would reteam with Band again to create a new generation of puppet-filled horror in Puppetmaster, which spawned a long-running franchise of its own. It’s a shame that Tourist Trap never took off in the way that it should’ve in 1979, because that final frame is chilling and ripe for continuation. There’s been talk in recent years about a reboot, but I’d argue that 2005’s House of Wax might’ve beat any reboot to the punch – it owes a lot to Tourist Trap. This unique slasher is also one of the rare entries in the golden era of slashers to not borrow from Halloween. Instead, it’s a close Texan sibling to Hooper’s classic. Tourist Trap is a fun horror movie that was likely killed by its not so scary sounding title and a PG rating. It may have taken 40 years to fully find its audience, but some movies are worth the wait.
Despite ancient humans having already overcome several potential doomsday scenarios in real life, post-apocalyptic fiction used to be relatively rare until the invention of the atomic bomb convinced us that the end of the world could be just around the proverbial corner.
Since then, we’ve seen many different stories about the collapse of civilization and the strange societies that might emerge from the rubble, but I’d argue that one of the most interesting of these apocalyptic visions is the post-nuclear America of the iconic Fallout games. A witty satire of American jingoism and cold war shenanigans, it’s honestly baffling that it so long for us to finally see a live-action adaptation of this memorable setting.
Thankfully, Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet’s Fallout TV show isn’t just a great adaptation – it’s also an incredibly fun standalone story that makes the most of its post-apocalyptic worldbuilding. And since fans are going to have to wait a while to see the much-anticipated second season, we’ve decided to come up with a list highlighting six post-apocalyptic thrillers to watch if you’re still craving more Fallout!
As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own apocalyptic favorites if you think we missed a particularly fun one. And while it’s not on the list, I’d also like to give a shout-out to The Hughes Brothers’ underrated post-apocalyptic action flick The Book of Eli – which I recently covered in its own article.
With that out of the way, onto the list…
6. The Divide (2011)
Xavier Gens may be best known for his memorable contribution to the New French Extremity movement – with the eerily prescient Frontière(s) – but the filmmaker is also responsible for a handful of underrated thrillers that flew under the radar despite being legitimately solid films. One of the most interesting of these flicks is 2011’s The Divide, a single-location exercise in claustrophobic tension.
Telling the story of a group of New Yorkers who find themselves trapped in a bomb shelter after a surprise nuclear attack, this dark thriller is more interested in the ensuing social chaos than effects-heavy physical destruction. And while critics at the time were horrified by the bleak story and cynical characters, I think this mean streak is precisely what makes The Divide worth watching.
5. The Day After (1983)
One of the highest-rated TV films of all time, ABC’s The Day After is one of the scariest movies ever made despite being more of a speculative docu-drama than an actual genre flick. Following an ensemble of families, doctors and scientists as they deal with the horrific aftermath of all-out nuclear war, this radioactive cautionary tale was vital in convincing real-world politicians to review their policies about nuclear deterrence.
In fact, the film is even credited with scaring President Ronald Reagan into changing his mind about expanding the United States’ nuclear arsenal, with this new stance eventually leading to a treaty with the Soviet Union. With a story this powerful, I think it’s safe to say that The Day After is a must watch for Fallout fans interested in the more down-to-earth elements of the apocalypse.
4. The Postman (1997)
If I had a nickel for each unfairly maligned post-apocalyptic epic starring Kevin Costner that was released in the 90s, I’d have two nickels – which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. And while Waterworld has since seen a resurgence in popularity with fans defending it as a bizarrely expensive B-movie, I haven’t seen a lot of discussion surrounding 1997’s more serious vision of a fallen America, The Postman.
Following Costner (who also directed the flick) as a post-apocalyptic nomad who begins to rebuild America by pretending to be a member of the newly reformed postal service, this David Brin adaptation is consistently fascinating – especially if you view the story as a cynical fairy-tale, which was Costner’s original intention.
And while the flick suffers from some goofy dialogue and a bloated runtime, it makes up for this by having directly inspired Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding.
3. Turbo Kid (2015)
Turbo Kid may have been billed as an indie Mad Max with bicycles instead of cars, but François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s comedic throwback to the post-apocalyptic future of 1997 is much more than meets the eye. From quirky characters to madly creative designs, the flick rises above nostalgia bait by being a legitimately fun time even if you don’t get the copious amounts of ’80s and ’90s references.
And despite the horror-inspired ultraviolence that colors the frequent action scenes as we follow a young comic-book fan deluding himself into thinking that he’s a superhero, it’s the childlike sense of wonder that really makes this a treat for cinephiles. It’s just a shame that we’re still waiting on the sequel that was announced back in 2016…
2. Six-String Samurai (1998)
A lo-fi homage to spaghetti westerns and classic samurai films – not to mention the golden age of rock ‘n roll – Six-String Samurai is a must-watch for those who appreciate weird cinema. While I’ve already written about the madly creative vibes that make this such an entertaining flick, I think it’s worth repeating just in case some of you have yet to give this musical fever dream a try.
And appropriately enough for this list, the film was also a source of inspiration for the 3D Fallout games – especially Obsidian’s fan favorite New Vegas. The game even includes a New Vegas Samurai achievement (unlocked by killing enemies with a katana) with a vault-boy illustration modeled after the film’s rendition of Buddy Holly.
1. A Boy and His Dog (1975)
The grisly post-apocalyptic comedy that inspired the original Fallout games, L.Q. Jones’ adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s novella is just as shocking today as it was back in ’75. Telling the story of a teenage scavenger who travels the wastelands of 2024 America alongside his telepathic canine companion, A Boy and His Dog feels like a Heavy Metal comic brought to life.
While the film’s rampant misogyny and brutal violence make it tough to revisit under modern sensibilities, it’s still a landmark in post-apocalyptic cinema and one hell of a memorable ride. Not only that, but the flick also inspired the creation of Fallout’s most beloved NPC, the ever-loyal Dogmeat.
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