Since 1979, the horrific image of a half-psycho/half-mannequin, knife-wielding maniac from TOURIST TRAP has repeatedly appeared in my dreams. I was forced to watch this movie as a five-year-old by my older brother and his pals. They decided their plot to scare themselves silly would be foiled if I ran screaming out of the room crying to my mommy. So, they blocked the door, plopped me down right in front of the T.V., and proceeded to induce a deep-seeded fear of inanimate clothing models with removable limbs and bad hair-dos.
I've always loved horror movies, but I've never been brave enough to figure out the name of the first one that sliced and diced its way into the very depths of my subconscious. I've so enjoyed the stories of fellow Kindertrauma readers that I've had to take a deep breath, google "mannequin horror," and finally put a name to the face that continues to haunt my dreams! Thanks Kindertrauma!
Holy Hell!!! Why is it that I've never seen, or heard of this movie before!?! Please, please PLEASE tell me it's on DVD. I've got a nephew who hates mannequins and I'd love to play the role of "evil uncle" and terrify the crap outta him!
A few years ago I was talking about HOUSE OF WAX with my sister. I said it was my favorite Vincent Price movie. She said "Vincent Price wasnt in HOUSE OF WAX. Chuck Connors was. he covered peoples faces in plaster and ran around in a dress". I said "What the Hell are you talking about????" I had that "How Come Ive Never HEARD Of This Movie" thing too! I knocked my niece off he computer and did a Chuck Connors IMDB search. I found it and ordered it (its on DVD now by the way). My sister and best friend could not believe I never caught this on Channel 11 who supposedly played it ALL. THE. TIME.Â
My sister says she stands by her original thoughts on the subject: Chuck Connor covering that chicks face with plaster and making her heart explode is the scariest movie scene shes ever seen. Period.Â
Thanks for the info, Mama! I'm off to the local Hollywood Video out of business sale to see if they've got a copy. If not, I'm definitely ordering it. I gotta see this!
It's funny you mention House of Wax, because I got a feel for the remake watching this trailer. While that one wasn't that hot, this one looks to ratchet up the creep-factor to 11. And if there's a chick's heart exploding after her face is covered in plaster? I'm so there!
Truly rockin' trailer. I LOVE the bit where the guy bails through the window – we don't see nearly enough of this in horror. I mean, lets face it, if I'm in a room with a sinister maniac bearing down on me, no single-paned, energy inefficient window is constraining me!
My mom finally found this movie on DVD when I was about 10 I think. It scared the crap out of me, I'm still uneasy around store mannequins. My mom thinks it's funny to random shout "MOLLYYYY!" like he does in the movie, usually when we're in a dark parking lot. She also random "sings" like the mannequins do in an early scene.
Still, I love this movie! And I will stand by the idea that the new House of Wax was a remake of Tourist Trap, no matter what.
Tourist Trap was cheesy now, but for it's time, especially the ending, it was a really trippy flick.
Having seen the HOUSE OF WAX remake twice (my husband bought a bootleg and then a few weeks later a friend NETFLIX ed it not knowing I had seen it) I can say without a doubt they totally rip off TOURIST TRAP! A LOT! In fact they shouldnt have called the movie HOUSE OF WAX they shoudld have called it TOURIST TRAP!
SPOILER I love the fact that the "happy ending" in TOURIST TRAP is that the Final Girl escapes…but she's bat shit crazy now. That Final Shot is a hoot! END OF SPOILERS