MovieChat Forums > The Funhouse (1981) Discussion > Low rating?

Low rating?

posted 10 years ago by LeonardPine
9 replies | jump to latest

Can't understand why this has such a low rating.

I thought this was one of the better horror films that came out in the late 70's. I hate the fact it gets labled as a 'slasher' film, when there is so much more to it than that. This is a proper horror film with good all round performances, a really weird monster, great direction from Tobe Hooper and a very effective music score.

The carnival setting has such great atmosphere. They don't make em like this anymore!

"Perhaps he's wondering why someone would SHOOT a man before throwing him out of a plane..."

[–] yojimbo2006 10 years ago

The film was actually released in 1981. But yeah, I agree that it is a decent film with some nice touches. I do think it had the potential to be even better though. I would say that it's a good candidate for a remake, but all horror films that are produced now are awful, dull and boring. So if it did get remade I'm sure it would end up just as utterly forgettable as the other ones that have been done.

[–] LeonardPine 10 years ago

Yeah you're right it was 81' it just happens to look like a 70's horror!

Agreed on the remake, although it seems to have slowed down in the remaking classic horror films trend.

"Perhaps he's wondering why someone would SHOOT a man before throwing him out of a plane..."

[–] YankeeDood 10 years ago

I have a good memory and distinctly remember my 5th grade class throwing a Halloween party and this girl I liked asked me if I had seen this movie. It was definitely 1981, yup I am that old :)

"You can't kill the Boogeyman."
- Tommy Doyle

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] YankeeDood 10 years ago

I agree. But unfortunately, snobs have always given the majority of horror films low ratings. I love quality horror and TFH is up there, in my book.
Whether these snobs like it or not, horror has always been and always will be an essential part of our culture.

"You can't kill the Boogeyman."
- Tommy Doyle

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] ethermusic1981 10 years ago

I'm guessing the reason it's got the rating that it does is because Tobe Hooper gets a lot of flack from the movie snob crowd so they rate his films low even when a film is good. Admittedly, Hooper has made some garbage...but he's also made some awesome B-movie horror and he's unfairly dismissed as a hack far too often.

[–] [deleted] a year ago

Very underrated.

Good performances from the cast, great location/sets, great OST, brilliant cinematography, the humor lands well and it has a superb atmosphere. It even has a few instances of good nudity.

The only mark against it is the lack of gore, I guess. But that doesn't stop people worshipping Halloween (1978), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Black Christmas (1974). 🤷

[–] BrandNewPoster (10996) a year ago

It definitely deserves better than a 5.9, which it currently has on imdb. I rated it a 7/10.