Four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing.
Director:
Writer:
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Elizabeth Berridge | ... |
Amy Harper
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| Shawn Carson | ... |
Joey Harper
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| Jeanne Austin | ... |
Mrs. Harper
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| Jack McDermott | ... |
Mr. Harper
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| Cooper Huckabee | ... |
Buzz Dawson
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| Largo Woodruff | ... |
Liz Duncan
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| Miles Chapin | ... |
Richie Atterbury
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David Carson | ... |
Geek
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| Sonia Zomina | ... |
Bag Lady
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Ralph Morino | ... |
Truck Driver
(as Ralph Marino)
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| Kevin Conway | ... |
Freak Show Barker / Strip Show Barker / Funhouse Barker
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| Herb Robins | ... |
Carnival Manager
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Mona Agar | ... |
Strip Show Dancer
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| Wayne Doba | ... |
The Monster
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| William Finley | ... |
Marco the Magnificent
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| Susie Malnik | ... |
Carmella
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| Sylvia Miles | ... |
Madame Zena
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Sid Raymond | ... |
Strip Show MC
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Larry Ross | ... |
Heckler - Girlie Show
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| Frank Grimes | ... |
Strip Show Voyeur
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Frank Schuller | ... |
Poker Player #1
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Peter Conrad | ... |
Midget with Tall Lady
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Mildred Hughes | ... |
Tall Lady
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Glen Lawrence | ... |
Spectator
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| Shawn McAllister | ... |
Garbage Collector #1
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| Sandy Mielke | ... |
Garbage Collector #2
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Mike Montalvo | ... |
Spectator
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Sherman 'Big Train' Bergman | ... |
Carnival Worker (uncredited)
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| Raymond Forchion | ... |
Man in Tent Show (uncredited)
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David Mandel | ... |
Carnival Strongman (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Tobe Hooper | ||
Written by
| Lawrence J. Block | ... | (written by) (as Larry Block) |
Produced by
| Steven Bernhardt | ... | producer |
| Mark L. Lester | ... | executive producer |
| Brad Neufeld | ... | associate producer |
| Mace Neufeld | ... | executive producer |
| Derek Power | ... | producer |
Music by
| John Beal | ||
Cinematography by
| Andrew Laszlo | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Jack Hofstra | ||
Editorial Department
| Vicki Hiatt | ... | post-production assistant |
| Robert Leader | ... | assistant editor |
| Arnold Leibovit | ... | assistant editor |
| Angelo Ross | ... | location editor |
Casting By
| Pamela Basker | ||
| Fern Champion | ||
Production Design by
| Mort Rabinowitz | ... | (as Morton Rabinowitz) |
Art Direction by
| Jose Duarte | ||
Set Decoration by
| Tom Coll | ||
Makeup Department
| Rick Baker | ... | special makeup design |
| Marlana May | ... | makeup artist |
| Donisia McGowan | ... | hair stylist |
| Craig Reardon | ... | special makeup execution |
Production Management
| Norman Cohen | ... | unit production manager |
| John Orland | ... | post-production supervisor |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Adrienne Bourbeau | ... | second assistant director |
| Norman Cohen | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
| Harold Collins | ... | construction coordinator |
| William Kellow | ... | carpenter |
| Nicholas J. Romanac | ... | property master (as Nick Romanac) |
| Neal Adams | ... | conceptual designer (uncredited) |
| Bill Gold | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Jack Dalton | ... | sound mixer (as Jack Dalton Sr.) |
| Robert L. Hoyt | ... | re-recording mixer (as Robert Hoyt) |
| Dale Johnson | ... | sound editor |
| Earl Madery | ... | re-recording mixer |
| John J. Stephens | ... | re-recording mixer (as John Stephens) |
| David A. Whittaker | ... | sound editor (as David Whittaker) |
Special Effects by
| J.B. Jones | ... | special effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Robert Destolfe | ... | still photographer (as Robert De Stolfe) |
| Russell Engels | ... | gaffer (as Rusty Engles) |
| Ed Kammerer | ... | best boy (as Eddie Kammerer) |
| Ed Knott Jr. | ... | key grip (as Eddie Knott Jr.) |
| Walter G. Morris Jr. | ... | gaffer (as Walter Morris Jr.) |
| James Pergola | ... | camera operator |
| John Winner | ... | first assistant camera |
| Oscar Barber | ... | camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited) / camera operator: second unit (uncredited) |
| Daniel Pearl | ... | additional photographer (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| Susie Feldott | ... | casting: Miami |
| Bob Gordon | ... | casting: Miami |
| Jonathan Lane | ... | casting: Miami (as Jonothan Lane) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Linda Benedict-Pierce | ... | wardrobe (as Linda Benedict) |
| Andre Lavery | ... | wardrobe |
| Harold Richter | ... | wardrobe |
Music Department
| Richard Bellis | ... | orchestrator |
| Michael Boddicker | ... | musician: synthesizer |
| Tom Catalano | ... | music supervisor |
| Don James | ... | orchestrator |
| Ken Johnson | ... | music editor |
| Jo Ann Kane | ... | music preparation |
| John Beal | ... | conductor (uncredited) / orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Miles Goodman | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Daniel J. Johnson | ... | music editor (uncredited) |
| Malcolm McNab | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Rick Riccio | ... | music scoring mixer (uncredited) |
| John Rosenberg | ... | orchestra contractor (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Susana Preston | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Don Gilman | ... | production assistant |
| Melanie Grefe | ... | production assistant |
| Arnold Leibovit | ... | production assistant |
| Murray Naidich | ... | main title design |
| Roberta Rose | ... | production accountant |
| Susan Sindelar | ... | stand-in |
| Daphne Stacey | ... | assistant: Mr. Hooper |
| Jeffrey W. Stacey | ... | production assistant (as Jeff Stacey) |
| Cynthia Streit | ... | production coordinator |
| Dee Dee Winner | ... | production coordinator |
| Kathy Day | ... | assistant: Mr. Neufeld (uncredited) |
| Jonathan Lane | ... | assistant to director (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Mary Lee Lander | ... | the producers wish to acknowledge the contributions of |
| Shari Lewis | ... | dummy courtesy of |
| Bob Megerle | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Universal Pictures (1981) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures (1981) (United States) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1981) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1981) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Sonoro Filme (1981) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Succéfilm AB (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Esselte CIC Video (1984) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Esselte CIC Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
- Argentina Video Home (1984) (Argentina) (VHS)
- CIC Video (1985) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- CIC Video (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
- MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (United States) (VHS)
- MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- GoodTimes Home Video (1998) (United States) (VHS)
- GoodTimes Home Video (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
- Arrow Films (2007) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- EuroVideo (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
- Future Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD) (cropped to 1.78:1)
- Arrow Films (2011) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (special edition)
- Scream Factory (2012) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Arrowdrome (2012) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Elephant Films (2016) (France) (video)
- Scream Factory (2022) (United States) (Blu-ray) (Ultra HD Blu-ray)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- MCA Videocassette (1982) (United States) (VHS)
- TeleFutura (2004) (United States) (tv) (dubbed)
- The Criterion Channel (2022) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
- The Sci-Fi Channel (1999) (United States) (tv)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Sound FX (sound editing)
- Megerle Shows (special thanks)
- Universal Pictures ("Bride of Frankenstein" courtesy of)
- Animated Display Creations (animated figures in funhouse by)
- Dade County Film Commission (the producers wish to acknowledge the contributions of)
- Florida Film Commission (the producers wish to acknowledge the contributions of)
- Consolidated Film Industries (CFI) (titles and opticals)
- Reeltime Creative (trailer music)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Teenage Amy Harper dates Buzz Dawson for the first time and they go to the carnival with their friends Richie and Liz. They smoke grass and have a good time visiting the attractions including a sideshow with freak animals. The silly Richie suggests the group to spend the night in the Funhouse for fun. During the night, they witness the murder of fortuneteller Madame Zena by a man wearing a Frankenstein mask from an opening in the ceiling of a room. They decide to leave the funhouse but all the exits are locked. Meanwhile, Richie sneaks into the room and steals the funhouse manager's money. The masked man returns with his father and owner of the funhouse to show the corpse of Madame Zena; when the man realizes that he had been robbed, he presses his son, who removes the mask and shows his horrible face. Richie starts and drops his lighter in the room. The owner asks his freak son to chase the thieves and eyewitnesses in a night of terror for the teenagers. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Something is alive in the funhouse...something that has the form of a human, but not the face...something that feeds off the flesh and blood of young innocents... See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Opening Weekend United States | $2,765,456, 15 Mar 1981 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Director Tobe Hooper was at one point nearly struck by a flying cog but was saved by an extra who broke their arm in the process. See more » |
| Goofs | Despite the funhouse being a portable carnival attraction, it has a basement. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Terror in the Aisles (1984). See more » |
| Quotes |
Richie Atterbury:
Amy'll hit it off for sure. Buzz is a terrific guy. Liz Duncan: She's stoned. When you're stoned, Charles Manson is a terrific guy. See more » |