The Fun House Poster Original Daybill 1981 Tobe Hooper
Daybill Poster. The Funhouse (also released as Carnival of Terror) is a 1981 American teen slasher film directed by Tobe Hooper, written by Larry Block and starring Elizabeth Berridge, Kevin Conway, William Finley, Cooper Huckabee, Miles Chapin, Largo Woodruff, Wayne Doba and Sylvia Miles. The film's plot concerns four teenagers who become trapped in a dark ride at a local carnival in Iowa and are stalked by a deformed monster serial killer inside. The Funhouse script was purchased by Universal Pictures who were looking to produce a teen-aimed horror film after the success of Paramount's Friday the 13th (1980). After Eaten Alive (1977) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Paramount turned to Hooper to direct The Funhouse. Filming was on location in Miami, Florida. The Funhouse opened in 814 theatres in the United States on March 13, 1981. It earned $2,765,456 in its opening weekend. Upon release, critics praised Hooper for bringing style and suspense to what could have been a standard early-1980s blood and gore-focused horror film, and his work here was largely responsible for him getting the job of directing the original Poltergeist. Composer John Beal's mostly orchestral score was praised by critics, and the soundtrack CD has gone onto become a collector's item.
