Flexes that late 70’s slasher formula that in a few short years would be perfected for mass consumption via numerous genre icons and directors, Tourist Trap is a strange little picture filled with tons of idiosyncrasies that make it such a special gem in my eyes, plus it also serves as time stamp of grim fandango 70’s horror movies that shaped the genre for every decade since.

First off, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre rip-off is one of my favorite subgebres and while there’s a bit of that here (some might say every movie rips off TCM and my love for that monolith would find it hard for me to disagree with that statement) there’s even more in the production…

The first movie of The Last Drive-In was the last one I watched because Shudder was having a moment when the stream first started and I couldn’t get it to load. Thankfully, they have added all of the movies with the JBB commentary to the service so we can all enjoy them at any time and that is why they are my favorite streaming service. Also they are a horror service so that’s got a lot to do with me thing they’re the best and I’m sure nobody is surprised there.

This movie is so damn weird and surreal so of course I love it. After watching a million times, the overall impact lessens a bit, but damn there are…

The dizzy near-fall light headed feeling when you stand up too fast after smoking a cig in a crouched position, only its some mild hallucinogenic laced with food colouring instead of a cig.

The sweaty post-Texas Chain Saw dungaree-clad southern hospitality and run down mannequin/insect call creep factor should feel like a bad trip, but Tourist Trap is too whimsical and playful in its horror to be that. It's like free-falling into Tanya Robert's pupil; it's a drop into pitch black depth leading to an optical nerve, but its still Tanya Robert's eye you're in.

Shuddering shoulders and maniacal giggles are not the typical actions of killer telekinetic mannequins, should that ever be typical at all. Sure, these dummies are…

20something teenagers do battle with a telekinetic hick in the Hollywood Hills, having ill-advisedly rocked up at a forgotten tourist spot, Slausen's Lost Oasis. This was a lot weirder than I was expecting. It feels like it should be campier but there's a actually a real mean streak running through it. Mannequins are creepy af at the best of times, let alone when they're shrouded in deep shadow and have a tendency to become animated when you least expect it.

Obvious reference points are Carrie - with the stalker's psychic powers - and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, both for the backwoods setting and the masked antagonist's hulking appearance. The root of all evil though, is Hitchcock, and Psycho in particular. The…

A wonderfully creepy and quirky slasher oddity that ranks near the top of the "disturbing mannequins" sub genre of horror. I hadn't seen this in 5+ years so it was due for a rewatch.

This film has one of my favorite opening scenes. A man stops at a gas station where he discovers a desolate run down shop filled with mannequins. Before we know it shit hits the fan and the mannequins spring to life and start bouncing around while creepily laughing. Random items begin to fly around and it turns into an outrageous and wacky scene. This is a perfect way to set the pace for all the chaotic hijinks to follow.

A group of travellers run into car…

“Bang, bang you are dead”
“Bang, bang you are dead” - The brother

I had no idea about the existence of this movie, I haven’t seen many old horror movies, anyway, I feel like this is a little-known one. I came here thanks to the recommendation that Ryan made to me.

I expected it to be worse to be honest, it’s a combination between The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Psycho. Seems like House of Wax and maybe Haunt, but mainly House of Wax were inspired by this movie.

It has a great story with a great plot, as protagonists there are three pretty girls and a boy, whose car broke down in the middle of a main road, then they needed…