Tourist Trap (1979)

52% of users liked it
(2,468 ratings)

In this horror outing, a seemingly abandoned desert gas station turns out to be a grotesque museum filled with murderous mannequins who come to life when visitors come to call. The ill-fated "guests" are lured in by a strange siren's song. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: David Schmoeller
Written By: David Schmoeller, J. Larry Carroll
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Horror

In Theaters: Mar 16, 1979 Wide
On DVD: Jan 11, 2000
Studio: Astral Films

Critic Reviews

Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
Unless you have a severe phobia of mannequins, you'd best be looking for your cheap scares a little further on down the road.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lee ?

Late 70s slasher all set in a mannequin museum where four unlucky friends find themselves preyed upon by the psychotic owner. What this one lacks in gore and sleaze it makes up for in sheer creepiness! There's some real spine-tingling moments with the mannequins being used very… More
Late 70s slasher all set in a mannequin museum where four unlucky friends find themselves preyed upon by the psychotic owner. What this one lacks in gore and sleaze it makes up for in sheer creepiness! There's some real spine-tingling moments with the mannequins being used very effectively. Unfortunately the pace drops too often in between the shocks and I did find myself a little bored at times. I do prefer my slashers to be accompanied by good bloody death scenes but the kills in this are very tame, but they still have a creepy quality to them. Chuck Conners does very well in his role and is very menacing indeed. This one is definitely for those who prefer atmosphere over non-stop carnage.
Tim S

Completely batshit. Pure creepy lunacy. This is a guilty pleasure all the way. I don't know what it is that makes mannequins to damned creepy, but they are. I remember seeing the episode of The Twilight Zone called The After Hours when I was a kid and having nightmares. If I… More
Completely batshit. Pure creepy lunacy. This is a guilty pleasure all the way. I don't know what it is that makes mannequins to damned creepy, but they are. I remember seeing the episode of The Twilight Zone called The After Hours when I was a kid and having nightmares. If I had seen this then I might not have survived! :)
vieras e

Holy crap, those were some creepy dolls. Slightly reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Maniac with a hint of The Boogeyman (1980).
A.D. V

Strange little slasher-style film that has a delightfully weird Chuck Conners playing the owner of a run down wax museum. Could've been great but the lead actress is borderline terrible.
Lafe F

A creepy and scary slasher classic from the late 70's. People's vehicles break down near an old frontier museum, and they never return. We follow the tale of a group of kids who fall into the trap. It involves Mannequins which can come alive. The opening sequence with Woody… More
A creepy and scary slasher classic from the late 70's. People's vehicles break down near an old frontier museum, and they never return. We follow the tale of a group of kids who fall into the trap. It involves Mannequins which can come alive. The opening sequence with Woody exploring an abandoned gas station was creepy as heck. Chuck Connors plays Mr. Slausen, the creepy proprietor of the museum, with plenty of hidden secrets. The killer wears a creepy mask of a little boy. There's a horrifying scene where he pours smothering plaster onto a woman's face to make a mask of her. The end chase and battle is good stuff. It's certain the makers of Friday the 13th series got some of their inspiration from this freaky film. The final shot of this movie is eerie and unforgettable.
John M

A low budget 70's flick with wooden acting. Definitely there is nothing really scary or creepy about this film.