Episode XXV: Tourist Trap (including an interview with David Schmoeller) – August 20th, 2013

Every year young people disappear…

For our 25th show we’re featuring David Schmoeller’s Tourist Trap. A unique, original slasher from the late 70s. After our Maniac show it seemed correct to focus on another horror movie that brings mannequins into the foreground and no other film does that better than Tourist Trap. What would you do if you were trapped by a killer with incredible telekinetic powers? Would you have what it takes to survive or would you end up another tortured mannequin at his disposal? Tourist Trap stars Chuck Connors. It has the stunning Tanya Roberts running around in daisy dukes the whole film. She was a bond girl in the 80s A View to a Kill. It also stars Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness and Robin Sherwood. We were also privileged to get writer/director David Schmoeller on the phone after we watched the film and he gave us a great interview to share with you. He explains how the idea of Tourist Trap originated and what inspired him to make the film. How it almost didn’t get finished. The turmoils of his Crawlspace movie. We’ll also talk about his new film that’s coming out called Little Monsters. Join us for another 45 minute show filled with soundtrack music and audio clips of the scenes we discuss.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

1:00 It’s time for another hidden gem…
3:10 Introducing Tourist Trap (a perfect film for Horror 101)
4:05 The telekinesis
5:55 The clever, disarming score…
7:15 Poor Woody…
9:00 Enter Mr. Slausen…
10:00 Are those eyes following us?
11:00 The killer speaks…
12:25 Pretty good trick, huh?
14:45 It’ll be quick…but it won’t be easy.
17:33 The final girl…

*David Schmoeller interview*

19:15 Please welcome…
19:55 The Texas Chainsaw template…
21:08 The genesis of the mannequins…
22:43 Working with Chuck Connors…
24:42 The PG rating (the pros and cons)
26:50 Charles Band…the titan on Full Moon
27:37 The delicate balance of movie business…
28:45 What would you say to a Tourist Trap remake?
29:30 The work on Puppetmaster…
30:55 The horror of Klaus Kinski…
32:36 The upcoming film, Little Monsters…(http://www.littlemonstersfilm.com/)
34:44 What’s David’s favourite horror movies?
36:12 Oops…
36:40 Big thanks for joining us…

39:00 Scoring Tourist Trap…final thoughts
41:13 Conclusion (thanks for listening)

Tourist Trap (1979)

Directed by: David Schmoeller
Written by: David Schmoeller and J. Larry Carroll

Starring:

Chuck Connors as Mr. Slausen
Jocelyn Jones as Molly
Jon Van Ness as Jerry
Robin Sherwood as Eileen
Tanya Roberts as Becky
Dawn Jeffory as Tina

Charles Band: executive producer — Film Editing by Ted Nicolaou
Leonard Baker: associate producer
J. Larry Carroll: producer
Original Music by Pino Donaggio
Cinematography by Nicholas Josef von Sternberg

All video, pictures and audio used from Tourist Trap is copyright © 1979 by Charles Band Productions. All media used for educational and review purposes. No reproductions please.