Director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Lifeforce) pays affectionate tribute to various classic horror movies in this tale of two teenage couples who spend the night in a sleazy carnival funhouse.

On her first date with Buzz (Cooper Huckabee, True Blood), Amy (Elizabeth Berridge, Amadeus) disobeys her father and goes to the carnival with Richie (Miles Chapin, Hair) and Liz (Largo Woodruff, The Ladies Club) … but their first date may end up as their last. After witnessing a murder, the four terrified teens are trapped in the maze of the Funhouse and stalked by a real monster: a horribly deformed killer who lurks among the freakish exhibits to butcher them one by one! Also starring Sylvia Miles (Midnight Cowboy) and Kevin Conway (Invincible) in three roles, The Funhouse features special makeup designs by the ingenious Rick Baker (An American Werewolf In London, Ed Wood).

For thoughts on The Funhouse, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/6zvRif1mMNg?t=157]

Video Quality

Scream Factory presents The Funhouse with a terrific 2160p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. This film was originally released on Blu-Ray by Scream Factory a decade ago which was derived from an older source. While that release was pleasing for the time, this new presentation blows it out of the water in every respect. One of the aspects that will dazzle audiences the most is the stunning implementation of Dolby Vision which does not let you down with its depth and nuance. As you might expect from the title, the bright, flashing carnival lights provide a vivid palette of glorious reds, yellows and blues. There is also a greater accuracy to the more ruddy colors such as the fading green Frankenstein mask. The new presentation reaches a level of accuracy and color detail that likely tops the original prints.

This disc also delivers some magnificent natural film grain which brings out so much distinct texture in the production design, the grotesque special effects and more. This grain resolves well with nothing ever appearing frozen or spiking throughout the consistent nighttime scenes. This disc executes every environmental change with ease. The black levels are mostly strong with no blatant crush present, and white levels never get too hot. This transfer has done an admirable job of cleaning up a great deal of the print damage even if a few fleeting specks remain. The special effects showcase stomach-churning clarity which makes the work all the more ghastly, such as the drool coming from the monstrous killer. There are a few moments where the encode seems like it could have been better optimized, but it is not a travesty by any means. Overall, this is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment, and Tobe Hooper fans will be thrilled to own one of his top tier works on the format.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with what appears to be the previously released DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio tracks, which both capture this material quite well. Dialogue comes through with immense clarity even when the thrills are coming fast and furious. Environmental noises such as crowds at the carnival or the popping of balloons are given a notable place within the mix. You never have to worry about fidelity when it comes to this one even when things kick into high gear. The low end of the track has enough weight to add texture, but it is not a standout aspect of the audio experience. The terrific score from John Beal sounds fantastic without a hint of damage. It truly feels like another character in the film as it establishes the mood of the story. Overall, Scream Factory provided a top notch audio experience for this one. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Tobe Hooper provides a very thorough and entertaining commentary track in which he discusses how he came to work on The Funhouse, the inspirations from and homages to classic films, the casting process and the performances in the film, technical aspects of the production, the cinematography, heroic extras, and so much more that is an absolute delight to delve into for fans.

Trailers & Radio Spots: A six-minute collection of trailers and radio spots are provided here.

The Barker Speaks!: A 12-minute interview with actor Kevin Conway in which he recalls his memories of working on The Funhouse, stepping into his first horror film, his additions to the character, mishaps during some of the stunt work, and more.

Something Wicked This Way Comes: A nine-minute interview with Executive Producer Mark L. Lester in which he discusses the unique decor of Tobe Hooper’s apartment, his affinity for genre films, getting involved with The Funhouse, how the budget evolved over the life of the film, how writer Larry Block got his revenge after being screwed out of a proper fee for writing the script, additional scenes that were shot after the first cut of the film, the marketing and more.

Carnival Music: A 10-minute interview with Composer John Beal in which he discusses creating a score that would become part of the ambient sound of the film, his career as a conductor and transition into composing, early interest in suspense and terror, creating a largely orchestral score in a time where synths were in style, the blending of different sounds and more.

Audio Interview with William Finley: A brief three-and-a-half minute audio interview from 2005 in which the actor discusses his time on The Funhouse, the atmosphere on set, learning magic, working with Tobe Hooper and more.

Deleted Scenes: Five-and-a-half minutes of footage that was added to the television version of the film to pad the runtime is provided here in rough form. These include Buzz being questioned by Amy’s parents, Joey enthusiastically reading a fairytale, Buzz meeting Amy’s friends and more.

Book Advertisement: A 29-second advertisement for the novelization of The Funhouse.

Carnival of Blood – Largo Woodruff on The Funhouse: A new nine-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her early entry into acting, memories of Tobe Hooper, her love of dramatic acting, skipping out on doing a nude scene, the personalities of her costars, how she differs from her character, going to see the movie in theaters, and more.

Let’s Spend The Night – Miles Chapin on The Funhouse: A new 11-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses his first meeting with Tobe Hooper, the production design of the film, learning the secrets of carnival life, the collaborative nature of the shoot, memories of his costars, shooting his death scene and more.

Dance In The Dark Ride – Wayne Doba on The Funhouse: A new 15-minute interview with the actor who played the creature in which he discusses being approached to work on The Funhouse, getting upgraded with his roles, the physicality of his performance, the big personality of Tobe Hooper, acting behind a mask, the difficulties of his performance, the bonds he had with some of the performers and more.

Alive, Alive, Alive – Craig Reardon on The Funhouse: A new 19-minute interview with the special effects artist in which he discusses some rocky moments in his early career, working with Tobe Hooper, working with the performers, crafting the look of the creature, collaborating with Rick Baker, the different personalities of the performers, and more. There is even a portion of the interview where he shows off some props from the film.

Final Thoughts

The Funhouse is a low key gem in the career of Tobe Hooper which deserves to be more widely embraced than it already is. The director does such a terrific job of establishing the uneasy atmosphere of this world with a careful setup which effortlessly transitions to a nightmarish adventure made all the more visceral due to the character development up top. The special effects work is wonderfully grotesque, and the pacing of the film never leaves you checking your watch to see how much time is left. This is a weird one, and that is why we like it! Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a fantastic A/V presentation and a deep reservoir of special features that fans will eat up. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, this new presentation brings a whole new life to this film. Highly Recommended

The Funhouse (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.