Why You Should Be Excited About Barbara Crampton’s ‘Tourist Trap’
Sharai Bohannon
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Horror Queen Barbara Crampton recently announced that she is producing a new Tourist Trap movie. Those familiar with the 1979 weird and creepy little gem immediately went into orbit upon hearing the news. Not only is the film one of the best of the supernatural slasher subgenre, but it is also criminally underseen. So we are excited that Lady Crampton is reopening the schools for the horror youth and putting it on their radar.
Bloody Disgusting had the exclusive scoop that brightened our year. While things are still in the early stages, Crampton took to her socials to let us know this will not be another remake/reimagining/Roku situation—this new Tourist Trap is going to be a sequel.
Watch Barbara announce the film:
This news is exciting because Tourist Trap is truly one of the most overlooked treasures. I discovered it four years ago because friends cared enough to help me fix this oversight. It’s campy, it’s kooky, and a little bit mysterious and spooky. While it is not the first (nor the last) movie to capitalize on youth getting stranded in an isolated location to be picked off one by one, it’s definitely one of the most unique titles to ever do it. So much so that movies and video games are still being inspired by it (looks directly at House of Wax (2005)).
Many titles have tried to duplicate this iconic moment in horror history, but very few have actually achieved this level of greatness. While Tourist Trap’s following is small, there are many. We also include Stephen King in our ranks. In his book, Danse Macabre, King praised the movie writing that it, “wields an eerie spooky power, as wax figures begin to move and come to life in a ruined, out-of-the-way tourist resort.”
While the premise is simple, Tourist Trap surpasses expectations, in part because Chuck Connors is menacing and off-putting in this villainous role. Also, the lifelike dummies are moving way too much to not give some of us panic attacks. I love this movie as much as any slasher fiend. However, I used Barbara Crampton’s announcement as an excuse to rewatch it with a more critical eye. I now see some areas that could be improved upon in this impending sequel.
Also Read: ‘Suitable Flesh’ Interview: Heather Graham, Barbara Crampton, Joe Lynch, Judah Lewis, [Video]
Aside from Tourist Trap’s severe lack of diversity, which is sadly still a trend beating the film industry’s ass today, there are other ways that Crampton and Co. could expand and finesse this world with their sequel. For example, they could scale way back on the big virginal final girl vibes. They dressed Jocelyn Jones’ Molly as a giant tampon so we would know she was the good girl who would survive this ordeal. They also spend so much time with Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors) and his creepy allusions to what he wants to do with Molly to the point that it’s uncomfortable, and not in a good way.
The Barb Master General and friends also have newer technology on their side. While the practical effects are still incredibly effective, it has been 45 years since Tourist Trap took its first bow. This means there are even better ways of creating lifelike mannequins to terrorize a small cast of characters. I would love to see what a special effects team could do with this today. This would also save the Crampton Company from slowing things down to explain the plaster process like in the original. They could just start waxing people and let the audience take the visual cues. I also hope in this decade of our Lord Barbara Crampton, they steer away from anything as offensive as the indigenous wax figure the original rolled out.
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The original Tourist Trap is terrifying and fun. However, it somehow got a PG rating. This means the sequel has to give us some iconic and bloody kills to push the boundaries and satisfy modern audiences. After all, they can’t let all of the telekinesis, plaster, and wax go to waste in a world where mean horror movies are king. Speaking of psychic abilities, I hope they keep the supernatural elements because it’s another way the original movie sets itself apart from all the other slashers of its era.
Because I am nosey, I also want to know if this sequel will let us know what happens after Molly rides off with a car full of former friends-turned-dummies. It might not tell us, but I’m keeping hope alive because I need to know how she explains that to people back home. I also want, nay need, to know how her crew adjusts to being mannequins. What is the life expectancy for that? If none of that is addressed in the script, I hope someone slides that information into my email so I might know peace again.
If you can’t tell, I am very excited about the endless possibilities and cannot wait to see how this sequel unfolds. It is not every day that horror icon Barbara Crampton resurrects a beloved slasher. If this news also makes you want to revisit the original Tourist Trap, it’s streaming in quite a few places. You can catch it on AMC+, Freevee, Peacock, PlutoTV, Redbox, Shudder, SlingTV, Tubi, and XumoPlay.
Watch the trailer for Tourist Trap:
Want to see what type of movies our Dear Barb’s company, Alliance Media Partners, produces? Then you should check out 2023’s Suitable Flesh on AMC+ and Shudder.
Are you as pumped as I am to see this Tourist Trap sequel? What are some things you hope to see in this new Barabra Crampton-produced installment? Let us discuss this at @misssharai.
Categorized:Editorials
