Six of the world’s scariest psychopaths escape from a local asylum unleashing a bloodbath on unsuspecting scare seekers at a Halloween Funhouse with rooms and mazes inspired by their notorious killing sprees.
That’s the plot of LA-based Petri Entertainment’s “The Funhouse Massacre,” a horror movie filmed at the Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park in Middletown, March-April last year. A casting call was sent to the area asking for film extra’s to audition for crowd scenes, small parts and victims.
“I couldn’t give an exact number, but I want to say at least 70 to 80 percent of the people there were local,” Rick Plummer of Middletown said, who appears in the funhouse line carrying six two liters early in the film. “It was a big deal for Middletown.”
Including cut scenes, Plummer had to hold six two liters over 20 times. “My arms were Jell-O.” It was released theatrically in the fall of 2015 then released this month on DVD.
The movie stars Robert Englund, Jere Burns and Scottie Thompson with genre veteran Clint Howard playing taxidermist Walter Harris.
Its Halloween night at the Statesville Mental Hospital, a perfect night for a murderous escape plan.
“There’s people here even God is afraid of,” Englund as Warden Kane tells Candice De Visser as Ms. Quinn/Dollface, “We have the ones that you whisper about around the camp fire.”
The imprisoned crazies include Jeffrey “Animal The Cannibal” Ramses, the demented dentist Bradford “Dr. Suave” Young, Harris, former killer pro wrestler Rocco The Clown and “Manny The Prophet” AKA Mental Manny.
A group of college kids go to the park for some good scares not knowing what awaits them as the killers settle into their temporary pseudo digs preparing for the slaughter.
Local, Marc Schetter got some extra screen time as a pseudo psycho, “I played Fake Dr. Suave, essentially one of the workers at the funhouse. I first appear in a scene alongside Sebastian Siegel (Dr. Suave) and then later in a scene with the main group of college kids. I also appeared in a few cut scenes with Mars Crain (Rocco).”
The film is split more humor than horror with good gore effects. Most characters are likeable though bumbling; dimwitted Deputy Doyle (Ben Begley) laughably gets away with behavior that’s between fireable and lawsuit worthy. The audience might root for the psychos in some scenes and Nintendo’s “Hogan’s Alley” gets a fun shout out. Most killers’ backstory’s are fiction with pieces from true crime and classic horror, Manny’s character mirroring the Heaven’s Gate cult, Jonestown Massacre.
Mayhem ensues when Manny drops the spoiler that people are really dying, instigating chaos, blood and broken bones ending in a serial killer shoot out and a “Silence of the Lambs” tribute.
“It’s your worst nightmare and the best experience to see and understand how difficult film making and acting truly is,” stated Brett Oakley, owner of Land of Illusion. “My hats off for all the staff, crew and stars for an amazing job. It truly was an honor to have Andy Palmer (director), Robert Englund and all the stars, extras and crew filming at Land of Illusion.”
