Terror on Tour (1980)

Title: Terror on Tour (AKA; "The Clowns")

Release Date: 1980

Tagline:

Plot
A rock band called "The Clowns" comes under suspicion of murder when several prostitutes are killed by individuals made up like members of the band.

Review
Someone starts murdering people and a rock band called The Clowns (a KISS rip off) are under suspicion in "Terror On Tour". The film begins with a girl murdered right after the band performs on stage. At first I thought the main suspect was one of the band members who really enjoyed putting on the makeup, there was a weird scene in the band's dressing room with him explaining that it's easier for him to talk to girls with it on... But I don't know, the film lost focus and I didn't know what was going on half the time. In between all of the scenes with the band, we get some shots which show the rock and roll lifestyle (sex, drugs, alcohol, etc). No reason to have them in there. Anyways, it soon becomes apparent throughout all of the craziness that the killer is someone dressing up like the other band members. More murders take place during the concerts, and the cops begin investigating. All of this leads up to a silly conclusion.

This has to be the most confusing slasher films I've ever seen. It was so all over the place and never had focus, so much to the point that I didn't what was going on. Yes I got that people were getting killed, but was it the band members doing it or people dressing up like the band... I felt like I was supposed to know who the killer was, but because there were so many forgettable characters that looked alike AND the horrible quality on the VHS, I didn't know who was who for 90% of the film. Most of the film follows the same pattern it sets. A girl takes her clothes off in one of the room's at the concert thinking she'll sleep with one of the band members, the killer comes in and stabs her, cut to the next pointless scene. Then it happens again, and again. There is no real scares or anything that makes you really jump, it's just one sleazy killing after the other. There is one chase scene near the end that was just okay, but wasn't great.

So many problems with this lackluster slasher. The dialogue is just awful and most of the time pointless, perhaps the most meaningless dialogue ever in a movie. I'd rather they just had no lines at all and just ran the film without it. The acting is terrible, in some scenes the actors shout their lines (when they shouldn't) or say the lines strangely making it awkward and out of place. And don't get me started on the ending and the killers' motive. Terror on Tour is an awful film with no direction and no focus. It gets two stars for a handful of creepy moments with the killer in full makeup AND a decent chase scene, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

2/10

Author: Toronto85 from Canada 17 January 2013

Director:
Don Edmonds

Writer:
Dell Lekus (screenplay)====Stars:==== Rick Styles, Chip Greenman, Rich Pemberton |