TERROR ON TOUR 1980, Media Home Entertainment

DIRECTOR: Don Edmonds   PRODUCER: Sandy Cobe  

STARRING:  Rick Styles, Chip Greenman, Larry Thomasof, Jeff Morgan, Lisa Rodriquez, Rich Penberton, Dave Galluzzo, John Green, Sylvia Wright.

TERROR ON TOUR centers on the career of The Clowns, a rock 'n roll quartet who wear outlandish make-up, partial face masks, and fright wigs, and who perform a particularly violent stage show in which they knife dancing girls and decapitate maniquins.   The band also say things to their audience like "Go home or we'll kill you!   We'll kill every one of you, we'll cut you into pieces and send you home in a box!!"   The Clown's antics are so sick that they regularly incite the audience to violence.

But that isn't the only effect the Clowns have on their fans; during one of their shows, the band's drug dealer is stabbed to death by someone in full "Clown" regalia.   At least, the killer could be a fan.   Soon, we find out it might be one of the Clown's roadies, Herb, who is so shy that he must dress up in Clown make up and costume so he can meet women.    Or perhaps it's the band's other roadie, Jeff, who is extremely dysfunctional and who dislikes the band's manager intensely.   Or, it could also be one of the Clowns themselves, since drummer Ralphie turns out to be something of a drug fiend.   Or the killer could even be the band's all-around good guy manager, Tim, who we discover has been raised by a fanatically religious mother.

The violence intensifies during a party for the band, where three groupies are slaughtered by the killer.   All the girls think they are getting ready to have sex with a band member (apparently, the band members regularly have sex in wig and full make-up.)   "Is there anything I can do for you?" croons a topless young lady between tokes on a joint.    "Yes; die!" replies the killer as he strikes.   As he approaches another groupie, she throws off her garmets and says "Next..,"   "No, you're next!" he replies.   (The dialogue in this movie is SO clever!!)

All the killing surrounding the Clowns attracts the attention of the police, who begin an investigation.   Lieutenant Lambert calls in a hot-looking young lady, Jane, to "get close" to the band.   During a concert, Jane discovers the body of yet another young woman, and the killer begins the inevitable chase.   Jane mangages to elude the killer, but unfortunately, Lieutenant Lambert stumbles upon the scene and is knifed to death by the maniac.   Jane comes out of hiding, discovers Lambert's body, and is promptly dispatched by the killer, but not before she removes his wig and partial mask.

Then, roadie Herb appears to discover the killer is none other than the band's manager, Tim.   Tim tells Herb that the women "had to die", since they "defiled themselves, and women like that have no right to bring children into this world", because "children are sacred."   He further rages that the women "had no moral values at all" and that "they were whores."   Herb knocks Tim down and runs, so naturally Tim becomes enraged and decides Herb must die, too.   Tim then chases Herb onto the stage during the Clown's performance, exposing himself to the world as the killer!   NO SOUP FOR YOU!!

RATING:     

This movie is a hoot;   It's unbelieveably low budget, and the acting is awful, even for a "B" movie.   I love the fact that the Clowns attend their party and have sex with women in make-up and those stupid-ass wigs.

Several scenes where groupies get naked.   However, during one "naked groupie" scene the actress was so awful that my husband (who LOVES naked women scenes) groaned: "Oh, just KILL her!"  

SCENES THAT MAKE ME GO "HMMM...,":

1. Jeff the roadie meets the drug dealer, and the dealer tells Jeff he owes her $100.   Jeff tell her he only has $50, and asks her to let him give her the rest tomorrow.   She says no way, so he tells her to wait 20 minutes, and he'll return with the extra $50.   She says okay, but he can only take 20 minutes or the deal is off. Then she lets him run off, with the drugs.   I guess she must have been sampling her own merchandise!

DID YOU KNOW...,:

 -   Director Don Edmonds also directed cult exploitation classic ILSA, SHE-WOLF OF THE SS.

 -  Producer Sandy Cobe appeared in TERROR ON TOUR as the theater manager.

 -  Actor John Green (Lieutenant Lambert) appeared as a police officer in another rock 'n roll horror film, NEW YEARS EVIL.

 -  Actor Larry Thomasof (psycho killer/band manager Tim) later played the "Soup Nazi" on "Seinfeld"!

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