Carny (1980)

A small town waitress (Jodie Foster) is desperate to get away from the boredom of living in Hicksville. When a carnival comes through town, it provides her an opportunity to get out. But her presence causes problems between two carnival workers (Gary Busey, Robbie Robertson). Directed by documentary film maker Robert Kaylor (DERBY). This film set among a carnival traveling through small towns gets the atmosphere right. It feels authentic, the excitement and the sleaze, it captures the feverish, bright colored milieu. But it doesn’t go anywhere and ultimately you can’t help but ask, “What’s the point?” It feels like a watered down FREAKS but without the shock value of Tod Browning’s classic. Even the homage to the 1932 film’s ending is faux. Of the three central protagonists, Robbie Robertson (of The Band) isn’t much of an actor and there’s something inherently creepy about Gary Busey. Fortunately, there’s the open faced Jodie Foster for the audience to latch on to. But the film has precious little going for it. The score by the great Alex North falls far short of his best work, it’s a score in search of a film as if North was looking for something to lock into. With Elisha Cook Jr, Kenneth McMillan, Meg Foster, Fred Ward and Craig Wasson.