Starring - Chad Michael Murray (Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman, Riverdale), Paris Hilton (Repo! The Genetic Opera, Supernatural), and Elisha Cuthbert (Captivity, The Girl Next Door)
Release Date - 2005
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Prey. Slay. Display"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
When I was in high school the second remake of Mystery of the Wax Museum was big news among horror fans. I love the original film and the first remake from 1953 starring Vincent Price that was simply title House of Wax. Both of these films followed a very similar story but I wasn't too interested in the 2005 remake starring Paris Hilton. I did snag it when it was released to add to my collection but I never really cared for it. When Shout Factory announced the blu release of this one I was on the fence about it. As a movie collector I really wanted to upgrade my DVD release but I remembered not liking the film that much. The collector side of my caved in so I reached out to Scream Factory and they were kind enough to send a copy of this one my way. Thanks guys!
The film follows a group twenty-somethings who are traveling to an event when some of them become sidetracked. They find themselves in a small secluded town that seems to be uninhabited when their car breaks down. They are unable to find anyone until they visit a church where a funeral was being held. They speak with a man there who agrees to help them. Outside of town they have friends waiting for them who eventually make their way there looking for them. They soon uncover that the town is not as it would seem and the house of wax is harboring a dangerous secret.
House of Wax is the second remake of Mystery of the Wax Museum and it took a different approach. In fact, it's difficult to argue that it is a remake aside from being a horror film set against the back drop of a was museum. I would say that it was loosely based on the original two films while creating a slasher with a different premise. I did enjoy it some while revisiting it but I still stand by my original thoughts on the film and that it's goofy as hell. The acting in this one isn't bad but the character are so fucking obnoxious and unlikable. You know you have a goofy film when Paris Hilton's character is the most grounded and realistic character of the film. This was released a few years before I became a Supernatural fan so seeing Jared Padalecki in the film meant nothing to me at the time. His character, much like Hilton's, is one of three characters that were realistic and enjoyable. The same can be said about Elisha Cuthbert. Those three deliver solid performances and they really do work well with the story. With that being said, the rest of the cast is a little absurd and out there. Chad Michael Murray is trying to be this hard ass bad boy but all it does is come across as a disgruntled N'Sync back up dancer. Then we have the guy from Cousin Skeeter driving an Escalade and banging Paris Hilton. This cast is all over the place which doesn't help the story at all. The story for this one is not really a remake of either previous films. It does share the title with the '53 version but the story is basically an early 2000's slasher. It does work as a slasher for the most part but the story itself has a lot of dull moments and scenes that amount to nothing. We get a little glimpse into the backstory of the film's two killers but so much more could have been said. Not giving the viewers more of this is truly a crime. Also, the film really could have benefited from having some of the fat trimmed off. The movie is almost two hours long and at least 30 minutes could be removed without taking away from the story. Finally, the film doesn't have a lot of gore but it does have several kills that are fucking amazing. We get some great practical effects and few make-up gags that look fantastic. We also get some great set designs that really make the film stand out compared to other films of the times. I highly recommend the movie just for the death scenes alone. Overall, House of Wax is so fucking goofy but it does have some fun moments. I loved the little backstory our killers are given and the sets are gorgeous while the kills are enough to make the film watchable. The blu from Scream Factory looks fantastic and will look even better on collector's shelves. Check it out.
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