House of Wax (2005)
Starring: Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton and Elisha Cuthbert
Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
Screenplay By: Chad & Carey Hayes
***Spoilers***
I think this is by far the finest film (questionably only good thing) that Dark Castle has yet to produce. I was surprised to have liked this at all, let alone a lot. There is nothing new here, it ranges in emulation from many films, most of which follow a backwoods horror formula (TCM II and Wrong Turn comes to mind); but I would be lying if I said I was not completely entertained the entire time. This is saying a lot, because it’s damn near two straight hours. I feel this movie is taken more seriously than Dark Castle's previous disasters. And thankfully, it is mostly a remake by title and the basic premise involving real people being trapped in wax figures.
Thankfully, the smarter route was taken by not even having a character once portrayed by Vincent Price. Geoffrey Rush attempted it in Dark Castle’s House on Haunted Hill, and it was really quite terrible. I felt bad for Rush. Here, one of the twins is named Vincent, in a more or less retrospect to Price, but that is as far as it goes.
I thought the town set up as one big rig to lure people into a permanent hell was quite genius, and even if I had expected it early on, it was executed rather well. I also thought it was very cool that the last active movie shown in town was "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” and that House of Wax actually goes as far as showing said movie on the silver screen, as well as providing original posters.
I also thought it was interesting to have the two leads to be twins, as well as the killers to be twins as well. And even further, I was happy to see one character that was thought to have been a lead is the first to have a home in the Sinclair House of Wax.
Some brutal kills in here, especially that of Paris (who was way less annoying than I had expected. Plus, I thought the satire of her online pornographic antics was quite hilarious). Vincent looked pretty damned ghastly once his mask is removed, the road kill pile-up in the forest was fucking disgusting, Wade's death was awesome (thank God they didn't have him spout some dumb fucking one-liner when his decapitated head tilts towards the camera); and I loved the entire ending and interior setting of the museum; especially the hallway with human/wax faces planted within‘.
However, the "hip" rock soundtrack really annoyed me. I only heard one band I cared for, that being the Deftones; but I still do not think it fit the film whatsoever. More influence with the film score could have actually amped this baby up quite a bit.
Also, I have never had my mouth sealed shut with super glue, but it seems to me that prying them apart afterward would result in much more dire circumstances than what happens here.
Still, the movie had extremely well pacing, and was just good horror fun, all around. I in no way think this is insulting to the '53 film, in which Price's sympathetic character plunges into madness due to faults not even from his own causes; nor does it taint Mystery of the Wax Museum.
I quite enjoyed it, and thank it is well worth a look. Fairly taboo for more mainstream horror, and definitely a leg up from Dark Castle's previous efforts.
