‘Stop on by and give the afterlife a try.’
Waxwork is a 1988 American comedy horror film about a wax museum owner who uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world.
Written and directed by Anthony Hickox (Hellraiser III).
The movie stars Zach Galligan and Deborah Foreman alongside veterans Patrick Macnee and David Warner.
A sequel, Waxwork II: Lost in Time, was released in 1992.
The eighteen most evil beings used in the film are: the Marquis de Sade, the werewolf, Count Dracula and his son and brides, the Phantom of the Opera, The Mummy, Romero-style Zombies, Frankenstein’s monster, Jack the Ripper, the Invisible Man, a voodoo priest, a witch, a snakeman, pods from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a mutant baby, an axe murderer, a multi-eyed alien, giant talking venus fly trap, and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
A waxwork museum comes to town, and a mysterious man invites some teens to come to a special showing at midnight. Once inside, while viewing different exhibits, the scenes come alive and the viewer is sucked into the story being portrayed…
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Reviews:
“The looser vignettes can fall on the confused side of campy […] but there’s a scene of eating flesh and drinking blood under the rule of a brooding vampire who looks eerily like Tom Cruise as Lestat–though that movie was six years away […] major highlight is that the big climax is an all-out brawl between the locals and all the released monsters…” Acidemic
“The make-up effects by Bob Keen are tremendous, and very icky indeed. One of my favorite bits involves the poor sucker whose had his leg feasted on by vampires and the bloodbath that ensues within the otherwise pristine white room. It’s a great example of the nutty tone this film has: it’s usually quite funny, but there’s also no denying it has many disturbing moments and sights.” Arrow in the Head
“Waxwork plays like one big goof, an attempt at parody and praise infiltrated by cheesy special effects, non-existent characters, and incoherent storylines. Literally like walking into a play mid-second act, the Waxwork films have no problem depositing us in the midst of a vampire power struggle or awkward alien invasion as the reptile retread stalks and slays its snacks.” DVD Verdict
“Waxwork is a pretty solid horror pic and one of the better from the tail end of the 80’s. It might not be as iconic as a Nightmare on Elm Street or a Halloween, but it’s certainly got its moments and a solid cast too […] Some typically quality old school special FX are provided by Bob Keen whilst the film looks very good thanks to Hickox’s direction and some nice cinematography from Gerry Lively.” Flickering Myth
“It’s got great visual style, with nods to EC Comics and Mario Bava’s colour palette; and packed with little in jokes […] Even the synth score (always the letdown of movies of this era) from Emmy-nominated composer, Roger Bellon is pretty darn effective. All in all it’s tremendous fun…” Kultguy’s Keep
“Campy and fun, part of the appeal here is that Waxwork never takes itself too seriously. The setups are extremely clever and the transitions in and out of each “dimension” are handled near flawlessly. Add to this fact some really fun performances from a group of no name has-beens (sorry guys) that you’ll no doubt immediately recognize.” Monsters at Play
“Doesn’t hide its low budget values, but isn’t ruined by any thanks to inventive concepts, decent FX, and a busy finale. Humorous and involving from start to finish.” Splatter Critic
“The final showdown degenerates into a cross between a Western saloon brawl and a custard pie fight. In short, this cannot hold a candle to its AIP and Amicus predecessors, and mostly just gets on one’s wick.” The Time Out Film Guide
“Led by Gremlins star Zach Galligan, the young cast are actually pretty decent in their roles of the college students who are destined to be potential victims in the film […] Waxwork is such a fun horror film that meshes House of Wax, the time portal effect, and the horror icon figures of old. The free-for-all finale is quite a delight to watch…” B+ World Film Geek
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Cast and characters:
Zach Galligan as Mark Loftmore
Deborah Foreman as Sarah Brightman
Michelle Johnson as China Webster
Dana Ashbrook as Tony
Micah Grant as Jonathan
Eric Brown as James
Clare Carey as Gemma
David Warner as David Lincoln
Patrick Macnee as Sir Wilfred
Mihaly ‘Michu’ Meszaros as Hans
Jack David Walker (as Jack David Warner) as Junior
Charles McCaughan as Inspector Roberts
J. Kenneth Campbell as Marquis de Sade
Miles O’Keeffe as Count Dracula
John Rhys-Davies as Werewolf
Jennifer Bassey as Mrs Loftmore
Edward Ashley as Professor Sutherland
Joe Baker as Jenkins
Buckley Norris as Lecturer
Tom McGreevey (as Tom MacGreevey) as Charles
Anthony Hickox, director, as English prince
James Hickox, assistant editor, as werewolf hunter’s assistant
Gerry Lively, director of photography, as Sir Wilfred’s butler
Technical specs:
1 hour 35 minutes
Audio: Dolby
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
