Review of the week...Waxwork 1988

Review of the week...

Waxwork (1988)

PLOT – A group of teens are invited to a strange wax museum one night shortly before it's grand opening. Wandering in, hey stare at the very impressive displays of terror and horror sculpted before them. Strangely this isn't your typical old fashion waxwork. It seems that once you step over the velvet ropes in front of the wax displays, you become teleported into whatever scene the figures are in. One by one the teens are thrown into strange worlds filled with werewolf’s, vampires, and creatures.

Low Down – I vaguely remember watching Waxwork as a child and the artwork on the poster reminded me a lot of the 1989 film Society, it wasn't until a few days ago when I was indulging in my friend's on demand, that I discovered this lost gem and decided to watch it for shits and giggles. Last night I finished the movie and was honestly very blown away. Waxwork has every I would love for a fun 1980's horror movie. Light comedy, witty dialog, likeable characters, a cool score, and mind blowing practice effects. I'm honestly blown away that I hadn't fully discovered this movie until now. Now staring off I have to admit I have this weird fascination with old museums, antique shops, house of horrors, and waxworks. I love movies like House Of Wax and just find the whole old museum setting very creepy and likeable. I honestly couldn't be happier than running one of these tourist traps and dying completely happy and insane. This being said Waxwork had be charmed right off the bat. The other two things that hooked me in was the fact this was directed by Anthony Hickox. I'm a huge Warlock fan...well at least the first one, but I did find the sequel every enjoyable and thought Mr. Hickox's approach to the movie every amusing and took things to a whole new level. It really didn't hit me that he had been the man responsible for the two Waxwork movies. The second was our lead Zach Galligan. Now I know I'm going to get killed for saying this, but I'm really not a big Gremlins fan. Sure I like the movie, but I'm more of a Critters gal when it comes down to it. I like Zach, and he was a very attractive Jewish guy back in the day. In fact I have to face palm myself since he's been at several conventions I've attended but I've never had to urge to meet him. After seeing Waxwork I know for the fact the second I get a cool poster or print of the movie, the next chance I get I'm getting him to sign it. I really liked Zach in Kevin Yagher's Tales From The Crypt episode Strung Along which dealt with very creepy clown puppets. Waxwork I believe was very ahead of it's time and is a very underrated movie. I found the entire story very entertaining and found it to be a fast paced original idea which in the end of that decade was a very rare thing to find. It reminded me a lot of Witchboard which is one of my other personal favorites. This was a movie that was made by a horror fan for horror fans and trust me I was very impressed. I plan om buying the sequel to this Waxwork II Lost In Time starring Zach, Bruce Campbell, and yes...Drew Barrymore (Hum?) I'm sure this movie might not have to charm or the original cast which made such great magic for the first film, but from the clips I've seen on line I believe I'm in for a treat!

Five stars!