Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Why a Waxwork III would work

 Why a Waxwork III would work

So I guess it's finally been announced that Gremlins will be YET another movie that will get the remake treatment. After years of rumors it's finally be confirmed and set for Christmas 2014. (gags) I for one am honestly sick of this remake shit. There seems to be zero original ideas left in Hollywood. I could go on and on about the thoughts on remakes and reboots. Sometimes remakes can be a good thing. These are for movies that acutaly don't hold up and need a re-telling. Sometimes they can be just as amazing as the original or even better. With a movie like Gremlins I really don't understand. The puppets still hold up today and so doesn't the story. Why do we need a remake?! I know as a true fan another sequel would have been amazing. I for one adore both films, and seeing a third all these years later would have been ideal. Still, due to the fact so much time has passed, and that Phoebe Cates is in retirement I can see how the studio wouldn't be down for it. 

I can only hope they try to reboot it, maybe having Zach Galligan play the single dad as a brand new character having his son end up getting Gizmo and taking a more modern take on the story. Still, I have an awful feeling it's going to be just a straight remake with nothing but horrible CGI thrown onto it to make a quick buck. I feel this "remake" should be a reboot. Make the movie for the fans. I wish we could have a perfect blend of practical effects/puppets and CGI to cover up tiny things. I wish we could get some original cast members instead of this very rushed pile of trash we'll end up getting. Fingers crossed at least Galligan will have a cameo.

Speaking of remakes/sequels with Mr. Galligan, I've been wondering for some time now about my dream movie.

This being Waxwork III.


If I hit powerball tomorrow the second thing I would do after paying off my student loans would be to get Anthony Hickcox and make Waxwork III Through The Gates Of Time. 

I have constantly been interested in the vague rumor that has been floating around for some time now. On the official Waxwork site run by Stuart Green, he claims years back he saw on the internet there being some article talking about a Waxwork III. In fact this past spring I even wrote a post about this since the storyline he remembers reading about right away sparked my interest. Sadly Stuart said he could never remember the site where he saw the article or the artwork he saw as a teaser poster (I still believe that he saw artwork for the Japan VHS of Lost In Time.) Now from the few members of the cast and crew I've spoken to, I don't think there was ever a set storyline or solid fact that there ever was going to be a third Waxwork movie. Still, the storyline did sound pretty legit...

 I know what you're thinking: "Waxwork III?  WHAT?!?"  But it's true: writer/director/creator Anthony Hickox had actually intended for there to be a third installment of the "Waxwork" movies.  Over a decade ago, I found a French website about "Waxwork" (which sadly, no longer exists) and there was a poster of Zach Galligan as Mark with the aforementioned title and the tagline "The only exit is... infinity!"  And believe me, I wish I could've saved that cool poster picture from that site!  Apparently, the brief plot synopsis listed would have had Sarah return to the King Arthur time period to reunite with Mark, since "Waxwork II: Lost in Time" ended with Sarah vanishing in the back of a departing taxi cab, and they were going to find their way back to the present time.  However, because Mark was revealed to be a time warrior in the second film, Mark and Sarah would have to first help Merlin the Magician and the time warriors stop a Modor witch (no, not Mordor - wrong movie series, guys) before they could return to their present time.

 Well, there it is. It sounds more like some awesome fan make rumor for a sequel, but still pretty cool. Zach Galligan himself said he never would of had a problem with a Waxwork III but as the 90's went on Anthony Hickcox sorta stopped using him in lead roles, and the two went off in different directions working on new projects. 


I for one feel Galligan was Hickcox's lucky charm. Every movie Galligan appeared in even if it was a small little cameo ended up being in a really great movie. I haven't followed this guy's career much, but the movies Zach appeared in are the best. Just saying...

I still strongly feel even 25 years after the original that Waxwork still has a very strong fan following. Running that Facebook page to show support in getting both movies a proper blu-ray release, I've come across so many people who remember these movies from their childhoods. These are two highly underrated movies, that still hold up today. I feel a third film even made today would be perfect.

I would either in a perfect world have the third movie released direct to DVD OR an original SyFy movie. I would of course get Hickcox back in the director chair since he was a huge reason why both movies were made so perfectly. 

The second thing I would do of course is get Zach Galligan back. The character of Mark Loftmore I think is a must in completing the trilogy. Galligan brought a lot of time to his role and seeing him yet again after all this time would be awesome. It also doesn't hurt the man has seriously not even aged at all!


I would try to get Deborah Foreman back. Yes I know Hickox and her dated in the late 80's and after their breakup that was a huge reason why she didn't return for Lost In Time. Nothing against actress Monika Schnarre who replaced Deborah in Lost In Time, but I think seeing the original Mark and Sarah would be amazing. If that didn't work in all honestly I would hire a brand new actress for Sarah. A woman around Galligan's age, maybe someone known in the world of horror. If you can't get the original Sarah back you might as well change her every film. Via the Vacation movies. 

There are tons of brand new ways to take this story. The biggest if it was a reboot to have brand new kids pretty much fall into the same trap of the waxworks going back to the roots of the original. Maybe have one of them move into Mark's old house or Sir. Wilfred's where they discover clippings and evidence surrounding Mark and Sarah's disappearance. Here I would have teens fall into a brand new series of traps as a new Wax museum opens up right before Halloween. There of course would be epic cameos by Galligan and Foreman at the very end. This time depending on budgets I would have these teens fall into more modern day displays. (A hostel, a Japanese ghost, zombies, maybe even a masked killer, ect.)

But as a fan and since I am day dreaming I would have it become a straight direct sequel with Mark and Sarah all these years later traveling through brand new modern updated worlds (to appeal to the new audience) Here I would sorta take that new idea of them traveling as time warriors and having to stop some sort of evil before the end of the world happens. I would find it funny that finally they return to the real world all these years later and not knowing what to do with themselves. It would be awesome to see Galligan going from world to world and finally having to stop our brand new villain before a new army of evil takes over.

Hey a girl can dream right?


I feel with all these direct to DVD sequels being made for the fans stranger things have happened. First of course we need to focus on a proper blu-ray release, but it all comes down to the studios wanting to make money and end up pleasing the fans (this comes second of course.) with releases such as The Thing, Curse Of Chucky, and Hatchet III I think direct to DVD releases are the key thing. Get a good independent film company behind it and Hickcox and Galligan and bang you got yourself a movie!

Hey maybe it's just me but I'll still waiting to see Mark and Sarah's next adventure!

 

1 comment:

  1. I'd love to see another Waxwork especially without any CGI. I really hope you're wrong about the Gremlins sequel, but that's what I'm afraid of too. I wish they'd just go back to practical effects. The monsters are so much more believable that way. It's why films like Alien, Predator, and The Thing stand the test of time (in addition to good old-fashioned storytelling too).

    ReplyDelete