- Written and Directed by Anthony Hickox
- June 17, 1988
A mysterious waxwork holds dark secrets and supernatural forces that threaten the world.
I re-watched Waxwork for the first time in ages. I recalled it as a fun and cheesy horror film from when such were common. I thoroughly enjoyed it when I was younger and mercifully it has aged very well for me. It is still just as fun and entertaining as I remember. Giggity!
The story focuses on a group of upper crust college students-Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan), Sarah Brightman (Deborah Foreman), China Webster (Michelle Johnson), Gemma (Clare Carey), James (Eric Brown), and Tony (Dana Ashbrook)-who go to a late night showing at a mysterious waxwork run by David Lincoln (David Warner). What quickly becomes obvious to the viewer is that they are not there for a normal show. The displays that they see are something dangerous and supernatural.
For the purposes of the film the actors for the scene which each display connected stood still for the portions in the waxwork. I am of the mind mannequins should have been used whenever possible to maintain the illusion. As it is you can see these motionless figures breathing or just slightly moving. A funny goof to be sure.
Much of 80s horror films were not actually scary. That is something that was especially true towards the end of the decade. The horror movies of the era generally tended to be gorefests either on the serious side or the lighter side but there were not many real scares. Jason was about killing teenagers on the verge of sex. Michael Myers was about brutal kills. Freddy was about funny one liners. Other films often mixed these together hoping to piggyback on the popularity of the big dogs of the time.
Waxwork is definitely on the lighter side. It is not meant to frighten or even be taken too seriously. At its core it is just silly and fun. You are there for the kills and the kills are interesting. The displays are horror themed and lead to pocket dimensions where the displays come to life with each death unique to the theme. You could in that aspect also view this movie as a series of short films within a larger film. Some are nods to works of literature while others are copies of older or well-known horror films.
The closest we get to a theme in the story is perhaps one of repressed sexuality. Sarah, the quiet and virginal character of the film, finds herself in a display run by the Marquis de Sade (J. Kenneth Campbell) where she is tied up and whipped. The best way to put what occurs is that she appeared to rather enjoy herself and is reluctant to leave when Mark comes to save her. Unless forced into it, each display connects to the victim in some way. Take from that what you will.
Admittedly when a character entered a display they took on the appearance and memories of a character that would be in that display but in the context of presentation you could see how China for example fit in with her display. Horror films-even the silly ones-can explore ideas and I am kind of wishing they had done that here.
Aside from the always good David Warner, we get Patrick Macnee as Sir Wilfred who is a wheelchair bound friend of Mark’s late grandfather. Lincoln it turns out was an assistant to Mark’s grandfather and had sold his soul to the Devil before murdering Mark’s grandfather and stealing 12 artifacts from the most evil people in history. His plan is to sacrifice twelve people and unleash an undead apocalypse on the world because why not?
Macnee was clearly having fun in his role and participates in one of the sillier horror finales I have ever seen. In an effort to stop the evil the decision is made to destroy the waxwork. Sir Wilfred and the rest of his secret society, all elderly, burst through the doors and start battling the displays which have made it into the real world.
Waxwork was something different and entertaining at the time. It embraced its goofiness and weirdness and ran with it and had fun. It did not ask too much of the viewer. All it did was entertain.
Waxwork is a horror film from a simpler time. For the general film audience, it is a skip it but for the horror aficionado, the one that genuinely enjoys the genre in all its forms, this is a must see!
Warren Watched A Movie 