House of Wax (1953)

Plot Outline: Professor Henry Jarrod is a sensitive sculptor who takes great pride in his work at his wax works museum. He refuses to bow to his partner's requests to make his wax models more disturbing in a bid to shock the crowds and attract more people. So his partner decides to burn the museum down and collect the insurance money instead of waiting for Jarrod to buy him out. It's a pretty bad move because Jarrod is inside when the place burns and is presumed dead. Years later, the former partner apparently commits suicide and his body disappears from the morgue. As more bodies begin to disappear, Professor Jarrod resurfaces and opens a new wax works museum. But his models look far too real to be just pieces of wax - they are in fact human bodies covered in wax!

The Review: It's nice to hark back to an earlier time of horror and watch a film which really does live up to the tag of being a classic, in this case House of Wax. It looks really dated now and is actually quite timid in the scares and shocks department but it's still fun at times. Part of the fun comes from seeing the wax models. I always think that wax models look creepier than they should be and their presence in horror films is always an added bonus. There's something very unnerving about seeing a replica of a person made from wax, especially when the likenesses are so good. Vincent Price plays it up with a tongue-in-cheek performance but you can clearly see why he was so loved. It's his film from the start and although he overacts at times, he's pretty sympathetic especially when he witnesses his wax models being melted in the arson attack. Charles Bronson also makes his first screen appearance as the mute servant, Igor. Even without make-up he looks really ugly but given a wider face and wrinkled smile with the aid of the effects department and he looks like a right freak.

Final Verdict: House of Wax isn't for fans of modern horror. But, if like me, you yearn for a good slice of old, classic horror then this is for you. Everyone who has a remote interest in the classic genre should check it out.

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