Waxwork (1988) User Reviews

Who Needs Gremlins?

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 4 April 2006]

In a small suburban town, a group of college students visit a mysterious wax museum, where they encounter several morbid displays, all of which contain stock characters from the horror genre.

"Can't a girl get laid around here without being burned at the stake?" Let me start by saying Anthony Hickox is a brilliant man. This movie was his first time as a writer and director and he did it perfectly. Going on to make a Warlock movie and a Hellraiser film, he has established himself (though still remains under-appreciated).

The film stars the kid from "Gremlins" and his group of friends who encounter the guy from "The Omen", who along with a midget and a Lurch-like butler manage a wax museum full of horrible characters. Dracula, the Marquis de Sade, a werewolf, the mummy, and nine other nasties. Well, the museum offers a portal to each of these horrible worlds -- but if you die in the portal, you die in real life and become part of the museum.

This film is brilliant because of the perfect combination of horror and comedy. You will get spraying blood, mutilated flesh, and a dismembered hand that lives on its own (see "Waxwork II" for more on this and its connection to "Evil Dead II"). You will get a girl sexually aroused by being flogged (sado-masochism goes hand in hand with horror). But yet, it is funny. The midget is cute, one of the kids is just weird and you should hear the way Dracula says "steak tartar" or the scene where the AARP (old people) raid the place.

I could complain about the really odd plot and lack of sense. I mean, there is a part where the origin of the museum is explained. Not only does this make little sense, but there is no reason the man telling the story should know anything about it. Then there is the bit about the sculptures needing relics from their real-life bodies to become alive. Yet, there are sculptures of The Fly, the Invisible Man, and a scene from a zombie film. These things never happened, so how can they have real relics?

But you know what? It is so much fun, you just ignore things like this (especially compared to the complete nonsense plot of the sequel or "House II"...) Recommended? Heck yeah. Great comedy, great horror, great 80s film. Dana Ashbrook appears before the day of "Twin Peaks". Oh, and the professor from "Sliders" is in it, too.

My only concern is that allegedly the film was cut by the MPAA due to gore in the vampire sequence. I would love for that sequence to be put back together (and a director's commentary never hurts). This film would be even better with more blood.

This is a fun spoof of horror movies!

[ozthegreatat42330 · 6/10 · 2 March 2007]

Not exactly an Academy Award winner here, but this film is just fun. Director Anthony Hickox set out to make a fun horror spoof and he succeeds very well at it. Zach Gallagan once again stars as the almost nerdy unlikely hero. The film pays homage, firmly tongue in cheek, to the classic horror movies of long ago, and David Warner shines as the demented owner/creator of this wax palace of horrors.

Yes the plot is predictable, but who cares? This is a film meant to be fun and it is fun. Patrick MacNee is delightful as always. Johyn Rhys-Davies is sort of wasted in the small role they give him, but is good as ever. Dana Ashbrook could have used a little more screen time but he is at his smart-ass best in this film. All in all just a fun evening. Anyone looking for something more needs to see the original "House of Wax(1953)" with Vincent Price.

Decent teen horror movie.

[Teknofobe70 · 6/10 · 6 April 2005]

The teen comedy horror genre isn't exactly popular with the critics. But people watch them because, well, they can be fun. And that's just what this is. Nice, neat fun.

It's especially impressive considering it's from a first-time writer/director, Anthony Hickox, who later went on to make decent werewolf TV movie "Full Eclipse" in 1993. Here he gives his own homage to a wide variety of horror movies. You've got your werewolf movie (the very first waxwork, incidentally), your vampire movie, mummies, zombies and an trashy period piece about the Marquis de Sade ... all of these are in waxwork museum along with brief appearances from aliens, Jack the Ripper and more.

At first I expected it just to be a "Dr Terror's House of Horror" style piece with six different stories involved, but it turns out the film has more than enough original ideas to keep itself going. It all ends with every waxwork piece in the place coming to life for a final battle. Which is nice. The actors playing the teenagers all give fairly decent, entertaining performances and you have notable cameos from the likes of Miles O'Keeffe, John Rhys-Davies (as the werewolf), David Warner and Patrick Macnee (who was in "The Howling"). The script is pretty well structured and very little about the storyline is disappointing.

All in all, this is among the most entertaining movies I've seen in a while, and I'd recommend it if you're after an ninety minutes of light-hearted, slightly twisted enjoyment.

"Would You Care for a Closer Look"

[BaronBl00d · 10 April 2001]

Six souls must be gotten and given to various monsters in a magical/mystical waxwork museum in order for anarchy and evil to swallow the world. Well, that is the premise of the film, but don't let it deter you from some good solid fun. The plot is at best swiss cheese-like, but the film has style and creativity to make up for its shortcomings. Most importantly the film is loaded with generous doses of humour throughout. David Warner plays the owner of the museum and, like almost all of his performances, is a joy to watch as he slightly hams his way through this film. Some of his lines are the most memorable, particularly as he talks to a jock about his wax creations, staring at a representation of The Phantom of the Opera saying, "They will make a movie out of anything," having just heard that it had been filmed multiple times. The rest of the cast is adequate. Zach Galligan gives his mediocre best in the male lead, but two stunning beauties supply something to visually feast on despite their lack of acting breadth. Michelle Johnson and Deborah Foreman do their level best to entertain. The film is an obvious homage to the horror genre with all kinds of visual allusions to former horror films. Anthony Hickox, the director, creates a fun horror film that I think his father Douglas Hickox, the director of my personal favorite horror film Theater of Blood with Vincent Price, would certainly have been proud of for its ability to mix chills with fun. The film also has a nice cameo by Patrick Macnee, the old avenger himself. Two minor flaws for me are the ending, which is somewhat too forced, and the bloodletting which may be a tad overdone at times. Notwithstanding this criticism, one of my favorite scenes in the film is the one where the man who came to Dracula's dinner table(albeit minus much of his leg)agonizes in pain as he is prodded, poked, chewed, etc.. whilst a fight is going on around him. A fun, fun film.

The movie isn't perfect but very fun, well thought out and put together well. I strongly recommend this to fans of horror.

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 19 May 2021]

Waxwork is another VHS cover classic from 1988 available on Tubi for free. The movie is delivered by Anthony Hickox (Waxwork 2, Hellraiser 3 and Warlock). The storyline is fairly straightforward when some high school kids discover a new waxworks exhibit in town and decide to schedule a private tour amongst friends. As the exhibits come to life they realize the exhibits may be more than they anticipated. The special effects in this movie are fantastic for the time. I also enjoyed the cast, which gives you 80s nostalgia, very much including Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Michelle Johnson (she's in one of my favorite Tales from the Crypt episodes), Deborah Foreman (April Fool's), David Warner (Tron) and Michu (Alf). The movie isn't perfect but very fun, well thought out and put together well. I strongly recommend this to fans of horror. I would give this a 7/10.

characters in a wax museum come to life; not original, but enjoyable

[FieCrier · 7/10 · 4 June 2005]

Pretty fun horror movie! It's not the newest idea in the world: there'd been a German silent horror anthology movie set in a Waxwork. In that, a man is hired to write stories about some of the characters in the wax museum. In each segment, we see the story played out, and the author, the owner and his daughter appear in the segments as well. In the last segment, they're menaced by Springheel Jack.

In this film, a Waxwork appears in what seems to be a residential neighborhood - strange place to try to do business. It is filled with various death scenes involving werewolves, vampires, zombies, mummies, and so on. Some characters we don't see too much of seem to include the Invisible Man, Jack the Ripper. A group of young people are invited to a party at the Waxwork, and some of them step onto the displays, and find themselves transported into a live action scene where their lives are in danger.

I had a good time watching it. Some of the effects in it are good, as in the vampire one, but the werewolf is one of the worst I've seen. I liked it enough I'll definitely check out the sequel.

Silly, but not a total waste of time

[Gafke · 7/10 · 17 April 2004]

If you can get through the first half hour of this film, which features bad dialogue and stiff performances, you may just enjoy it.

A small group of spoiled teens (and one nice girl) go into a mysterious wax museum after hours and each succumb to a different, and dangerous, display. John Rhys Davies (long before his now famous "Gimli the Dwarf" days) is here as a tortured, dramatic werewolf. Miles O'Keefe (whom hardcore MST3K fans will have no trouble recognizing) is a hair product dependent Count Dracula, who seduces the rich-bitch of the group into a nasty, bloody, gross-out dinner party. The Nice Girl (Deborah Foreman) is drawn into the S&M world of The Marquis De Sade (as played by the too seldom seen J. Kenneth Campbell) and it is up to the rich boy turned nice guy to save her before she is whipped to death. Once all of the displays are filled, the characters within are unleashed, and it becomes a war within the wax museum as the remaining heroes must now battle the wax monsters and their transformed friends.

All in all, this plays more like a comedy than a horror film, but the violence, when it appears, is so over-the-top that splatter fans won't be too disappointed.

Followed by a pretty good sequel filled with numerous references to classic horror. Worth checking out at least once.

Just okay ... But not a classic 80s cult teen film

[oprlvr33 · 4/10 · 19 July 2015]

Admittedly I barely got through the latter half of this, before temptation dared me to sit it out to the end. Darned it. Definitely not Galligan's, Johnson's, Foreman's or even Warner's better work. But I blame that on the bad scripting, the horrible directing, the rather lazy production technique. And Lord knows, I have long respected and admired David Warner's work. Gifted villain is he, especially opposite his classic Jack the Ripper icon, opposite Malcolm McDowell in 'Time after time'. And certainly, one of the finer, solid English talents of our century. Thankfully his talent wasn't entirely wasted in this. He was allotted some grandeur evil moments; similar to the setup of Vincent Price's classic 'House of Wax'. Most inevitably, a few of the latter scenes curiously depicted those classic scenes,like the vat room and the staircase.

This film certainly started out decently, but some of the pacing was a tad slow. By the time the kids actually step inside the 'wax museum', and then walk around the exhibits, much just turns goofy or mindless from thereon. Eventually action becomes rather boorish. The special effects are mediocre if that, most of the period actors can barely act a wink, and the editing is just awful. Several of the slasher-gore action shots get goofy or make zero sense (or out of sequence), and the ending 'battle' scene between the 'monsters' and the good guys is laughable.

Perhaps this was intended to be a teen suspense comedy-drama. And it almost held the same quality humor as the Evil-dead series. However, with the awkward pacing, much of the intended visual effects fell either flat or victim to bad editing.

Step Over The Rope And Abandon All Hope...

[cchase · 8/10 · 5 December 2008]

The Eighties...what a great, fertile, inventive time that was for horror. When the major studios discovered back in the late Seventies that indie horror flicks were cheap to make or just buy outright and distribute, they started crankin' 'em out...by the DOZENS. Way back when, THE EXORCIST turned the faucet on. The movies that would launch long-term franchises filled the tub. HALLOWEEN. Friday THE 13th. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. And then the tub started spilling over. CHILD'S PLAY. THE HITCHER. THE LOST BOYS. NEAR DARK. FRIGHT NIGHT.

Every company, great and small, started looking for the next EXORCIST, ALIEN, JAWS...the next big thing that would make millions. Enter Vestron Video. Vestron had started out doing some of the first direct-to-video pictures ever made, discovering that the market was HUGE. So big, in fact, that they started a movie division, Vestron Pictures. Their strategy was simple: make good (if not great) genre pics that would put asses in the seats, that they could then distribute through the video arm later on.

One of Vestron Pictures' first releases was a little number called WAXWORK. The plot of the old horror classic MYSTERY IN THE WAX MUSEUM was such a tried and true staple, the studios kept falling back on it again and again, finding fresh ways to retell the story.

WAXWORK took a little different approach from the straight-ahead versions, with a cast and a sensibility for horror that still screams "Me Decade" even today. Check out the victim's list: Zach Galligan (GREMLINS.) Michelle Johnson (BLAME IT ON RIO.) Deborah Foreman (VALLEY GIRL). Dana Ashbrook (TWIN PEAKS). Miles O' Keefe (TARZAN THE APE MAN). Then you throw in vets like David Warner, Patrick McNee, J. Kenneth Campbell, John Rhys-Davies, tap Bob Keen (HELLRAISER) to do make up effects, and you have yourself an Eighties' classic!

Like most films of the period, it starts off with a group of bored, young slacker-types looking for thrills, something...ANYTHING that would be a little more exciting than getting high, getting drunk, getting laid (well, ALMOST more exciting than that), and definitely more of a kick than going to college classes!

They find it, alright - in the form of an invitation to a brand new kind of museum. And this one is not your garden-variety, Madame Tussaud's-wannabe. The wax figurines are so lifelike that the displays seem to draw you in...

Well, okay, they DO draw you in. Here's the kicker: the displays are dedicated to some of the most well-known figures in the history of horror: Dracula. The Wolfman. The Mummy. The Marquis de Sade. Reenactments of their most horrible deeds as they drained blood, hacked and tore off limbs or crushed their helpless victims to death. Seeing the scenes gives patrons the feeling of being in the moment...but if they give in to the compulsion of stepping across the velvet rope around each display, they will find themselves living in that moment...FOR REAL.

And here's the REALLY bad news...if the monsters in each display kill you in the 'waxwork dimension', you become a permanent part of the display...FOREVER. So once that happens, the situation couldn't get worse...could it?

Oh, yeah! The proprietor of the museum has a darker agenda than just dispatching troublesome teens, as our heroes and victims discover with each person who 'disappears' into the museum. And seeing how that plan gets foiled is only part of the giggly, gory fun.

Remember that I mentioned that Bob Keen was the effects guy on this? He got his start as a modeler for movies like STAR WARS, SUPERMAN and ALIEN, cutting his teeth as he worked up to projects like HELLRAISER and THE UNHOLY. But he really served up his calling card with HELLRAISER and with this movie. Gore-wise, this is where the retelling of the Wax Museum story gets more interesting...because thanks to Bob, the visuals go where they never had before.

In a manner that would've made the suits at Universal flinch back in the Thirties, Keen and writer/director Anthony Hickox do away with the "quaint violence" that Famous Monsters used to wreak upon their poor victims. No camera pull-aways here, folks. Where somebody might only threaten to "rip off your head and crap down your neck", these boogeymen take that threat to its most intense extremes. No CGI fakery, either. This was back-in-the-day where almost all the effects were practical, live and in-ya-face...the way we like it!

Okay, so the clothes, the music, the casting and even the acting squarely establish this as what could be considered a "period piece" for horror, I guess. But like his colleagues David Schmoeller, Ted Nicolaou, Stuart Gordon and on occasion Charles Band himself, Hickox knows how to get the action going and keep it that way.

This is one of those gems that might've slipped under your radar, but definitely worth seeking out, hunting down and dragging back home to mount in your DVD library.

A goofy but fun horror film,....perhaps too goofy at times

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 6/10 · 4 September 2021]

Wax figures always seem to get the least appreciation when it comes to three dimensional art. Unfortunately, the reason for that is their eerie presence and synthetic likeliness to that it was based on. It's also because of these traits that they've been best used in horror pictures starting with films like Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), House of Wax (1953), Nightmare in Wax (1969) and Terror in the Wax Museum (1973). All of which had the same idea but only the original and remake are known the best. After that, feature length films disappeared focusing on this concept...until this film came along. Thankfully this movie does something unique with the premise instead of rehashing for another round of familiarities. However, the way the premise is used tends to make it more camp than anything else.

Written and directed Anthony Hickox, who would later direct Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), makes his debut with this feature. Sometimes when doing more than one task the end result is not the desired outcome, but here it fairs out okay. The story is about Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan), China (Michelle Johnson), Sarah (Deborah Foreman) and some other friends who get invited to a mysterious waxwork building headed by a nameless man (David Warner). Little do they or other strangers know that behind the displays are parallel dimensions where people can be transported and trapped. As mentioned before, it's a twist on the classic story, just this time it's not a crazed psychopath going around killing people off the streets. There's a little more fantasy involved here.

Sadly, this still doesn't remove the campy experience viewers may feel. There's a couple reasons for this. First, the main characters themselves lack any relatable charm. Zach Galligan best known from Gremlins (1984) plays what seems like a character who wants to grow up, yet he still cares about who China (his ex) sleeps with. Michelle Johnson known for also later playing in Dr. Giggles (1992) is okay but again her character seems conflicted in motivation. In fact, so does the character of Sarah. There's too much flip flopping. Nevertheless, the actors perform well with what they have. And despite the main characters not feeling strong enough, they are well supported by other veteran actors like David Warner better known from Tron (1982), Joe Baker who'd voice Lon in Disney's Pocahontas (1995), Patrick Macnee who had roles in The Howling (1981) and A View to a Kill (1985) and even a cameo from John Rhys-Davies.

Two other aspects that play against the experience of this film are the rules explained in the story. While there is a moment where a key part is explained, there is another scene where another variation to the proposed rule is countered. Some consistency or at least clarity would've been good. The other issue is just the plot itself and the antagonist's motivation. In all honesty, it's a rather vague and preposterous plot why this whole situation even occurs. This is why the experience of watching this film feels campy. It's just a ridiculous idea. The effects in this film are credible for 1988. There's a good volume of blood and gore to be had even though the tone does not convey serious horror. Working on those effects was Bob Keen, the same guy behind movies like Superman (1978), Alien (1979), Highlander (1986) and Hellraiser (1987).

Behind the camera for this film was Gerry Lively, who also worked on Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992) and even Friday (1995). The scenes shot by Lively are decent and show competence in their presentation. The best shot belongs to the waxwork building. Finally, composing the film score to this feature was Roger Bellon. Surprisingly, it is an interesting work that has gotten an album release. Bellon has a number of themes that occur throughout the run time and are memorable in their own way. The listening experience is very dated though by the instruments used. Almost anyone could tell it came from the 80s from certain tracks. For Bellon, this might be the work he's most remembered for because much of the rest of his filmography is in the TV Movie realm where few scores get publications.

This movie puts an interesting spin on the old wax museum tale from past films. While the main characters feel inconsistent at times and the plot is just silly, it does provide mild fun. The camerawork is decent, the music is composed well and the supporting cast contain some big names.

Boring!

[jacobnunnally · 3/10 · 6 May 2018]

Surprised by the current 6.2 rating for Waxwork. I thought it was significantly bad, and my primary reason for saying that is because it was dull and in many places very slow.

The idea of the movie is a fun, campy one that's been done in several other movies, with the classic being Vincent Price in "House of Wax" in the 50s. So it's disappointing that so little was done with Waxwork - particularly considering the exceptional cast that was assembled. Love Dana Ashbrook.

This is a dull, slow, boring movie that is mostly filler. It revs up near the end but it's too little too late.

A Damn Good Episodic Gorefest

[reverendtom · 8/10 · 29 March 2004]

There is something about episodic horror movies that I love. Maybe it harkens back to my youth, when I devoured the EC Horror Comics reprints. Something about each individual character having his or her own interesting death always has been a kick ass idea to me. This movie is great. Each character faces his/her own nasty (extremely gory) death scene in different "exhibits" in the wax museum. A darn good time and some seriously great gore FX! Loved it. 8/10

Excellent concept, decent execution.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 31 March 2012]

That sums up what happens with writer / director Anthony Hickox's film "Waxwork", which puts its own '80s spin on the classic wax museum horror story.

A delicious David Warner plays an evil waxworks owner with very special displays - they draw people in, the people are taken back in time, get killed, and then become a permanent part of the displays. The displays feature such classic fictional and historic monsters as a werewolf, Count Dracula (Miles O'Keeffe), a mummy, a group of zombies, the Marquis de Sade (J. Kenneth Campbell), Audrey II, etc. Warner is all about destroying the world here, because, as he puts it, "somebody's got to do it". Among the heroic characters who catch on to his scheme are "Gremlins" star Zach Galligan as Mark and '80s sweetie Deborah Foreman as Sarah, who worked again with Hickox on "Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat". Fortunately, Mark has an ally in his fight against evil, his godfather Sir Wilfred, or Wilfie if you prefer, (ever delightful Patrick Macnee), who joins in the final big battle with a tricked out wheelchair.

The movie is good fun, from start to finish; it's spirited entertainment that's nicely realized visually with fine production design (by Gianni Quaranta), costumes (by Leonard Pollack), and cinematography (by Gerry Lively). In true "Night of the Living Dead" tradition, the zombie sequence is in black & white, which only adds to the appeal. A good supporting cast also features Michelle Johnson ("Blame It on Rio"), Dana Ashbrook ('Twin Peaks'), Clare Carey ('Coach'), Charles McCaughan as the exasperated detective, and a too briefly seen John Rhys- Davies ("Raiders of the Lost Ark") as the human incarnation of the werewolf. True enough that Galligan isn't playing the most engaging or likable hero here, but Foreman more than makes up for that with her sunny presence. O'Keeffe is of course stiff as always, but Warner and Campbell are great villains.

Hickox gets things off to a highly amusing start with an unlikely choice of music for the opening pre-credits bit, and keeps things interesting and entertaining. When the final battle takes place, with Sir Wilfred and his associates taking on their formidable opponents, the results are too hard to resist. Makeup effects are by the talented Bob Keen ("Dog Soldiers", "Hellraiser", "Candyman") and his Image Animation company, and are generally pretty good.

By the time this movie is over, it literally brings the house down, and while it could have used a little bit of tightening, it still manages not to overstay its welcome, and has some nice moments along the way.

Director Hickox appears in a small role as the depraved English prince.

Followed by "Waxwork II: Lost in Time" in 1992.

Seven out of 10.

Nowhere near as fun as it sounds

[Groverdox · 5/10 · 3 November 2017]

"Waxwork" is a horror movie that sounds much better than it is.

I mean, how could it miss? It manages to combine zombies, mummies, the Marquis de Sade, Jon Irenicus, vampires, and according to Wikipedia, a bunch of other things I didn't notice and don't remember seeing, such as a talking venus fly trap.

That's the problem.

Maybe they just tried to jam too much stuff into one movie. It doesn't help that the central premise of a wax museum which teleports people into horror movies (or something?) doesn't make sense.

Nothing in it connected with me on any level. I wasn't entertained.

There are some asides that are quite boring and add nothing to the movie, like when a kid goes and gets a cop to investigate the wax museum. I confess I stopped paying attention there.

I tried to get back into it but it just wasn't interesting.

Much better than I used to think

[aaronzombie · 1 June 2001]

As a kid I thought Waxwork was a decent movie. I actually liked the sequel better. Recently I watched the first one after 6 years of just leaving it on my shelf and was suprised to find that it was WAY better than I had remembered. If you love the films about Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and The Mummy, then I recommend you pick up this film.

!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!6 friends are invited to the local wax museum by a mysterious stranger. They arrive at midnight and start to look around at the displays. What they don't know is that the figures are actually real monsters that are frozen and will unfreeze once a certain number of people are sacrificed after entering their lair.

Great story, acting, and effects. **** out of *****.

Funny, Gore and Cult

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 4 March 2014]

While walking to the high-school, the teenagers Sarah (Deborah Foreman) and China (Michelle Johnson) are invited by the owner of a wax museum, David Lincoln (David Warner), to a private exhibition at midnight and he tells that they may invite four other friends to come with them. China invites her former boyfriend, the wealth Mark (Zach Galligan), their friend Tony (Dana Ashbrook) and two other schoolmates to come to the museum, but the two last ones give-up.

Mark, China, Sarah and Tony are welcome by a dwarf and they separate in the room during the tour. Soon Tony crosses the security rope of the display and he finds in a cabin trapped with a werewolf. China also crosses the security rope of another display and she finds in a castle with several vampires. Tony and China are killed and become part of the exhibition. Mark and Sarah leave the museum and soon they find that their friends are going missing. Mark goes to the police but Inspector Roberts (Charles McCaughan) does not believe in his words. Mark and Sarah find in the attic of his mansion an old newspaper and they learn a dark secret about David Lincoln. They visit Sir Wilfred (Patrick Macnee), who is a friend of Mark's family, and they learn that David is near to unleash evil on Earth.

"Waxwork" is a funny and gore movie with an absurd story, silly dialogs, but also a cult movie. The Waxwork Museum mysteriously appears in town and soon teenagers, the police inspector and several people disappear in the wax museum, but nobody in the town seems to care. The 80's is a fertile period of horror movies and "Waxwork" is among my favorites. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Passagem" ("The Passage")

Note: On 16 February 2021, I saw this film again.

Can't a girl get laid around here without being burned at the stake?

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 8 May 2009]

First time writer/director Anthony Hickox pays homage to the classics of horror in this film where a waxwork museum comes to town, and a mysterious man invites some teens to come to a special showing at midnight. Once the visitors enter, the exhibits come alive -- which doesn't bode well for the libidinous teens.

It starts as a typical teen movie where the patter is boring, but soon changes as they enter the museum and, one-by-one, are drawn into the exhibits.

Is the first exhibit, we are treated to John Rhys-Davies (Gimli in LOTR) as a werewolf. He kinda looked like a gremlin, but he was ferocious enough. Goodbye Tony (Dana Ashbrook).

In the second exhibit, China (Michelle Johnson) falls prey to a vampire (Miles O'Keeffe).

Mark (Zach Galligan) and Sarah (Deborah Foreman) leave in time. She was almost taken by an exhibit featuring the Marquis de Sade (J. Kenneth Campbell). What is it with women and those puffy shirts? Too many Harlequin romances, maybe? They return later when they have figured out what is happening. It seems Mark's grandfather and assistant were involved in some black magic, and the assistant was the man in charge of the waxworks. Sarah succumbs to the Marquis de Sade and Mark is fighting zombies before he figures out the secret that will save them.

A final battle occurs when all 18 of the demons are let loose.

Will the world be saved? Lots of blood and gore in an exciting movie.

They made a movie about the Phantom of the opera?

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 7 October 2021]

A very funny line coming from 1988 considering that the musical was about to open on Broadway and had been a hit in London for several years. Of course there had been at least three versions to my knowledge of the classic horror tale up to that point with more to come including the movie of the musical. Veteran character actor David Warner is perfectly cast as the proprietor of a very strange wax museum that has very realistic displays a group of visiting teenagers step into the holographic displays and end up becoming a part of the exhibit in an alternative world. You've got the legend of the Wolfman, Dracula and his wives, the Marquis De Sade, and of course that creepy masked man that lived in the Paris sewers.

There's also the bossy little person who is Warner's butler, a Lurch/Frankenstein like valet and other assorted weirdo characters who pop in and out including a Nazi obsessed teacher and "All My Children's" Jennifer Bassey as the snooty mother of leading character Zach Galligan. He is lusting over a very loose classmate but finds love with the girl next door so there are a few romantic subplots to escape the gore. Another classic horror film, "The Mummy", gets a nice homage in an important twist in the film.

Those bloody scenes are actually very humorous so there's not much opportunity to be truly grossed out by it, simply amused, and that makes this more of a piece of art than your usual slasher film. It's obvious that the filmmakers had high regard for classic horror so they took modern sensibilities and told their stories their own way, and what occurs on screen really works and stands the test of time. This is probably one of the better classic horror films of the 1980's because it relies more on the mystery and the suspense rather than shocking and hideous carnage. I died laughing further when the young heroine in the film was revealed to be named Sarah Brightman, the real life lead in "Phantom" in London and later on Broadway.

Monster mash-up in wax.

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 18 April 2014]

Waxwork is written and directed by Anthony Hickox. It stars Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, David Warner, Dana Ashbrook, Miles O'Keefe, Patrick Macnee and John Rhys-Davies. Music is by Roger Bellon and cinematography by Gerry Lively.

A sort of portmanteau horror film made on a TV standard budget. Plot in simple terms has a bunch of pretty young adults unwisely accept an invite to visit the mysterious new wax museum that has suddenly appeared in town: At midnight! What follows is a number of stories that find members of the group magically transported into the realm of an exhibit, such as werewolf, vampire etc, and end up as part of the exhibit themselves. Can the hero in waiting save the day?

It's a fun homage of a movie, playing very much firmly with tongue in cheek. The presence of some horror stalwarts in the cast is reassuring, and the effects work isn't half bad. Some of the acting is poor from the younger cast members, and while it's not hard to forgive a low budgeted movie its failings, it's still annoying that the actors playing the wax models can't keep still, while the set nearly falls down at one point. The photography is also too cloudy at times, Gerry Lively's filters straining for colour ambiance.

Still, it's a decent time filler that's made with love by a horror fan for horror fans. 5/10

What do you expect?

[CLOSE_6 · 7/10 · 12 November 2005]

The thing with waxworks is that it really wants to be the sum of its parts, the cast (with the odd exception) are generally pretty good, especially warner (why oh why was his part not bigger), the effects are just fantastic for most of the time, (you can see the waxworks moving) especially bob keens creature effects, the wolfman is awesome as is the mummy, there's even a fairly good bit of erotic sadism thrown in for good measure. OK so the story is nothing new at all, and the acting can be pretty atrocious at times but its just all so bonkers you cant help but fall in love with it. i saw this movie when it had just come out on VHS back in the day when i was to young to rent it for myself and thought it was the coolest, i had not seen it for at least 10 years until i bought it the other day and you know what, its still cooler than it has any right to be.

Waxing and waining

[daniewhite-1 · 5/10 · 10 February 2021]

Fun, funny, silly, stupid, and sometimes tasteless, 'Waxwork' gets plenty of kicks out of its nonsense story and it's simple shocks.

Honourable mentions to veterans David Warner and Patrick McNee who get into the spirit of things and a game cast of younger actors who scream and sprint with aplomb.

If you like 80's films or horror comedy then I strongly recommend 'Waxwork'. Don't take it seriously, just appreciate the mild vulgarity with relish!

I rate a strong 5/10 as it stands; and a superior cast of younger actors and tighter directing for the action scenes would probably render 'Waxwork' a very valuable genre classic. As it is there is much to enjoy if this sounds like your kind of flick!

My all-time favorite horror movie

[Comiccritic83 · 10/10 · 28 August 2005]

WARNING! THIS REVIEW INCLUDES MAJOR SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM, PLEASE DON'T READ THIS REVIEW!

Still with me? Good. "Waxwork" is, quite frankly, my favorite horror film ever. It has a clever, original story, memorable monsters and the lovely, talented Deborah Foreman as the leading lady. Really, what else could you possibly need in a film?

The plot starts out simply enough: six college seniors get invited to attend a late-night showing of the exhibits in a new waxworks building. But the characters in each of the displays are much more lifelike than they seem and when you step past the railing into the displays, you're taken into an illusionary world where the characters live, breathe... and kill.

Pretty creepy, huh?

Among the main cast members are Zach Galligan as Mark, Foreman as Sarah, David Warner as the Waxwork's owner Mr. David Lincoln, Dana Ashbrook as Tony, Michelle Johnson as Mark's ex-girlfriend China, Miles O'Keeffe as Count Dracula (or, as he's known as in this film, "The Count"), John Rhys-Davies as a werewolf, J. Kenneth Campbell as the Marquis de Sade and Patrick Macnee as Sir Wilfred, Mark's godfather. While Ashbrook and Macnee give good performances with their roles, it is Foreman and Warner who give the best performances. Galligan, though, gives as good wooden acting as any actor in the modern day "Star Wars" prequel films.

Among the many good moments in the film, we get a few good one-liners in the mostly serious horror flick, good acting, a clever plot, likable characters and a truly frightening, though brief, black-and-white sequence with zombies! The musical score by Roger Bellon is also especially impressive for such a B-budgeted horror movie (particularly the main theme and the Mark and Sarah theme which is heard twice, when Mark is with Sarah outside her apartment and then when Mark takes Sarah's hand in the de Sade exhibit and leaves the display with her).

Of the bad parts, we get some less-than-impressive cardboard sets, a werewolf that looks like a Muppet on steroids, lipstick-looking lashes on Sarah's back when she is whipped in the Marquis display (and the mentioned injuries curiously disappear when she leaves the display) and plot holes big enough to drive cars through. For example, the Marquis display hypnotizes Sarah when she stares at it and steps inside of it, but the others do not get hypnotized by their displays. Also, some gore is unnecessary (do we really need to see a hunter being torn in half by a werewolf?).

Still, despite its flaws, "Waxwork" is a wonderful horror film that scares as much as it entertains. It may not be that scary by today's standards, but it goes well with popcorn and soda. So, dim the lights (if you dare) and enjoy watching this fine, lesser-known horror film.

Would you like a closer look?

The Cabin in the Woods of its day

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 2 December 2016]

A nice throwback to the classic horrors of the '30s and '40s, this has just about every monster in it that you can think of : Dracula, the Phantom of the Opera, the Werewolf, the Invisible Man, a pod person, zombies from a NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD-esque film, every bad creature you can think of from the '30s through till the '60s. Unfortunately, with all these monsters, there is little space for plot, and despite a few clever plot devices, the actual story has to be the weakest thing in this film.

That, and the decision to have the cast populated by bland American teenagers, well apart from Zach Galligan that is. Yes, we get another gang of bimbos and hunks who get murdered one by one without even realising what's going on. Only the two leads are any good, the rest of the cast fade quicker than a painting left in the bright sunshine. Galligan plays a surprisingly unlikeable creep who turns out to be a hero, while Foreman herself gets seduced by the dark side, even indulging in an unhealthy whipping session with the Marquis de Sade.

Still, to make up for these shortcomings, WAXWORK gives us an exploitation cast to die for. First up is David Warner, cast in the suspicious role of the waxwork hotel proprietor. Warner is pretty low key throughout the film, until the ending where he gets his own head torn off. Many other cult actors appear in bit parts, from John Rhys Davies as a werewolf to Patrick Macnee, crippled in a wheelchair and yet still a purveyor of good. The other fun actors include Miles O'Keefe as a blond, long-haired Dracula.

Aside from the many knowing references which horror fans will delight in, there are a number of horror sequences which play like mini films. These are well-paced and feature some quite graphic violence and gore; surprising that it wasn't banned really. One teenager gets attacked and bitten by a werewolf, a girl gets seduced by Dracula (and finds her boyfriend chained up in the bathroom, with rats devouring his bloody leg), a detective is attacked by an unstoppable mummy (which even gets a spear shoved through it, like in Hammer's THE MUMMY), plus some masochistic moments in the Marquis de Sade episode. Okay, so the plot is pretty weak and just strings these sequences together, and the ending, which involves a huge brawl in the museum's main hall, is pretty uninspired, but you just can't help but enjoy the bloody fun and get into the spirit of the thing. A sequel, LOST IN TIME, followed.

Lame and silly attempt to spoof horror movies...

[dwpollar · 3/10 · 2 August 2009]

1st watched 7/12/2009 - 3 out of 10 (Dir-Anthony Hickox): Lame and silly attempt to spoof horror movies in this story about a possessed wax museum visited by brainless teenagers. A couple of them get swept into the exhibits and the story that revolves around the exhibits, and then they get killed and become permanent parts of it. This is the basic storyline but they add a "rule the world" theme concocted by the leader of the museum. He believes that once each exhibit has had it's chance to kill they will all come to life and conquer all !! Mu ha ha!! The movie has a campiness that makes you think initially it will be a comedy but it really just turns into a slow moving horror movie. The exhibits include the werewolf, a vampire, the Marquis de sade and an alien that isn't really explored. This is where the movie tries to pay tribute to these type of movies but fails. At least the movie didn't turn out to be a kill all teens slasher movie and they tried a different style in the storytelling to put away the worthless teenagers but it still doesn't really work as an interesting movie.