Expect lots of Slasher Movie 101 and putatively clever jibes at a certain high-profile hotel heiress (involving a video camera, of course, and a box full of cell phones that don’t work).
House of Wax (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:145
Fresh:37
Rotten:108
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: Bearing little resemblance to the 1953 original, House of Wax is a formulaic but better-than-average teen slasher flick.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for horror violence, some sexual content and language.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:2005-Summer
Box Office: $32,000,834
Synopsis: In this remake of the classic 1953 Andre de Toth film that starred Vincent Price, horrors abound in a creepy wax museum. A group of road-tripping Florida teenagers (Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael... In this remake of the classic 1953 Andre de Toth film that starred Vincent Price, horrors abound in a creepy wax museum. A group of road-tripping Florida teenagers (Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton, Robert Ri'chard, Jared Padalecki, and Jon Abrahams) stop to camp near a small town where an abandoned wax museum draws their curiosity. Upon exploring the scary cobwebbed space, they find that the figures are not only eerily lifelike, but that the entire museum--floor to ceiling--is actually made of wax. If that wasn't enough to scare them, they encounter a couple of very unsettling characters who seem to be the only people around for miles. One is a blood-splattered redneck who collects roadkill, dumping the bodies of dead deer into a fetid carcass swamp. The other is Bo (Brian Van Holt), a gas station attendant who lures the kids back to his house. Soon, through a series of stomach-turning slasher scenes featuring scissors, long knives, and even a pair of pliers, the teens get to know Bo a whole lot better. They even meet his insane brother Vincent (also played by Van Holt). Brief interludes of teen squabbling and a Hilton strip tease in red lace lingerie temporarily break the tension, but for the most part this HOUSE OF WAX stays the course with shockingly gory moments that earn grosser-than-gross status. Sick predilections involving an experimental surgical station and an elaborate wax-coating machine reveal Vincent's artistic process. But before the bloodbath is over, more twisted secrets about Bo and Vincent bubble to the surface, resulting in a spectacular grand finale and total meltdown. [More]
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt, Paris Hilton
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki, Jon Abrahams, Robert Ri'chard
Director: Jaume Collet-Sera
Director: Jaume Collet-Sera
Screenwriter: Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes
Producer: Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, Susan Levin
Composer: John Ottman
Studio: Warner Bros.
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Reviews for House of Wax
Filled with the usual contemporary horror staples, most notably lots of rusty torture implements and cellphones that tend to scurry mischievously out of reach just as the villain bears down on his prey.
If you’ve seen one horror movie, you’ll always be several steps ahead of everyone in House of Wax.
A mundane slasher flick populated by blandly pretty people who look really good in sweaty tank tops.
A sizzling grand finale is among the few reasons to endure House of Wax.
When I wasn’t laughing at the asinine plot developments or the ridiculously inept acting, I was straining to stay awake.
Forty-five minutes of stultifying boredom, followed by preposterous carnage pilfered from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
My contempt for this film is so great, I'm reluctant to even call it a film, as that designation places it in the pantheon of works by Welles, Hitchcock and even Ed Wood.
The 1933 and 1953 versions are available on a single DVD for slightly less than the price of two evening movie tickets. Am I making myself clear?
House of Wax's violence is abrupt and gory, giving it an ick factor that surprises and repulses in a good way.
I’ve got some real affection for House of Wax and perhaps that, more than anything, is why I wish it were just a tiny bit better.
Much of the film's running time is devoted to subtle provoking of primal fears...
(Director) Collet-Serra has no facility for suspense or mood, and he stretches out the brain-dead dialogue and plodding plot until it's numbing.
Says Paris: "I'm dismissed when I get a pole in my head which, as anyone in tune with my video career knows, is hardly the first time."
Melts in your brain, not in your hand (or is that it melts your brain?)
The plot relies entirely on the stupidity of the protagonists and our desire to watch them die.
Latest News for House of Wax
September 23, 2008:
Selsus.com: Cekici, seksi, zevkli ve urpertici bir korku. ![]()
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September 23, 2008:
Cineteka.com: Quente, sexy, deliciosamente, assustador. ![]()
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November 30, 2007:
Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga Adopt a Scary Orphan
Horror trends come and go, but through 'em all, one thing remains the same: Kids are creepy. More...
July 30, 2007:
Paris Hilton Joins Bousman's Rock Opera
Remember how "Saw" sequel maker Darren Lynn Bousman signed a deal to do a musical called "Repo! The Genetic Opera"? Yeah, for Lionsgate. And you'll never guess who he just cast... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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