Yet for a so-called exploitation film, Wax is slow to exploit. Its leisurely setup is a fright-challenged snooze, and at nearly two hours it's bloated for a slasher flick.
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
There is not one redeeming moment in this movie, unless you consider Paris Hilton stripping down to her underwear and getting killed redeeming.
The new remake of House of Wax proves it's actually possible for a movie to get dumber as it goes along.
Not to focus too much on Paris Hilton, but she brings an art to bad acting.
And in keeping with the wax, wax, everywhere WAX concept of this goofy little gore-bucket, I'll just glibly assume that the screenplay was written in crayon.
"House of Wax" is a classic, of a kind ... It plays its alarming carnage straight, and it's very scary.
The filmmakers have one good idea ... Otherwise, the picture remains imagination-free.
low-rent in every respect... When her character, Paige, performs a striptease, Hilton's moves are so lethargic and mechanical she's about as arousing as Bugs Bunny in drag.
House of Wax is not a good movie but it is an efficient one, and will deliver most of what anyone attending House of Wax could reasonably expect, assuming it would be unreasonable to expect very much.
Redeemed by the surreal nightmare of its fiery finale, when it's not a wicked witch but the world itself that seems to be crying, 'I'm melting...'
Irritating, boring, poorly acted, poorly directed and poorly written.
This is bad horror at its best: hokey, predictable and completely unrealistic.
Enough of an original spin on the premise to make this the creepiest horror remake in quite some time.
Rookie director Jaume Collet-Serra concentrates on mild shocks, unpleasant bloodiness and a dank stickiness in the set design.
A sadistically bland entertainment that oversells its reveals and lets its suspense drip so long that it would be nice if something (anything!) happened.
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 |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
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| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
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| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
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