Over the years there have been many horror films that have taken place within a wax museum, out of them all, I would have to say my favorite is Waxworks. It was the most pure horror of the bunch as generally with films in a wax museum, they are more mystery than horror and this film is no exception to the rule. A whodunit that features suspects, prostitutes with pretty boobies, a woman that looks well into her 30's who needs a guardian, a deformed hunchback and John Carradine the first victim of the dreaded killer!
The story, a man who is debating on selling his wax museum dreams that the figures are alive and do not want him to sell the place. Then he is seemingly murdered by the Jack the Ripper figure and so within less than a day there is a line of people wishing to see the place and the victim's niece already there with her guardian taking over the place. An American wishes to buy the place which infuriates a man who works at the museum and the hunchback shows signs of being the killer too, but with films like this, it is never the obvious.
I really did not care for the conclusion as it was so far out mainly because how did the person dress as Jack the Ripper with such professional looking makeup probably not seen during the time period this film was to take place. I also would have preferred something more strange going on such as the figures coming to life, and this is probably why I think Waxworks is the best of these films. Also, why, oh why must someone always take a tumble into the vat of wax and would it be so lethal that you never see the person emerge from the wax screaming and trying to get out; no, instead, they remain submerged, never to be seen again.
So, the film held my interest as I was genuinely curious as to who the killer was and why. The two who were the most obvious, I knew would not be the killer so I just could not figure it out. I kept thinking maybe there would be a scene where all the figures came to life, but in retrospect, I should have known that would not occur. Nope, just the person you would least suspect, though I should have known when the red headed bad singer got killed!
The story, a man who is debating on selling his wax museum dreams that the figures are alive and do not want him to sell the place. Then he is seemingly murdered by the Jack the Ripper figure and so within less than a day there is a line of people wishing to see the place and the victim's niece already there with her guardian taking over the place. An American wishes to buy the place which infuriates a man who works at the museum and the hunchback shows signs of being the killer too, but with films like this, it is never the obvious.
I really did not care for the conclusion as it was so far out mainly because how did the person dress as Jack the Ripper with such professional looking makeup probably not seen during the time period this film was to take place. I also would have preferred something more strange going on such as the figures coming to life, and this is probably why I think Waxworks is the best of these films. Also, why, oh why must someone always take a tumble into the vat of wax and would it be so lethal that you never see the person emerge from the wax screaming and trying to get out; no, instead, they remain submerged, never to be seen again.
So, the film held my interest as I was genuinely curious as to who the killer was and why. The two who were the most obvious, I knew would not be the killer so I just could not figure it out. I kept thinking maybe there would be a scene where all the figures came to life, but in retrospect, I should have known that would not occur. Nope, just the person you would least suspect, though I should have known when the red headed bad singer got killed!