1/10/2024 0 Comments Phyllis kirk house of wax![]() ![]() There’s also a couple of nice sequences where an unmasked Jarrod chases Sue through a dark, misty street, and one where he swings into her bedroom on a grappling hook, doing much more outside the wheelchair than his predecessor did. Here, we see a lot more of the villain’s evil spree, killing his former partner and staging a suicide – the deaths are pretty brutal, when they come, and there are some great ‘corpse crashing into shot’ moments. This one doesn’t feel much like a mystery, and that’s not just because I’m watching it off the back of the previous version. I suppose the biggest difference between the two films is signified by the change of title. Igor’s brawl with Sue’s friend Scott – a fellow sculptor – in the big showdown is a great old-fashioned slugfest, as you’d hope, although looking at the two men you never expect Scott to come off the better man because, frankly, Bronson looks like he could tear a building apart without breaking a sweat. Oh yeah, and the mute goon Igor who builds wax faces in his own likeness in this version is played by a very young but very tough-looking Charles Bronson (billed here as Charles Buchinsky)! But like Lionel Atwill’s take on the character, it’s paired with a sadness about the loss of his artistic ability which forces him to rely on his students. There’s a gleeful pride to Price’s delivery which – as with many of his performances – veers towards the hammy. ![]() Jarrod speaks with a quiet passion for his art coupled with a showman’s knack for the dramatic – like Price himself, he knows exactly what the audience have come to see, and exactly the way to help them have the experience they’re hoping for. Good as it is, that tour is certainly helped by Price’s voice as he introduces his audience to the gruesome residents of his museum. Later, a shot of rows of corpses covered in sheets in the New York City morgue is eerie and atmospheric through its arrangement, and the depth of field when the camera tours the new museum is really lovely. Yes, there’s an extended sequence where a carnival barker uses ping pong paddles with elasticated balls to nearly twat the camera while encouraging crowds to check out the museum, and yes, there’s a sequence where Can-Can dancers kick their legs and flash their underskirts towards the lens.īut there are also really nice touches which I found a little subtler – during the fight just before the museum burns down, a weapon is hurled across the room making a nice use of space and focus. What surprised me about House Of Wax was that it pretty much seemed to do both at once. I’ve always figured some films use the 3D as a gimmick to fling things into the faces sitting in the front row while other (usually better), films use it as a tool to add depth to their picture. I’ve talked before ( here and here), about how much I enjoy a Vincent Price film, but for some reason I’d never seen this until now, so as a little birthday treat to myself, I picked it up while shopping recently and realised it also came with the 1933 version (which I had seen previously).Īll I knew about this one was that Price was the lead and it was basically a remake for a slightly newer audience, but I think I’d forgotten that it was filmed for 3D, so let’s deal with that first. When Cathy’s roommate Sue Allen (Phyllis Kirk), realises Jarrod’s Joan of Arc looks suspiciously familiar, she tries to convince her friend (Paul Picerni), and the police that all is not as it seems. Meanwhile, a hideously scarred killer murders Burke and his girlfriend Cathy (Carolyn Jones), with other locals missing presumed dead. Years later, Jarrod – now unable to sculpt due to his injuries – opens a new museum which focuses on the grisly spectacle he previously refused to indulge in. Master sculptor Henry Jarrod (Vincent Price), runs a small wax museum with his business partner Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts), until Burke burns it to the ground and leaves him for dead. As always, the Late Review will go into detail about the film from start to finish, so if you’re looking to avoid potential spoilers, scroll down to the next heading. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |