Waxwork (1988)

**_Fun 80’s monster mayhem_** Several college students in Los Angeles are invited to a midnight showing of a wax museum at a manor hosted by a mysterious man with diabolical plans (David Warner). Some of the students include: Zach Galligan (Mark), Deborah Foreman (Sarah), Michelle Johnson (China), Dana Ashbrook (Tony) and Micah Grant (Johnathan). “Waxwork” (1988) is a horror comedy whose protagonists somehow enter into the worlds of the wax displays wherein they encounter a werewolf, vampires, a torture chamber, mummies, zombies and so on. The tone is uncertain at first, but the film finds its footing and delivers an entertaining experience as a horror mishmash. It’s more fun than scary, but there’s at least one good shock and the werewolf, mummies and zombies are very well done in a horrific sense. Meanwhile J. Kenneth Campbell offers a notable performance as French sadist Marquis de Sade. A sequel manifested four years later: “Waxwork II: Lost in Time," which I have yet to see. The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles. GRADE: B-

Monster mash-up in wax. 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