HOLY CARNAUBA—Bring Out The Drop Cloth…
by Robert A. Nowotny
Ten minutes into HOUSE OF WAX Paris Hilton's character reveals
that she is late for her period. By the time we have any action
whatsoever she could have easily given birth. Talk about a s-l-o-w
start to a movie—watching the first half of this film
is like being subjected to Chinese Water Torture.
Drip…drip…drip…
This HOUSE OF WAX is the seventy-eighth remake of 2005. Like 99%
of the others, it doesn't hold a candle to any of the earlier
versions. In fact, the 1953 edition starring Vincent Price, Frank
Lovejoy and Phyllis Kirk was a true classic. Not only was it the
very first 3D motion picture produced by a major studio, many
believe that it represents Mr. Price's best screen performance.
The best that the Warner Bros. marketing department could come
up for this effort was: “On May 6th…See Paris
Die!” That's tepid endorsement, indeed. But here's the
real killer (and I don't mean the twin waxaholics played by Brian
Van Holt)—there's NO TITTIES! What in hell was First-Time
Director Jaume Collet-Serra thinking? Doesn't he know one of the
most important must haves within the guts and gore genre is to
show a boob or two? For shame…
Elisha Cuthbert's performance as Carly Jones is the best thing
in the movie and the ending scenes almost wax poetic. That's too
little and too late. Like an alter boy within the Boston diocese,
this is one candlelight service you best stay away from.
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