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Movies / On DVD / House of Wax
House of Wax

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House of Wax (2005)

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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.

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

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.

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for House of Wax

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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Meanwhile, the audience wonders when Paris Hilton will be eviscerated for their enjoyment.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
06/04/05
Shay Casey
Shay Casey
FilmFocus

This isn't so much a remake of the 1953 classic as a standard slasher movie grafted onto a familiar title.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
05/22/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Makes up for its idiot plot with a gallon of gore.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
05/24/05
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[House of Wax] gleefully trots out all the clichés of the genre before going out in a blaze of glory with a truly spectacular final act.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
05/26/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/07/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
06/07/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Not just fun and funny (don't forget, Paris Hilton's in it), but it's also surprisingly frightening.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
02/26/07
Kevin Allison
Kevin Allison
Film Journal International

After one gets past the trendy casting of Paris Hilton, this above-average horror flick actually surfaces from the bloody pit of remakes clutching a few decent ideas.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
09/02/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Mal actuada, mal editada, previsible de principio a fin y sin terror alguno de por medio, es una de esas cintas que deberían haberse quedado en la fase de proyecto.

Full Review Source: Moviola | comment Comment
11/26/05
Jorge Avila Andrade
Jorge Avila Andrade
Moviola

(Director) Collet-Serra has no facility for suspense or mood, and he stretches out the brain-dead dialogue and plodding plot until it's numbing.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
05/08/05
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Film lacks horror and originality.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
05/06/05
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

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...'

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
05/06/05
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

A horror movie can get away with a lot, but once it crosses a certain line, it is insulting to viewers. House of Wax crosses that line.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
05/05/05
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Should make horror fans quite content.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
05/14/05
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

My contempt for this film is so great, I'm reluctant to even call it a film, as that designation places it in the pantheon of works by Welles, Hitchcock and even Ed Wood.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
05/11/05
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

We'll always have Paris. But for almost an hour, we endure these dumb children bickering, wandering aimlessly, insulting local hayseeds, and not having sex. That's hot.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/05
Sean Burns
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

A roughhouse between the Hayes's dingbatty script...and director Sera's winking and surprisingly skillful treatment of it...ultimately disappointing.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
05/05/05
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Not to focus too much on Paris Hilton, but she brings an art to bad acting.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
05/06/05
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

how seriously should any film be taken when it has Paris Hilton and her lacy red lingerie in a supporting role?

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
05/04/05
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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Latest News for House of Wax

September 23, 2008: Selsus.com: Cekici, seksi, zevkli ve urpertici bir korku. Opens in new window
More...

September 23, 2008: Cineteka.com: Quente, sexy, deliciosamente, assustador. Opens in new window
More...

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...

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