House of Wax (1953) by André De Toth

Director: André De Toth

Year: 1953

Country: USA

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Slasher

Plot:

Attempting to start his career over, a disgruntled wax sculptor returns several years later to use a group of lowlifes around him to be the models for his next display and forces an inspector and his girlfriend to stay on top of him to halt the madman's rampage.

Review:

This is a prime slab of early classic horror that is extremely interesting and packs a couple more thrills than it should for its time. With this one single film, we are introduced to the wondrous Vincent Price as a horror icon, and this is one assured debut. Price is in top form here, and the fact that we can see his work for the first time in a horror film makes this one an extra special film. Even without that recognition, it's an entertaining 50's cheese-fest that features a lot of great moments. The beginning of the film is one of the film's best features, as a fire destroys a wax studio in a nice action set-piece that normally doesn't have these big scenes in movies, and it's a wonderful, eye-opening first sequence. There is also a long and extended chase scene through the dank, fog-laden streets of London that really drives home some suspenseful moments.

The murders are cool and violent for the time being, while not overly stepping over any bounds of decency in place then. The other chase sequences are just as striking, with the last one being the top one in the film. That leads up to a spectacular conclusion that is so incredibly action-packed here with plenty of full- on struggling and brawling around in the wax lair that's fun on its own even before the utterly spectacular fire that spreads throughout here, leaving the entire building in flames, which makes the film all the more fun. The final revelation of Price's character is also one of the classic moments in the history of film, and it's just as shocking today as it was then. It gives some great chills, and the method used is pretty creative and unique.

These here are all more than enough to hold this up over what is basically just one really lame and utterly bland flaw. Basically, most of the 3D sequences in here were pretty cheesy. That's not to say they didn't work in the film, just that they were pretty cheesy, easy-to-spot, and not at all that convincingly done either. For the time, they might've worked, but for the most part, the gags haven't aged well. It's a toss-up as to which ones don't, but they're so noticeable and replayed throughout nearly every single 3D installment that they're not all that difficult to find faults with them. The only other small flaw is that we saw the skin of Price's after burns much too early and often. It works wonderfully and has some fantastic abilities to shock, but too much is seen of it for it to be of much use in the scare department. It should've been hidden better to have an effect. Otherwise, for the film that introduced Vincent Price to the horror community, it deserves some recognition.

Overview: *****/5

An excellent introduction for Price to the genre, there's quite a lot to enjoy here, which helps to make everything here that much more impactful compared to just a few minor drawbacks. Those with an appreciation for this kind of genre fare, who enjoy this era of the genre, or who are fans of the creative fare will have the most to like here, while most others out there should heed caution.