House of Wax (1953) + House of Wax (2005)

Episode Notes

Something borrowed. A remake of a remake, sort of. In House of Wax (1953), Vincent Price pitches a wax venture. Maintaining purity in artistic intentions. Later, a person who may or may not be Vincent Price’s character shows up to propagate all the ideas he doesn’t stand for. 3D and other cinematic gimmicks throughout the ages. Which gimmicks stick and which send audiences fleeing the theater. The 2005 House of Wax remake borrows even less from House of Wax 1953 than that version borrows from previous source material. The bizarre reaction to Paris Hilton’s appearance in this very of-the-time horror film.

Trailers

Covers

House of Wax (1953)

Released: April 16, 1953
Runtime: 88 min | IMDB | Wikipedia

Director: André De Toth
Writer: Crane Wilbur
Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk

A New York sculptor who opens a wax museum to showcase the likenesses of famous historical figures runs into trouble with his business partner, who demands that the exhibits become more extreme in order to increase profits.

House of Wax (2005)

Released: April 30, 2005
Runtime: 113 min | IMDB | Wikipedia

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt

A group of unwitting teens are stranded near a strange wax museum and soon must fight to survive and keep from becoming the next exhibit.