Review of Wax Mask, The

Introduction

Originally titled "MDC - Maschera Di Cera", Schlock effects supervisor Sergio Stivaletti took over the direction of this Italian Giallo version of an old Hollywood staple, the Wax Museum, when the original director and co-writer, the legendary Lucio Fulci died. Fulci had developed the project with producer Dario Argento based on the old Gaston Leroux novel about an insane wax museum proprietor who made new exhibits by murdering people and dipping them in wax. Fulci succumbed to diabetes when he missed an insulin dose going to bed. The movie is dedicated to him.

Video

The film is presented in non-anamorphic 1.66:1, which is about right for the original aspect ratio of this kind of movie. Colours are bright, and the image is pleasingly colourful. Some wear and tear, and particularly negative debris is evident. The mastering of the disc shows instability and pixellation at 2x forward, which may indicate some problems with some machines.

Audio

Sound is in Dolby 2.0

Features

Three trailers for other movies available, otherwise absolutely nothing. No subtitles.

Conclusion

"The Wax Museum" gets the Giallo treatment in this Dario Argento produced schlockfest from 1997. Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux (Phantom Of The Opera), this is the kind of movie Lionel Atwill would have been making in the 1930s and giving Fay Wray the willies, or Vincent Price would have been making for Roger Corman in the 1950s. Full of ingeniously gory special effects and ham acting, it`s easy to see the appeal of these pictures over Hollywood`s aggravating love of torturing teenagers.

"The Wax Mask" combines goopy gore with cheap tittilation in the style of the old Hammer Horrors, but just going that step further. Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, and probably not enough hardcore gore for the video nasty connoisseurs.