Wax Mask

Wax Mask

On paper pre-production 'Wax Mask' was the sort of film that horror fan dreams were made of...a long overdue collaboration between Italian terror masters Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci - but fate would soon decry that it was never truly to be! With a story in place by the combined talents of Fulci, Argento and Daniele Stropa (based on Gaston Leroux's classic novel) filming could begin, if not for the fact that Lucio Fulci tragically then passed away. Some have commented that Argento's commitment to his own projects put 'Wax Mask' regrettably on the back burner, but thankfully although Fulci would never complete this dream project both Argento and Guiseppe Colombo made sure it would come to light. Visual effects guru Sergio Stivaletti came to the fore as the man to step behind the camera and take over Fulci's helm. Could Stivaletti live up to his predecessor's talents or would he disappoint the legions of anticipating fans...

'Wax Mask' is a welcome return to the old school Italian Gothic horror movie - very much in the style of old wax museum movies (with just a hint of Franco's 'Orloff') - the film opens in Paris on New Year's Eve 1900, where we are shown a brutal murder crime scene freshly discovered by the Parisian police. They find the mutilated bodies of a man and woman along with a cowering young girl who has witnessed the bloody carnage by mysterious steel handed killer! The film then cuts to years later in Rome, where we meet said young girl grown up where she has just taken up a job as a dressmaker for a solemn brooding wax sculptor Boris Volkoff who is producing a series of gruesome horror displays for the opening of his new grand guignol museum. A young local man sneaks into the wax museum (for a wager) and is found the next day dead from fright! Soon after, people start to go missing - children, prostitutes etc. Both the local police and a young male reporter are suspicious to the reasons for this and soon discover links to the creepy wax museum! Who is behind the disappearances? Is it the brooding sculptor or one of his devoted minions? What is the connection to the films opening Parisian scenes? And has Stivaletti delivered the goods in this retro gothic chic?

Well, the answer to the latter is most definitely 'yes'! Although somewhat derided by sections of the horror community, 'Wax Mask' (like Argento's 'Phantom of the Opera') is one of the most enjoyable gothic romps that has been produced in quite some time. Visually delightful and atmospheric - the film manages to capture the essence of good old Euro horror cinema and brings it right up to date using modern advances in visual effects. If you're a fan of those aforementioned old stylee Euro flicks then this surely shouldn't disappoint and I'm sure that Fulci would not have been disappointed with the finished product either. The casting on the main is bang on the mark with Robert Hossein in good form, Romina Mondello playing the Euro-gothic femme well and her blind aunt (blinded by a 'frisky steed', he he) will be a welcome cameo for old school fans (keep your eyes peeled!) The films score is at times stunning with a brash assault of orchestral delights that add a fair amount to the general atmosphere. A film well worth repeat viewings and should be a welcome addition to any fans collection (but then what do I know as I seem to be out on my own with my passion for Argento's 'Phantom'!)

The PAL region all disc from Dragon is very impressive also and gives the US Euroshock release a good run for it's money! The print on show is almost perfect, by that I mean that there are a few rare speckles that appear in a couple of frames that only the hardcore of print fetishists would give a damn about (but if I don't mention it then someone will!) Other than that the image is bright, clean and sharp - in fact so much more than it's US counterpart which is somewhat darker and not as clean as here. The audio is a clear sharp stereo sound (in both English and German) which shows of the impressive score no end (with slightly more 'oomph' than the very similar US release). But whilst the US disc contained only a all too brief stills gallery, Dragons disc goes that little bit better with a nice moving gallery backed by the films music, the German trailer for this release, the usual biographies and a nice text interview (in English) with director Stivaletti which makes a pleasant accompaniment to the movie itself.

If you haven't seen this movie yet then why the hell not? If you're one of those grumbling perfectionists that criticised the film (Fulci would be growling at you) then you really should give it another go. A damn fine return to form for the Gothic Horror movie (and a welcome one too) and a solid impressive release from Dragon. Go check it out!

Review by Alan Simpson


 
Released by Dragon Films
Region 0 (PAL)
Running time - m
Ratio - Widescreen
Audio - Dolby
Extras :
Theatrical trailer, Galleries
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