Aside from Elisha Cuthbert's tumble into a tip full of rotting roadkill, the first half of House Of Wax (a distant relation of the Vincent Price 3D shlocker) is pretty humdrum viewing. Six young roadtrippers (boring couple, horny couple, bad boy, nerd) make camp, make enemies with an unseen truck driver, wake up to car trouble, and - being utterly stupid - split into ever-diminishing groups. Jeepers Creepers, it's the Texas Wrong Turn Massacre!
But once we enter the titular tourist trap - and I use the term advisedly - the ultra-squelchy second act provides some splendidly nasty moments that everyone should learn from and enjoy. Never put your fingers where you can't see them, don't try to peel your wax-covered friends, never leave Paris Hilton without a responsible adult, and don't build a furnace under a thermo-softening structure (ever had one of those nightmares where you try to run away but your feet won't move...?).
And isn't it nice to see Miss Cuthbert transforming herself from the dumb blonde of 24 into a dumb brunette?
But once we enter the titular tourist trap - and I use the term advisedly - the ultra-squelchy second act provides some splendidly nasty moments that everyone should learn from and enjoy. Never put your fingers where you can't see them, don't try to peel your wax-covered friends, never leave Paris Hilton without a responsible adult, and don't build a furnace under a thermo-softening structure (ever had one of those nightmares where you try to run away but your feet won't move...?).
And isn't it nice to see Miss Cuthbert transforming herself from the dumb blonde of 24 into a dumb brunette?