Waxwork ** (1988, Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, Dana Ashbrook, Miles O’Keeffe, David Warner) – Classic Movie Review 12,666

Anthony Hickox’s 1988 directorial film debut Waxwork stars Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, Dana Ashbrook, Miles O’Keeffe, Patrick Mcnee and David Warner. Waxwork is an occasionally engaging mix of the grisly and the tongue-in-cheek. 

Anthony Hickox’s 1988 directorial film debut Waxwork stars Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, Dana Ashbrook, Miles O’Keeffe, Patrick Mcnee as Sir Wilfred, and David Warner as David Lincoln, along with Charles McCaughan, J Kenneth Campbell, John Rhys-Davies, Eric Brown and Anthony Hickox.

The teenage horror picture is about youngsters going to David Warner’s waxworks at midnight (why, oh why do they do it?) where the chamber of horrors soon comes alive. Waxwork is an occasionally engaging mix of the grisly and the tongue-in-cheek – funnier would help – but at least the people involved respect the tradition they are working in.

Miles O’Keeffe plays Count Dracula. Is O’Keeffe the only man to have played Tarzan and Dracula? J Kenneth Campbell plays the Marquis de Sade and John Rhys-Davies is the Werewolf. Director-writer Anthony Hickox plays the English prince, assistant editor James Hickox plays the werewolf hunter’s assistant and director of photography Gerry Lively plays Sir Wilfred’s butler.

The script was written by Hickox in three days, partly inspired by the 1924 German silent film Waxworks.

Anthony Hickox directed a sequel, again starring Zach Galligan: Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1991).

Anthony Hickox died on 9 October 2023 at the age of 64. The iconic horror director was prolific in the 1980s and 1990s, creating films such as Waxwork (1988), Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1991), Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989), Warlock: The Armageddon (1993) and Full Eclipse (1993). It is reported that he was found dead in his home in Bucharest, Romania, by police.

Anthony Hickox (30 January 1959 – 9 October 2023) was the eldest son of film director Douglas Hickox and Academy Award-winning film editor Anne V Coates.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,666

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