Waxwork (1988)

"Velcome to the Vaxvork." - Hans

A group of college kids discover evil secrets in a wax museum.
Starring: Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Dana Ashbrook, David Warner

Link to IMDB

Mark and his posh friends China, Sarah and Tony are a group of college kids looking for a break from the usual boredom and homework, so when a mysterious new wax museum opens in their neighbourhood they plan to attend the private midnight opening. The wax exhibits are very realistic depictions of horror and violence that intrigue the kids. Curious for a closer look, Tony stumbles into a werewolf exhibit and he is transported to a real forest! He thinks he's dreaming, but the werewolf is real and Tony becomes part of the diorama when he is violently killed!

Mark and the gang.

Mr. Lincoln

The movie wastes no time establishing the crazy premise with a good measure of humour, so I was eager to see what was going to happen next... Terrible pacing, that's what happens next!
China is pulled into a Victorian vampire story, and it's painfully dull for ten long minutes before something happens, but at least we're rewarded with an amazing bloodbath when China tries to escape. Mark and Sarah realize their friends are missing, so they go home and seek the help of a detective and an elderly historian.
It's shown that the museum's owner, Mr. Lincoln, is behind the killings, as he uses the cursed exhibits to collect the souls of victims with the hopes of unleashing satanic-voodoo zombie-demons into the world... You know, the usual bad guy stuff.
Instead of simply relying on cheap thrills, it becomes more of a mystery movie as Mark unravels the enigmas of Mr. Lincoln and the dark past of his own grandfather (which was teased in the prologue.)
It all culminates in a chaotic mess of monsters, teenagers and a small army of geriatrics fighting to claim the souls trapped in the waxworks.

Stylistically, the movie is gleefully all over the place, but the tone and production is consistent as a horror parody that's not afraid of some real gore. It's the plot itself that is the problem, being a mix of memorable highlights alongside moments of utter boredom. Some sections get too tedious, and they often appear when least expected. The story always grinds to a halt during the waxy dreams, but they usually end with some outrageous splatter horror that is quite exciting.

"They'll make a movie about anything nowadays." - Mr. Lincoln

This captures a lot of the fun 80s ridiculousness perfectly, but it also provides too many opportunities for bathroom breaks without any need to hit the pause button.

Be sure not to miss:
- Basically everything the werewolf does is awesome.
- The best wax dream is also the briefest. A black and white homage to Night of the Living Dead.
- John Rhys-Davies cameo.
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"It had a profound effect on my hormonal adolescent self, producing very powerful sensations in my brain and body." - Glen McCulla

Should I watch it?
It's a bumpy ride, but still recommend.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

Waxwork gets...