![]() ![]() I've just re-watched this one and my earlier comments were a mite too harsh and needed qualifications. (So was that Homolka himself as the bearded dummy driving the car? I think it was.). (But why was Oscar wearing John Newland's corduroy coat from "Portrait"? must be an artsy-guy thing). This is one show where I find myself BLOWING PAST its weak elements it's just too damned good! The grand finale of this show is a real standout you can carp at it all you want, but whoever would have dreamed of the final 2 minutes of a weekly TV show in 1962 showing a step-by-step meltdown of a beautiful woman's wax face with a gaping, screaming skull beneath? C'mon, all ye fans of TV horror! Get a grip! (though I wish they had used one of Thriller's better prop skulls this one looked a tad artifical, with the deep lines, etc). The discovery of the ashen, corpse-like Antoinette Bower strapped by her neck to the wall is shocking I'm surprised it was even allowed on TV. H, another true THRILLER showcase! (BTW, wasn't that Homolka as the bearded figure in the box? I think it was. Then there's his final scene, where it's clear he's going off the deep end gone is the charming, witty and urbane showman-he now seems mildly unhinged and VERY dangerous. ![]() And-call me nutty-I think the highlight of the show may be the interrogation scene with Homolka and Coleman anyone seriously interested in the craft of a true actor should study this scene (not for Coleman.) Oscar Homolka is simply brilliant, right down to the way he twirls that cigarette in his fingers. Kosleck, an oft-maligned actor, turns in a finely-shaded and deft performance. My favorite cast introduction of them all, each a beautifully rendered duo-portrait (Karloff must have done his intro in 2 takes, since we clearly see the axe cut from take #1 on the fantastically rendered door painting). The brick walls and doorways, the illuminated "Waxworks" sign in the stairwell-it's a masterpiece of simple but effective design and lighting. I love that sequence with Martin Kosleck pounding on the metal doors in the middle of the night, while the camera "drops in" on each of the displays. No episode has more of that great claustrophobic "chamber-drama" feel than this one the Wax Museum set is a combination of industrial warehouse and carnival fun-house, and creeps me out just THINKING about it. dressing up to do the killings is goofy a better choice would have been for Oscar and the "murderer witch" herself to bring them to life and control them.īut, in the final analysis, I don't really give a !#*$% about these things, since the episode is so cool. ![]() Yes, the police station scenes are bland and sluggish (did we really have to watch Antointette Bower sign ALL THREE of her statements, even under the manly gaze of Tarzan?), and Booth Coleman is a very dull kind of guy. Even so, this was one of the episodes that MCA-TV recommended be shown "right away" to help get the '70s syndicated THRILLER off to a solid horrific start. Some impressive moments and an excellent finale, but a disappointment overall, given the talent involved and the potentially evocative subject matter. At least I got to thank old pal RB for inspiring me to become a film/TV historian before the session ended.Īs for "Waxworks" itself. G goes bonkers before our very ears, even as a patient Ron Borst tries to "humor" him. Unfortunately, the editor left BOTH statements intact, one right on top of the other! And since the whole thing played smoothly, without the suggestion of an edit. We then picked up after my first Bloch/Ripper statement, and I began talking about this subject again, leading back into the commentary proper. Is Gerani having a mini-brain seizure in the Image recording room, one might wonder? In truth, we did one of our very rare re-takes (I mentioned there was a chance that Antoinette Bower might be contributing to our project, a hope that didn't pan out, so everyone thought that comment should be cut - everyone was right!). There's a weird moment in my commentary track with Ron Borst where I talk about Bloch's obsession with Jack the Ripper a few seconds later, I repeat a variation of this observation, unsure of a few facts I stated with certainty just before. ![]()
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