Audience
In 1950s, television has greatly transformed people habit of watching films. With more people having a television at home, the less chance that they will visit the theater to watch a film. Movie theater box offices were down due to the presence of the television, so "the House of Wax was made in order to lure the audiences back to the theaters, Warner's came out with 3D" (Rudi Fehr).
Both the poster and the trailer of House of Wax in 1953 highlighted the 3D effect. There even have the directed sound. The advertisement showed the audience that the 3D effect would allow them to experience the closest horror as if it happens right next to you. The paddle ball scene is one of the most remarkable scenes that the ball is actually bouncing in front of the audience’s vision.
Not only the audience but also the critics enjoyed watching the film with Vincent Price’s outstanding acting skills. While this wasn't the first commercial 3D film, this was certainly one of the more popular ones.
The Paddle Ball scene in House of Wax 1953
The trailer of House of Wax 1953
The remake in 2005 focuses more on shifting the film to a slasher film. The audience who enjoy watching violent slasher film can feel satisfied with the bloody slaughter. However, the movie did not have any special feature comparing with the original ones. The plot is standard that most people can anticipate the plot. There is a group of teenager accidently visit a desolated small town, and they stupidly make the wrong decision in every scene such as peeking into the spooky room which leads these characters to get brutally killed. The trailer also shows the predictable plot of the movie while features with more blood and violence. Everything appears to be normal while the audience will soon comprehend the danger hiding beneath the normality.
Still, some of the people watched the movie due to their desire of female body. Paris Hilton, who played Paige in the movie, becomes the sexualized character in the movie. There is no doubt that some people bought tickets hoping to see her with her sexualized body and her gruesome death. There is one scene when she was flirting with her boyfriend in the tent. It is actually mimicking her notorious internet sex tape. Her character catered to people's sensational and sexual desire, and drived them to watch the film.
The trailer of House of Wax 2005
Everything appears to be normal while the audience will soon comprehend the danger hiding beneath the normality.
