House of Wax/Mystery of the Wax Museum

[TechNoir]

I found a promo copy of this Lionel Atwill / Fay Wray gem dated 2005. I can't seem to find out any information about a release date, or what extra features might be included. Anyone have any info?

[Ashirg]

Just wanted to expand on the topic in General Warner Discussion and say that I saw Mystery of the Wax Museum on a separate disc in Walmart. It was bundled together with 2005 remake of House Of Wax and had some ugly cover artwork - definitely not an original poster, but it had its own disc. But the Double Feature with 1953 remake is a way to go if you want to get it.

[TechNoir]

Thank you Ashirg. I was wondering why the promo i have is dated 2005, and the House Of Wax disc is dated 2003 on Amazon.

[Gordon]

Warner's Mystery of the Wax Museum is probably the best 2-strip Technicolor transfer, to date. It's a small gem.

[HerrSchreck]

I like Atwill in this film-- the accent is pretty Mysterious though.. not sure what the hell is going on there early in the film where he says to his potential investor as he's leaving ".. and I thank you for your ENcouddageMENT,"

I liked him quite a bit in VAMPIRE BAT (also w Fay Wray).

On one hand (I have the flipper double feature, the only way to go.. on a good hi res tube screen you get a duplication of the 3D effect of HOUSE) I think the MYSTERY transfer is good, on another hand it's blue & pinked till the cows come home. I always thought restoration of THE BLACK PIRATE on dvd a nice example of what the 2-strip process can do in hinting at other colors besides blue & red.

On the artificiality of early technicolor I just read the most hilarious quote from Gary for his review of MOON OVER MIAMI:

Color balance on this 65 year old release is a bit tenuous. For the most part it looks agreeable but has moments of intense vibrancy that don't really resemble reality.

1940 3 strip, and he's expecting resemblance of reality?

This is what I'm talking about viz dvd transfers nowadays no longer looking like film. This man wants the charm of ancient technicolor to be manipulated out of itself. God forbid Powell & Pressberger. Reality? STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN? THE RED SHOES???

[filmnoir1]

Would it not be great if Warner was to release a box set of their early horror efforts like Mystery of the Wax Museum, Dr. X and The Mad Genius, all of which were directed by the great Michael Curtiz.

[Lino]

Got this double-bill at a fairly low price and God, how much I loved it! Price was priceless, as always and never thought I'd enjoy the older version as much as I did (though I think that the later version improved on the original in some aspects of the narrative, for instance, getting rid of the annoying female journalist!).

Here's hoping a 3D revival is on the way because I would love to watch this as originally intended. Time for Warner to issue a massive 3D boxset, hey? Fingers crossed!

[HerrSchreck]

Its one of the best flipper-disc combo's ever.