The story also inspired many spoofs, including Roger Corman's beatnik satire A Bucket of Blood. Unofficially, we have 1997’s Wax Mask and a myriad of wax-heavy creep-films that borrow at least one aspect from House. There have been three official versions of House of Wax: 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum, the 1953 film with Vincent Price, and the 2005 reimagining. House of Wax has done for wax museums what Jaws has done for beaches, and if that doesn't make it an all-timer, I don't know what does!

When I look at wax figures, I envision a sinister sculptor and his ghastly creations. Why do they look so real? A wax figure has the shape, features and general appearance of a human being why couldn't it be one? Are we looking at a statue or some poor soul's tomb? Or even a living person trapped within, like something out of Poe? These forebodings are purely irrational, yet House of Wax forces me to see the horror in what should be a run-of-the-mill amusement. but I can't help but feel a nick of dread. Whenever I go to a wax museum, I'm mostly delighted by the craftsmanship of the exhibits. Waxworks are a staple of tourist destinations, astounding travelers with their intricate displays. The premise is this: a demented artist murders folks and coats their bodies in wax, passing the victims off as mere sculptures. True classics twist normality into something grotesque, which is exactly why House of Wax is an enduring masterpiece of the macabre. Those films that succeed in perverting what was once considered mundane? They never die! Psycho, Chain Saw and It have enjoyed sequels, reboots and a perennial presence in our Halloween celebrations.

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