Wax Mask

Wax Mask
Directed bySergio Stivaletti
Screenplay by
Story byDario Argento[1]
Produced byGiuseppe Colombo
Starring
CinematographySergio Salvati
Edited byPaolo Benassi
Music byMaurizio Abeni
Production
companies
  • Cine 2000
  • France Film International[1]
Distributed byItalian International Film[1]
Release date
  • 4 April 1997 (1997-04-04) (Italy)
Countries
  • Italy
  • France[1]
Budget$3 million[2]
Box office$0.25 million[3]

Wax Mask (Italian: M.D.C. - Maschera di cera) is a 1997 gothic horror film.[1] The film is set in Rome where a Wax Museum has opened up, whose main attraction is gruesome murder scenes. Shortly after its opening, people began to vanish as new figures appear in the museum.

After witnessing the poor state of Lucio Fulci's health in 1994, Dario Argento decided to help Fulci by working with him to develop a new project. The two eventually agreed upon a remake of House of Wax. Pre-production lasted longer than expected as Argento had been working on his own film The Stendhal Syndrome. Fulci died in 1996, which led to Argento having special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti enter to direct the film.[4] Stivaletti changed the film's script to focus more on special effects.

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference variety-review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Jones, Alan (February 1997). "Wax Mask". Cinefantastique. Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Italy Top 15". Screen International. 18 April 1997. p. 27. $1=L1,700
  4. ^ Dietsch, Drew (August 21, 2020). "'Wax Mask' Blends Classical Horror With Modern Effects Nastiness [We Love '90s Horror]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 14, 2021.