3-D, Old School

A couple of months ago, I saw my first full-fledged 3-D movie. Four years ago, I saw a terrible remake of House of Wax. Just this weekend, I combined the two experiences, and saw the original House of Wax in its original 3-D theatrical format.

I had seen House of Wax a couple of times on video, but this was the first time I had seen it in the theatre in 3-D. Honestly, it doesn't add much to the movie. As this was one of the first 3-D movies, first shown in 1953, they really hadn't figured out how to exploit the technology to full effect.

The print appeared to be an original, shown a with dual-sync projector. The print was probably a mashup of several prints, as evidenced by the variance in quality between reels, even between splices within the reels. (At one point, the film reverted to its original red/blue color scheme for about 50 feet.) It looked good, despite the fact that the print was scratchy as hell. It also didn't help that the screen wasn't framed right, leaving the left quarter over in the curtains somewhere.

But was it better than My Bloody Valentine 3-D? As a 3-D experience, the technology of the '50s can't even compete with that of the new millennium. But as a movie, well, House of Wax is a classic.

If you have the opportunity to see it on the big screen in 3-D, most definitely check it out. If not, it's still good on home video.