while house of wax will never be mistake for texas chainsaw massacre or halloween and it do try and ultimately succeed in be a worthy addition to quality horror film making . there be enough tension and enough imply gore in here to please the young audience of today and there be also enough explicit gore to please some of the purist of yesterday . overall and it be quite a well do film that should do okay on dvd . six kid on the way to a football game get strand in a deliverance like set and what ensue actually look like it may have be take out a discarded deilverance sequel and the backwoods hick seem to taunt the group . eventually the group have to break up and half of them head into the desolate town to get some car part . the other half of the group stay behind at camp and this set up the second half of the film . house of wax have many strength . the first be that it be bless with a very likable cast . paris hilton be fine in her role but she be far from the focal point . chad michael murray and elisabeth cuthbert and brian van holt be three very charismatic actor and their presence in the film add some panache and some credibility and some flair . i have never really hear of chad michael murray and only that he be a pin up type teen heartthrob . but he have a presence to him . he imbue an intangible to him that seem to translate into his performance . he be instantly likable and he possess a strong character trait . i enjoy his performance much more than i figure i would and when he be on screen and the film flow . the question now become and be this film a worthy horror film . and the answer to that be a resounding yes . a i mention off the top and it be not in the same class a nightmare on elm street or last house on the left and or even the ring and but it be relatively tense and quite graphic and there be some very inventive death scene . this be not the house of wax that your parent tell you about . vincent price be nowhere to be see and when you start see finger be cut off and hot wax cover comatose body and you realize this film be a little on the edge . i would like to see an uncut director x rat version . i bet there be one out there somewhere that would be much more violent than this one . be that a it may and this be a very good entry into the horror genre and it be head and shoulder above weak film like i know what you do last summer and dark water and a few others . it be definitely worth a look . positive .