Product Description
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Waxworks [Das Wachsfigurenkabinett] was the final film Paul Leni
directed in Germany before striking out for Hollywood and making
such classic works of genre filmmaking as The Cat and the Canary,
The Man Who Laughs, and The Last Warning. Its sophisticated
melding of genres was in fact what inspired Universal s Carl
Laemmle to invite Leni to come to Hollywood in the first place,
as Laemmle was hoping to capitalise on the emerging comedy-horror
craze of the 1920s. Yet Waxworks is, at heart, a pure example of
German expressionism. Its stylised sets (designed by Leni),
fantastical costumes, chiaroscuro lighting, and startlingly bold
performances are paragons of the cinematic movement, and
contribute heavily to the film s lasting appeal.
The three separate episodes of Waxworks are united by the
character of a young poet (William Dieterle), who is hired by the
owner of a wax museum to create backstories for a trio of the
museum s figures: Caliph Harun al-id (Emil Jannings), Ivan
the Terrible (Conrad Veidt), and Jack the Ripper (Werner Krauss).
The stories are depicted in succession (one per episode), the
poet casting himself as well as the daughter of the wax museum s
owner at the centre of each tale. Though the poet and the
daughter play different characters in the corresponding plots,
they are always lovers whose relationship is threatened by the
personages of the wax figures.
As there is no surviving original negative of Waxworks, this
newly restored edition a joint effort by the Deutsche Kinemathek
and Cineteca di Bologna, L Immagine Ritrovata (with funding from
the German Commission for Culture and the Media) is composed of
contemporary prints and additional film materials from archives
around the world. The elements, including English intertitles,
were scanned in 4K resolution and then restored in 2K. Presented
by The Masters of Cinema Series and Flicker Alley in a special
Blu-ray edition, there is an option of two new scores to
accompany the film: one by the Ensemble Musikfabrik (commissioned
by ZDF/ARTE), and the second by composer Richard Siedhoff.
REGION FREE BLU-RAY EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
* 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a new 2K restoration
* Option of two newly created scores, by Ensemble Musikfabrik;
and composer Richard Siedhoff
* Audio commentary with Australian film and arts critic Adrian
Martin
* Paul Leni s Rebus-Film Nr. 1-8 Courtesy of Kino Lorber, these
Leni-helmed cinematic cros puzzles were originally screened
in 1920s German cinemas as featurettes accompanying the main
film. Each of these animated shorts was split into two parts a
clue and an answer and presented before and after the visual
presentation
* In search of the original version of Paul Leni s Das
Wachsfigurenkabinett An interview with Julia Wallmüller (Deutsche
Kinemathek) based on her presentation after the premiere of the
restored film at Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna 2020
* Kim Newman on Waxworks An in-depth, on-camera interview with
journalist, film critic, and fiction writer Kim Newman about the
legacy of Waxworks
* PLUS: A collector s booklet featuring new essays by Philip Kemp
and Richard Combs on the film s history and significance; notes
on the restoration process by the Deutsche Kinemathek; and rarely
seen production photographs and promotional material
Review
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"consistently enthralling, years ahead of its time. " --Time Out
"one of the gems of German cinema. Essential viewing. " --Movies
Silently
"achieve(s) an overwhelming power that stays long after the final
reel goes through the projector. " --TV Guide