Waxwork II: Lost in Time Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A severed hand murders a guy, so his accused stepdaughter and her boyfriend use a magic compass to jump into random horror movies looking for, uh, time-travel evidence for her trial?

🍿 Waxwork II: Lost in Time: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Escape and a Shocking Murder

Picking up immediately after the fiery climax of the first film, Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan) and Sarah Brightman (Monika Schnarre) escape the burning wax museum. However, they soon discover that a malevolent severed hand from the museum has followed them into the real world. The dismembered hand attacks Sarah’s alcoholic stepfather, brutally killing him. Because her story about a killer hand is unbelievable to the authorities, Sarah is arrested and put on trial for murder.

Seeking Evidence and a Mysterious Clue

Facing conviction, Mark and Sarah realize they need tangible proof of the supernatural events they’ve experienced. They seek help at the mansion of the late Sir Wilfred, who had opposed the wax museum’s evil. Inside Sir Wilfred’s house, they discover a cryptic videotaped message and a puzzle based on “Alice in Wonderland.” Solving the puzzle reveals a magical compass, an artifact capable of opening portals to different dimensions and time periods.

A Journey Through Time and Dimensions

Armed with the compass, Mark and Sarah embark on a dangerous journey, hoping to find evidence in other realities that can exonerate Sarah in her trial. Their quest leads them through a series of bizarre and dangerous worlds, each resembling classic horror, fantasy, or sci-fi scenarios. They navigate these dimensions, encountering monstrous creatures and challenging situations, all while seeking something that will prove the existence of the supernatural forces responsible for the murder.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan): The resourceful protagonist who travels through time with Sarah to find evidence clearing her name.
• Sarah Brightman (Monika Schnarre): The young woman accused of murder who accompanies Mark on a dangerous journey through time portals.
• Baron Von Frankenstein (Martin Kemp): A mad scientist encountered in a time segment attempting to create a living monster.
• John Loftmore (Bruce Campbell): Mark’s eccentric relative encountered in a haunted house segment who aids them.
• Scarabis (Alexander Godunov): A powerful black magic user and cruel ruler encountered in the medieval time period who becomes a major antagonist.
• Sir Wilfred (Patrick Macnee): The old friend who leaves behind the mystical compass allowing Mark and Sarah to travel through time dimensions.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Sir Wilfred (as a raven): “Sarah and you have actually stumbled into God’s Nintendo game, where He and the devil fight it out, using their various Time Warriors as different characters.” – Explaining to Mark the true nature of the alternate dimensions they are traveling through.
• Mark Loftmore: “It’s an Evil Hand, isn’t it?” – Reacting with disbelief and horror upon realizing the severed hand from the museum is attacking Sarah’s stepfather.
• John Loftmore: “Just adding salt and lemon juice… for flavor.” – Bruce Campbell’s character delivering a deadpan line while being tortured in the haunted house segment.
• Scarabis: “Let’s get this party started!” – The main villain declares as he engages Mark in a final dimension-hopping sword duel.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $3,500,000
• Domestic Gross: $156,715
• Worldwide Gross: Unknown

💥 Waxwork II: Lost in Time Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, buckle up, because Waxwork II is a wild ride that barely makes sense but is SO much fun if you’re in the right mood. I mean, the plot involves a severed hand framing someone for murder, and the solution is time travel to find evidence? Amazing. I loved how it just throws you into different movie worlds. The Bruce Campbell haunted house scene is peak camp and genuinely hilarious, worth watching the movie just for that. Spotting all the horror movie references is half the fun! Yeah, the plot is a mess, and the tone jumps all over the place, but honestly, that’s part of the charm. It feels like the filmmakers just decided to have a blast and threw everything they could think of at the screen. It’s pure, unadulterated B-movie silliness, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. Don’t take it seriously, just enjoy the ride!

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of the first Waxwork film (with caveats about the tonal shift)”
  • “Viewers who enjoy horror-comedies and genre spoofs”
  • “Fans of B-movies from the late 80s and early 90s”
  • “Those who appreciate films with numerous movie references and cameos”
  • “Fans of Bruce Campbell and his ‘Evil Dead’ style humor”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Graphic Violence and Gore (including dismemberment, head explosions, impalement)”
  • “Profanity”
  • “Brief Nudity”

Professional Reviews

• Invented: “Waxwork II leans heavily into spoof, trading the wax museum premise for a time-hopping horror anthology. While the plot connecting the segments is flimsy (seriously, a trial?), the film’s sheer commitment to parodying classics like ‘Alien’ and ‘The Haunting’ is its chaotic charm. Bruce Campbell’s cameo is a highlight, perfectly capturing the film’s goofy spirit. It’s messy and overlong in parts, particularly the medieval stretch, but genre fans looking for self-aware silliness and splatter will find enough entertainment.
• Invented: “This sequel immediately sets a different, far sillier tone, highlighted by an escaped severed hand and a convoluted legal premise. While the first film blended scares and laughs, ‘Lost in Time’ goes full tilt into splatstick comedy. The attempts at homage are hit-or-miss, often feeling more like cheap rip-offs than clever tributes. The pacing suffers from the episodic structure, and the central mystery is utterly nonsensical. A clear step down from the original, despite a few fun moments and notable cameos.
• Invented: “Abandon all sense, ye who enter here! ‘Waxwork II’ takes the core idea of the first film and throws it into a blender with time travel and pure absurdity. The segments vary wildly in quality and tone, but when it works (like the black and white ‘Haunting’ bit or the final chaotic multi-dimensional fight), it’s a blast. It’s not high art, the plot is an excuse for gags, and the effects can be wonderfully cheap, but as a love letter to horror and fantasy B-movies, it’s undeniably fun and packed with energy. A true cult classic oddity.

Audience Reactions

Bruce Campbell’s cameo in the haunted house segment is a fan favorite.: Most viewers appreciate the movie’s relentless horror parodies and homages.

The multi-dimensional sword fight finale is praised for its creative chaos.: The film’s over-the-top humor and campy tone resonate well with many B-movie enthusiasts.

Fans enjoy spotting all the references to classic horror and sci-fi films.: Despite plot inconsistencies, the movie is often found to be highly entertaining and never boring.

Overall Consensus: A polarizing sequel that sheds the first film’s structure for a more chaotic, comedic anthology approach. While some find the plot nonsensical and the humor uneven, others celebrate its relentless horror spoofs, energy, and memorable cameos (especially Bruce Campbell), making it a divisive but often beloved cult favorite for B-movie aficionados.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Deborah Foreman, who played Sarah in the first ‘Waxwork’, did not return for the sequel due to a ‘messy break-up’ with writer/director Anthony Hickox prior to filming.”
• “The film features numerous notable cameos from actors popular in horror, sci-fi, and cult cinema, including Bruce Campbell, David Carradine, Marina Sirtis, and an uncredited Drew Barrymore.”
• “The ‘God’s Nintendo game’ explanation for the multi-dimensional reality they enter was the director’s way of explaining the bizarre, genre-hopping plot.”
• “The film contains numerous direct homages and parodies of classic horror and sci-fi films, including ‘Alien’, ‘The Haunting’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Nosferatu’, ‘Dawn of the Dead’, and ‘Godzilla’.”

🖥️ How to Watch Waxwork II: Lost in Time?

As of late 2023, “Waxwork II: Lost in Time” is available to stream for free on Tubi (with ads). You can also find options to buy or rent the movie digitally on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. Check your preferred digital movie store for current pricing and availability.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Waxwork II: Lost in Time, you might like these similar films:

• Waxwork (1988): The direct predecessor that establishes the main characters and the concept of evil entities inhabiting different dimensions, leading directly into the sequel’s plot.
• Army of Darkness (1992): A classic horror-comedy featuring Bruce Campbell, involving time travel to a medieval setting and battling supernatural forces with an over-the-top, comedic tone.
• The Cabin in the Woods (2012): A meta-horror film that self-referentially plays with horror tropes and monsters, similar to ‘Waxwork II’s’ structure of visiting different horror genre scenarios.
• Last Action Hero (1993): Features a protagonist who enters fictional movie worlds and interacts with characters and tropes from various genres, sharing the dimension-hopping, genre-bending concept.
• Evil Dead II (1987): A highly influential horror-comedy known for its blend of gore, slapstick, and manic energy, featuring Bruce Campbell in a similar iconic role that reviewers compared ‘Waxwork II’s’ tone to.

🛒 Waxwork II: Lost in Time Related Products

• Waxwork / Waxwork II Double Feature Blu-ray: Own both campy horror classics! This double feature Blu-ray presents ‘Waxwork’ and its time-bending sequel ‘Waxwork II: Lost in Time’ in high definition. A must-have for fans of these unique horror-comedies.
• Bruce Campbell Hail to the Chin T-Shirt: Show your love for the King of the B-Movies, Bruce Campbell! This officially licensed tee features iconic imagery related to the beloved actor, who has a memorable cameo in Waxwork II.
• Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction: Explore the lurid, wild world of paperback horror fiction from the decades that heavily influenced films like Waxwork II. Filled with amazing cover art and analysis of the era’s trends.
• Universal Monsters Collection Blu-ray Box Set: Discover or revisit the iconic monsters that inspired many horror films, including the Frankenstein segment in Waxwork II. This collection features classic films starring Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and more.

🎧 Soundtrack

Waxwork II: Lost in Time features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Also Sprach Zarathustra” – performed by Richard Strauss
• “Lost In Time (End Credits Rap)” – performed by Zach Galligan, Monika Schnarre, Anthony Hickox

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

waxwork 2

Curious about the creative (and sometimes bizarre) practical effects in Waxwork 2? This super short clip gives you a quick look at one of the film’s specific, memorable scenes – it’s a little peek into the movie’s wild side!

✨ Rate