Best of the Best: Six Essential Anthony Hickox Movies

The British director was best known for his work in the genre. He made horror comedies that are audience favorites.

By Dolores Quintana · @doloresquintana · October 10, 2023, 8:59 PM EDT
HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH (1992)
Image Credit: IMDB

Anthony Hickox horror movies are stylish and play with classic horror myths. Sadly, he passed away this week. He was known for his horror films that were part of franchises and other independent films. His horror comedies were beautiful and stylish and often had themes of eroticism. He was the son of English director Douglas Hickox and Academy Award-winning editor Anne V. Coates, who won for her work on Lawrence of Arabia. According to his website, he was on the board of directors of Seven Arts Pictures and had decided to focus on screenwriting. Let's look at some of his most famous works in the genre as a remembrance.

Waxwork (1988)

WAXWORK (1988)

Image Credit: IMDB

Waxwork, Hickox's feature film debut, stars Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, David Warner, Dana Ashbrook, Miles O'Keeffe, Patrick Macnee, and John Rhys-Davies. In it, a group of college friends goes to a wax museum and finds themselves in different dimensions as they enter the museum's displays. Inside these pocket dimensions are real monsters, like Count Dracula, zombies, and a werewolf who attack anyone who enters the display. After being attacked by the exhibits, the victims become part of the museum.

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)

SUNDOWN: THE VAMPIRE IN RETREAT (1989)

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Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat has another great cast list and is a Western horror comedy about vampires. It stars David Carradine, Bruce Campbell, Jim Metzler, John Ireland, and Deborah Foreman. The desert town of Purgatory has a colony of peaceful vampires who seek to co-exist with humans by staying out of their cities and living on artificial blood. However, one vamp, Ethan Jefferson, who lusts for the old days of vampires drinking from humans, tries to lead a revolt, and a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing shows up intent on destroying the vampire colony. Read more: Ye Haw: Western Horror Rides The Range.

Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

WAXWORK II: LOST IN TIME (1992)

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Waxwork II: Lost in Time is the sequel to the first movie, which follows the events after Mark and Sarah escape from the original waxwork museum. It stars Zach Galligan, Alexander Godunov, and Monika Schnarre, who takes over the role played by Deborah Foreman in the first film, Martin Kemp, and Bruce Campbell. After a zombie hand escapes with them and murders Sarah's stepfather, they have to prove Sarah's innocence with proof of their story. They find a device that allows them to enter the different worlds of Kartarga, which include the horror stories of Frankenstein, The Haunting, Alien, Godzilla, Nosferatu, and Dawn of the Dead. Read more: Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein Adds Christoph Waltz To Its Cast.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH (1992)

Image Credit: IMDB

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is the third entry in the Hellraiser franchise. The club owner, J. P. Monroe, buys the Pillar of Souls, where the Cenobite Pinhead is trapped and starts to drag unfortunate clubgoers with the chains seen in the first two films. Joanne "Joey" Summerskill, a reporter, finds someone wounded by chains in a hospital and decides to investigate. The movie stars Terry Farrell and Doug Bradley, who plays the dual role of Pinhead and his human form, British Army Captain Elliot Spencer.

Full Eclipse (1993)

FULL ECLIPSE (1993)

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Full Eclipse stars Mario Van Peebles, Patsy Kensit, Bruce Payne, and Jason Beghe. Max Dire (Mario Van Peebles) is a detective in Los Angeles who is discouraged by his inability to do any real good. He meets Adam Garou, who has assembled a special vigilante squad of cops who inject themselves with a special fluid that gives them super strength. Dire finds that the liquid comes from Garou's own body and that he is a werewolf. Read more: 10 Moody Horror Movies To Get You In The Fall Spirit.

Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)

WARLOCK: THE ARMAGEDDON (1993)

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Warlock: The Armageddon is the second film in the series, but it starts over with a story that is not a continuation of the first film. It stars Julian Sands, Chris Young, Paula Marshall, and Joanna Pacula. Druids have been charged with preventing the rebirth of the Warlock, who is Satan's son in this film. Instead of pieces of the Grand Grimoire, there are six rune stones that Druids can use to bring the Warlock to Earth and that the Warlock can use to open the gates of Hell so Satan can come to Earth. Read more: The Spoiler Interview: Brian Duffield On No One Will Save You.