I thought back to Alec Guinness in "The Bridge on the River Kwai" as he obsesses over his accomplishments, ignoring the dangers he is causing. In this one, Martin Balsam has given his life to a wax museum. He dresses the figures, talks to them, leads tours, and so on. Then, one day, his boss and the owner of the museum calls him into his offices, announcing that the museum is being torn down to make way for a supermarket. Balsam is stunned. Not only is he losing his job, but he has actually developed an unhealthy imaginary relationship with the figures in the murderers room, including Jack the Ripper. He does everything he can think of to prevent the destruction of the figures. He is finally given permission to have them delivered to his basement, causing a huge rift with his wife. He is so obsessed, that he begins to practically live with these grotesque figures. Of course, we know these things aren't going to just stand there, and that's where the trouble starts. It's he and the wax figures against the world. One of the things I really enjoyed was the way the makeup people were able to produce believable wax figures. They really seemed to be true and exude personality without moving. We kind of know what is going to happen, but it doesn't matter. And Balsam is a great actor and his malaise and utter insanity comes across comes across so well.
18 Reviews
"Leave me to my friends please!"
classicsoncall3 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Now here's a perfect example of a Twilight Zone episode that with the passage of time, will offer a different perspective to the viewer. When I was a kid with my imagination running away with me, I would say that Jack killed Emma, Hicks murdered the brother, and Landru strangled Ferguson. All neat and simple, with Martin Lombard Sinescu (Martin Balsam) theorizing that "They haven't exactly been behaving themselves". However today, exploring the psychological angle and delving into the realm of mental illness, one can readily conclude that Sinescu himself was the real murderer, thereby earning the right to his own exhibit at Marchand's.
Balsam is actually quite good here, he handles his role with a studied nuance that changes with each character he comes in contact with. That includes his Murderer's Row, all of whom have become family with the passage of time. The only time he comes off the hook is when he challenges his wards, specifically Landru (Milton Parsons) for taking out Ferguson (Will Kuluva). What's left for the viewer to decide is in what condition the authorities eventually found Sinescu.
The use of real actors to portray the wax dummies was quite interesting, and allowed for ever so slight changes in their demeanor. If you watch closely, you'll catch Jack the Ripper (David Bond) offer the wispy hint of a smile as he's admonished by Martin, in between glimpses of his otherwise grim expression. All done very deftly, clever enough and certainly worthy of a Twilight Zone entry.
Balsam is actually quite good here, he handles his role with a studied nuance that changes with each character he comes in contact with. That includes his Murderer's Row, all of whom have become family with the passage of time. The only time he comes off the hook is when he challenges his wards, specifically Landru (Milton Parsons) for taking out Ferguson (Will Kuluva). What's left for the viewer to decide is in what condition the authorities eventually found Sinescu.
The use of real actors to portray the wax dummies was quite interesting, and allowed for ever so slight changes in their demeanor. If you watch closely, you'll catch Jack the Ripper (David Bond) offer the wispy hint of a smile as he's admonished by Martin, in between glimpses of his otherwise grim expression. All done very deftly, clever enough and certainly worthy of a Twilight Zone entry.
Martin Balsam shines as wax museum worker in episode directed by John Brahm...
Doylenf15 February 2008
John Brahm (director of feature film classics THE LODGER and HANGOVER SQUARE), directed this "Twilight Zone" episode starring MARTIN BALSAM, giving it the sort of Gothic touches he gave his full-length feature films. This one is about a wax museum curator who delights in taking the customers on a tour of "Murder's Row", including lifelike wax figures of infamous criminals like Jack the Ripper. Balsam is so obsessed with these figures that he's soon a good candidate for "the twilight zone" himself.
When told that the museum will have to be demolished to make way for a supermarket, Balsam sees his thirty-year career as a curator coming to an end. The owner explains that "People aren't interested in wax figures any more" when Balsam suggests opening another museum. He shows Balsam the waning cash receipts, but Balsam is obsessed with preserving the five wax figures of murderers in his basement.
What happens next, makes for a very intriguing episode of "The Twilight Zone" called THE NEW EXHIBIT under the expert guidance of John Brahm.
Balsam is excellent as the caretaker who talks to the figures as though they were real. The story takes a sharp turn into high suspense when his wife enters the cellar with every intention of turning off the air-conditioner that keeps the figures from melting. The suspense is even further heightened when her brother becomes suspicious of her eventual disappearance as well as when the museum owner arrives with the news that the figures have been sold to another museum, but has to take their measurements first. What happens can only be described as something that can only occur in "The Twilight Zone".
Well done, it's a special treat for fright fans.
When told that the museum will have to be demolished to make way for a supermarket, Balsam sees his thirty-year career as a curator coming to an end. The owner explains that "People aren't interested in wax figures any more" when Balsam suggests opening another museum. He shows Balsam the waning cash receipts, but Balsam is obsessed with preserving the five wax figures of murderers in his basement.
What happens next, makes for a very intriguing episode of "The Twilight Zone" called THE NEW EXHIBIT under the expert guidance of John Brahm.
Balsam is excellent as the caretaker who talks to the figures as though they were real. The story takes a sharp turn into high suspense when his wife enters the cellar with every intention of turning off the air-conditioner that keeps the figures from melting. The suspense is even further heightened when her brother becomes suspicious of her eventual disappearance as well as when the museum owner arrives with the news that the figures have been sold to another museum, but has to take their measurements first. What happens can only be described as something that can only occur in "The Twilight Zone".
Well done, it's a special treat for fright fans.
Wax museum guide takes his work home with him, unfortunately
mlraymond6 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Kindly old Mr. Ferguson ( Will Kuluva) informs his loyal employee Martin Senescu ( Martin Balsam) that changing times and dwindling profits mean that he will be forced to close his wax museum soon. Martin has spent years proudly showing the figures of famous murderers to the museum's visitors, and regards them as his friends. He asks to be allowed to keep the figures in his home until a buyer is found. Mr. Ferguson expresses doubt that Martin's wife Emma ( Maggie Mahoney) will be enthusiastic about the idea, and he is quite right.
Martin, unemployed and running out of money, becomes more and more obsessive about spending time with his " friends". Emma is shocked at the way he talks to them and says that he loves them. When she complains that she nearly has a heart attack every time she has to come down to the basement with a load of laundry, and sees Jack the Ripper, Henri Landru the Bluebeard of Paris, and Burke and Hare staring at her, Martin beams and says jovially, " Emma, they're SUPPOSED to be frightening!" When Emma sneaks down to the basement one night, to unplug the air conditioner, and let the figures melt in the heat, she is confronted by Jack the Ripper, knife in hand. The next morning, Martin finds her dead at Jack's feet, with blood on the knife and a creepy smile on Jack's face. " Jack, how could you?" Martin demands of the wax figure.
Things get more complicated from there. Martin Balsam is absolutely brilliant in his role of the devoted caretaker. He is completely into the character, and never strikes a false note. The other actors are also excellent. The script is both eerie and persuasive, and one can well sympathize with Emma's reluctance to go into the basement with the silent figures staring at her.
One of the most compelling parts of the story is the opening sequence, with a group of museum visitors being unnerved by Martin's quiet enthusiasm as he lectures about the famous murderers. The scene in which Mr. Ferguson breaks the bad news to Martin is touching and believable. You get a real sense of the long history between these men. Mr. Ferguson smiles at Martin and says gently, " You know, Martin, in thirty years, I don't think you ever missed a single day". It's a small detail, but typical of the care and thoughtfulness that went into the writing of this episode.
" The New Exhibit" is well worth seeing, for those who haven't been caught up in its eerie spell.
Martin, unemployed and running out of money, becomes more and more obsessive about spending time with his " friends". Emma is shocked at the way he talks to them and says that he loves them. When she complains that she nearly has a heart attack every time she has to come down to the basement with a load of laundry, and sees Jack the Ripper, Henri Landru the Bluebeard of Paris, and Burke and Hare staring at her, Martin beams and says jovially, " Emma, they're SUPPOSED to be frightening!" When Emma sneaks down to the basement one night, to unplug the air conditioner, and let the figures melt in the heat, she is confronted by Jack the Ripper, knife in hand. The next morning, Martin finds her dead at Jack's feet, with blood on the knife and a creepy smile on Jack's face. " Jack, how could you?" Martin demands of the wax figure.
Things get more complicated from there. Martin Balsam is absolutely brilliant in his role of the devoted caretaker. He is completely into the character, and never strikes a false note. The other actors are also excellent. The script is both eerie and persuasive, and one can well sympathize with Emma's reluctance to go into the basement with the silent figures staring at her.
One of the most compelling parts of the story is the opening sequence, with a group of museum visitors being unnerved by Martin's quiet enthusiasm as he lectures about the famous murderers. The scene in which Mr. Ferguson breaks the bad news to Martin is touching and believable. You get a real sense of the long history between these men. Mr. Ferguson smiles at Martin and says gently, " You know, Martin, in thirty years, I don't think you ever missed a single day". It's a small detail, but typical of the care and thoughtfulness that went into the writing of this episode.
" The New Exhibit" is well worth seeing, for those who haven't been caught up in its eerie spell.
"The New Exhibit" features Martin Balsam at his best
chuck-reilly23 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
1963's "The New Exhibit" was one of the best of all the entries in the "Twilight Zone" series and certainly one the most famous and frightening. Martin Balsam stars as Martin Senescu, the long-time curator of a Wax Museum exhibit that features some of the most gruesome murderers in history (e.g. Jack the Ripper etc.). When the owner Mr. Ferguson (Will Kuluva) informs him that due to financial reasons, he has to close the entire museum, Martin pleads with him to be allowed to keep the exhibit's wax figures in his basement until economic times improve. Reluctantly, Ferguson gives his permission. All seems well for Jack the Ripper and his fellow murderous figures in Martin's air-conditioned basement---for a while. Unfortunately, Mrs. Senescu (Margaret Field) is petrified of them when she's forced to go down there to do the couple's laundry. For her own sanity, she decides to "accidently" turn off the air-conditioning so that the figures can melt away. Jack and his friends don't take too kindly to her actions and poor Mrs. Senescu ends up with her throat slashed. When Mrs. Senescu's brother shows up to investigate her whereabouts, he meets a similar fate. But are the figures truly coming to life or is there really another culprit?
Martin Balsam gives a tour de force performance in "The New Exhibit" and he anchors the hour-long episode. "The New Exhibit" is as much a psychological study of the mind of a murderer as it is a legitimate scare-fest. As curator of the most evil men, Balsam's misguided sympathies lie with the poor "tortured souls" that he's watching over and not their unfortunate victims. As it turns out, he had more in common with them anyway. The episode was written by Charles Beaumont, one of Serling's chief writers. Beaumont's highly original work was usually unencumbered by Serling's moralistic tone and that certainly holds true in this entry. The directorial duties were handled capably by John Brahm.
Martin Balsam gives a tour de force performance in "The New Exhibit" and he anchors the hour-long episode. "The New Exhibit" is as much a psychological study of the mind of a murderer as it is a legitimate scare-fest. As curator of the most evil men, Balsam's misguided sympathies lie with the poor "tortured souls" that he's watching over and not their unfortunate victims. As it turns out, he had more in common with them anyway. The episode was written by Charles Beaumont, one of Serling's chief writers. Beaumont's highly original work was usually unencumbered by Serling's moralistic tone and that certainly holds true in this entry. The directorial duties were handled capably by John Brahm.
Terrific Episode About the Power of Evil
MichaelMartinDeSapio14 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
"The New Exhibit" isn't mentioned nearly enough for its excellent writing, probing moral content, and stunning central performance from Martin Balsam as Martin Senescu, a strange little man with a most unusual obsession. Senescu has worked for practically his whole adult life as curator of the Murderers' Row Exhibit in Ferguson's Wax Museum. Then suddenly one day his life comes crashing down when Mr. Ferguson decides to close the museum. Senescu has been around the figures so long that he thinks of them as friends and can't bear to part with them. He therefore makes the fatal decision to bring the figures home with him, and this action begins his inexorable plunge into the abyss. "The New Exhibit" is about the power of evil, which roots itself in Martin Senescu's heart and from there spreads like a cancer until it destroys him and everyone around him. Senescu's tragic flaw is that he pets evil on the head: he coddles it, seeks to empathize with it, and treats it as sensationalist entertainment. There is a telling bit of dialogue early on in the episode in which Mr. Ferguson explains his reason for closing the museum: modern people have become blasé about evil; they are no longer shocked by Murderers' Row; the horrors of Dachau have ruined Ferguson's chamber of horrors. It's a delight to see Martin Balsam, a prolific supporting player in films and television, let loose on this tour-de-force starring assignment. Balsam gets inside the person of Martin Senescu, his understated acting making the character's creepy behavior seem almost plausible.
Critics of this episode usually point to the lack of a twist ending (it's pretty evident from the word go how the episode will end) and the "padding" in the script (a feature common to many of the hour-long Twilight Zones), but it's the depiction of character and the interplay of good and evil that's the main thing here. Actually, the "padding" works quite well, giving real breadth and depth to the plot and character relationships. The strong supporting performances (including Will Kuluva as Ferguson, Maggie Mahoney as Emma and William Mims as Dave) add much to the quality of this episode, as does the direction by John Brahm, that master of the Gothic in The Twilight Zone. It's worth noting the masterful use of music and sound effects throughout, from the eerie organ music accompanying Senescu's tour of the museum, to the creepy blowing of the air conditioner in Senescu's basement, to the ticking of a clock in the middle of the night before Emma's murder, to a bird singing cheerfully before Dave is killed. (For the record, I think that it is Senescu who is doing the murders, and his crazed imagination leads him to believe that the figures are committing them. But of course, part of the genius of Twilight Zone episodes is that they permit more than one interpretation.) This terrifically grim, sordid episode is perfect for viewing on Halloween night.
Critics of this episode usually point to the lack of a twist ending (it's pretty evident from the word go how the episode will end) and the "padding" in the script (a feature common to many of the hour-long Twilight Zones), but it's the depiction of character and the interplay of good and evil that's the main thing here. Actually, the "padding" works quite well, giving real breadth and depth to the plot and character relationships. The strong supporting performances (including Will Kuluva as Ferguson, Maggie Mahoney as Emma and William Mims as Dave) add much to the quality of this episode, as does the direction by John Brahm, that master of the Gothic in The Twilight Zone. It's worth noting the masterful use of music and sound effects throughout, from the eerie organ music accompanying Senescu's tour of the museum, to the creepy blowing of the air conditioner in Senescu's basement, to the ticking of a clock in the middle of the night before Emma's murder, to a bird singing cheerfully before Dave is killed. (For the record, I think that it is Senescu who is doing the murders, and his crazed imagination leads him to believe that the figures are committing them. But of course, part of the genius of Twilight Zone episodes is that they permit more than one interpretation.) This terrifically grim, sordid episode is perfect for viewing on Halloween night.
Underrated season four episode
kellielulu3 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
No hour long epsiode ofvThe Twilight Zone makes better use of the extra time. Martin Balsam plays Martin Sensecue who works at a wax museum and is already too interested in a particular group of wax figures known as murders row. The business is closing and he takes the wax figures home. It's meant to be temporary until Martin can find a new location for them but he becomes more obviously obssesed with them. His wife Emma of course wants them out of her house. She's a patient woman but the figures are understandably unsettling to her. The air condition is on constantly to keep the wax figures intact and it's expensive . Emma's brother Dave has a solution but Emma isn't so sure she should but between the air conditioner and Martin wanting to get them new clothes she's had enough. Then there is Martin's boss Mr Furgeson who understands his his devotion to them but not is not fully aware of the obssesion. Furgeson arrives and tells Martin there is famous was museum that will take them but Matin is too far gone he .Martin's solution for Emma ,Dave and Furgeson lead to him joing his wax friends on murders row in the new museum. One of the most inttersting episodes and best endings of the series .
With friends like these....
darrenpearce11128 November 2013
Martin Senescu (Martin Balsam) is a tour guide in a museum and is obsessed with the exhibits. They are mass murderers in wax about to be discarded as the museum's owner believes the public are no longer thrilled by Jack the ripper and the like. Senescu cannot give up his 'friends' and so keeps them in his basement.
For me this is an ordinary horror tale that lacks depth, meaning, and sensible human aspirations for true Zone standard. Senescu simply has an unhealthy obsession that cannot lead to any good. So you get a weird tale, but not a thought-provoking or an involving one. Martin Balsam was a very fine actor, but the mad single-mindedness of this character does not impress me. Having said all that, this would be one of the better entries in just about any other fantasy anthology series.
For me this is an ordinary horror tale that lacks depth, meaning, and sensible human aspirations for true Zone standard. Senescu simply has an unhealthy obsession that cannot lead to any good. So you get a weird tale, but not a thought-provoking or an involving one. Martin Balsam was a very fine actor, but the mad single-mindedness of this character does not impress me. Having said all that, this would be one of the better entries in just about any other fantasy anthology series.
Wax Friends
AaronCapenBanner4 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Martin Balsam stars as Martin Lombard Senescu, long-time curator with Murders' Row in Ferguson's Wax Museum, who is stunned to find out that, because of poor attendance, the museum will be shut down and sold to re-developers to make way for a new supermarket! Appalled but powerless, Martin convinces Mr. Ferguson to let him take home five of the wax figures so that he can start his own museum, but the cost of refrigeration financially tasks him, and it seems the wax murderers are having a sinister influence on Martin, driving him to commit his own murders... Balsam is excellent here, and the story nicely fills out the hour length, with some eerie sequences, ambiguities, and clever twist ending.
Not bad, but Martin Balsam's character seemed a bit too broadly written.
planktonrules8 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Martin Balsam plays a man who absolutely adores his job. He works at a wax museum and especially loves its hall of famous killers. When his boss informs him that he's sold the property, Balsam is upset--not so much because he's out of a job but because he's worried about what will happen to his beloved murderers. So, he convinces his boss to let him have these five figures and his plan is to keep them in his basement until he finds a good home for them. However, as weeks pass, his temporary arrangement looks more and more permanent--and his wife is upset. Back in 1964, the air conditioning needed to keep these figures in perfect condition cost a lot of money AND Balsam seemed to make excuses not to look for work but hang around the wax figures all day and night.
Eventually, the wife is so frustrated that she turns off the air conditioning when Balsam isn't home--in the hope that the figures will melt and solve her dilemma. But with a Twilight Zone twist, the figures come to life and kill her! Balsam discovers the body later and buries her in the basement--after all, people will blame him for the killing and if he goes to prison, who will care for his wax friends?! The episode ends well, but also it's all quite expected. In fact, I think all sense of suspense is lost because the episode just goes on too long--a problem with a few of the fourth season and its one-hour episodes. In addition, while this is a very watchable episode, I found that Balsam's character was almost a caricature--so obsessed to the point that the episode seemed completely unrealistic. Now I DO understand that this show isn't supposed to be realistic, but the writing for his character is a bit weak--though he does a good job with what he was given. Fair to average.
Eventually, the wife is so frustrated that she turns off the air conditioning when Balsam isn't home--in the hope that the figures will melt and solve her dilemma. But with a Twilight Zone twist, the figures come to life and kill her! Balsam discovers the body later and buries her in the basement--after all, people will blame him for the killing and if he goes to prison, who will care for his wax friends?! The episode ends well, but also it's all quite expected. In fact, I think all sense of suspense is lost because the episode just goes on too long--a problem with a few of the fourth season and its one-hour episodes. In addition, while this is a very watchable episode, I found that Balsam's character was almost a caricature--so obsessed to the point that the episode seemed completely unrealistic. Now I DO understand that this show isn't supposed to be realistic, but the writing for his character is a bit weak--though he does a good job with what he was given. Fair to average.
There can never be enough horror stories with wax statues!
Coventry7 February 2022
Nothing says "horror" like a good old-fashioned tale involving creepy wax figures! It took four and a half seasons of "The Twilight Zone" to cover this lovely subject, but we can consider that box ticked as well now; - and how! It's clichéd, it's predictable, and it's derivative, but it's also a lot of fun.
Martin Balsam seems like an odd casting choice (or, at least, to me it did) for the role of wax-museum curator in charge of the serial killer section, but he is such a great actor that he can take full ownership of any role. And there are more fabulous names involved, namely writer Charles Beaumont (although allegedly a ghost writer) and the most underrated director of all times; - John Brahms.
There are only a few possible storylines and plot twists you can use in a story about wax figures, so the plot might not be very perplexing, but it delivers. Moreover, the atmosphere is excellent, and the wax statues look very menacing (and, the case of the French killer Landru, also very resembling). To save the best, "The New Exhibit" has something that sadly few other TZ-episodes have: murder victims!
Martin Balsam seems like an odd casting choice (or, at least, to me it did) for the role of wax-museum curator in charge of the serial killer section, but he is such a great actor that he can take full ownership of any role. And there are more fabulous names involved, namely writer Charles Beaumont (although allegedly a ghost writer) and the most underrated director of all times; - John Brahms.
There are only a few possible storylines and plot twists you can use in a story about wax figures, so the plot might not be very perplexing, but it delivers. Moreover, the atmosphere is excellent, and the wax statues look very menacing (and, the case of the French killer Landru, also very resembling). To save the best, "The New Exhibit" has something that sadly few other TZ-episodes have: murder victims!
Mediocre, a Pale Shadow of Thriller's "Waxworks"
lrrap30 April 2019
Twilight Zone occasionally ventured into the world of pure Horror, with varying results. Unfortunately, the season 4 hour episodes were very difficult to sustain in the TZ-style format---regardless of their subject matter---and "The New Exhibit" suffers as a result.
The NBC Boris Karloff-hosted "THRILLER" really knew how to do this sort of story right, and Robert Bloch's "Waxworks" with the great Oscar Homolka (telecast in January, 1962) TOTALLY blows "The New Exhibit" out of the water in terms of its sheer, creeping, claustrophobic terror ("Alfred Hitchcock Presents" also did a similarly-themed half hour, "The Waxwork" in 1959, which is about as slack and lacking in atmosphere as the TZ effort).
I appreciate the fact that the Beaumont/Sohl TZ script attempts something different--that the action takes place OUTSIDE of the museum, but the mundane and depressingly ordinary setting of Senescu's suburban bungalow basement really kills the potential for real tension and atmosphere for me. Martin Balsam, an actor I rarely find totally convincing, gives a very solid performance of a most interesting-- but annoyingly whiny and obsessed---character. His gradual slipping into the realm of madness is subtly and effectively portrayed, as he endlessly fusses over the wear-and-tear of the dummies' clothing, etc.
Maggie Mahoney is saddled with a very one-dimensional, typical 60's housewife role, and William Mims is as unlikable and phony as your average used-car salesman.
Maybe it's just my own particular bias, but I find it very difficult to get past the trappings of its mid-60's suburban setting to experience anything more than a yawn throughout most of "The New Exhibit". Thriller's "WAXWORKS" just looms too large for me, making it impossible to judge "New Exhibit" on its own merits. The only real interest for me is observing the actors who play the wax murderers. Seeing closeups of David Bond (the 3 Stooge's hypnotist "The Great Svengarlic") as Jack the Ripper, that goof-ball MIlton Parsons as Landrieu, acrobat/mime/clown Billy Beck as Hare, etc makes an occasional viewing of this episode worthwhile. I wonder, though, why director John Brahm didn't use a still photo for the final shot of Martin Balsam; it would have been more creepy and convincing. LR
The NBC Boris Karloff-hosted "THRILLER" really knew how to do this sort of story right, and Robert Bloch's "Waxworks" with the great Oscar Homolka (telecast in January, 1962) TOTALLY blows "The New Exhibit" out of the water in terms of its sheer, creeping, claustrophobic terror ("Alfred Hitchcock Presents" also did a similarly-themed half hour, "The Waxwork" in 1959, which is about as slack and lacking in atmosphere as the TZ effort).
I appreciate the fact that the Beaumont/Sohl TZ script attempts something different--that the action takes place OUTSIDE of the museum, but the mundane and depressingly ordinary setting of Senescu's suburban bungalow basement really kills the potential for real tension and atmosphere for me. Martin Balsam, an actor I rarely find totally convincing, gives a very solid performance of a most interesting-- but annoyingly whiny and obsessed---character. His gradual slipping into the realm of madness is subtly and effectively portrayed, as he endlessly fusses over the wear-and-tear of the dummies' clothing, etc.
Maggie Mahoney is saddled with a very one-dimensional, typical 60's housewife role, and William Mims is as unlikable and phony as your average used-car salesman.
Maybe it's just my own particular bias, but I find it very difficult to get past the trappings of its mid-60's suburban setting to experience anything more than a yawn throughout most of "The New Exhibit". Thriller's "WAXWORKS" just looms too large for me, making it impossible to judge "New Exhibit" on its own merits. The only real interest for me is observing the actors who play the wax murderers. Seeing closeups of David Bond (the 3 Stooge's hypnotist "The Great Svengarlic") as Jack the Ripper, that goof-ball MIlton Parsons as Landrieu, acrobat/mime/clown Billy Beck as Hare, etc makes an occasional viewing of this episode worthwhile. I wonder, though, why director John Brahm didn't use a still photo for the final shot of Martin Balsam; it would have been more creepy and convincing. LR
Top notch episodes of the Twilight Zone ever on murderers row at wax museum!!
elo-equipamentos24 June 2023
This episode easily enters in the top ten The Twilight Zone until now, an old-fashionable odd attraction at Wax Museum in decaying process of lowest budge for last years going to into an irreversible accounting loss due the meager costumers visiting this condemned business already in 1963 to failure, the Wax Museum highlight is certainly the murderers row that appearing the most infamous criminals all the time, the still unknown Jack the Ripper, the killer sailor with the axe, the brothers Burke and Hare and finally the Henry Desere Landru as the heartless throttler, these wax figures seem be alive somehow.
Then the Owner Ernest Ferguson (Will Kuluva) exposes to his best friend and employee for long thirty years Martin Lombard Senescu (Martin Landau) that no longer it is a profitable business and already decides shut down the museum to sell the building to be demolish to replace for a modern super-market at its place, over the sad news the obsessed Martin arguing that probable a new spot could change the profits, due such wax figures were made by a famous European guy, in face of the Ernest's refusal Martin begs to keep the five bleak figures of muderers row in your own house's basement with a expensive cooler to keep the wax in a stringent temperature aiming for the proper maintenance those old sinister wax characters.
His polite and forbearing Wife Emma (Margaret Field) at first sight agreed to keep those wax figures there, as time goes by reaches an expensive energy bill whereof they can't afford due Martin no longer has a job to keep the house, worst his former Boss didn't pay a penny to aid the expenses, the angry Emma goes talking with his brother Dave (William Mims) explaining the matter, Dave suggest her turns off the cooler system that will resulting a melting process of those grotesque figures breaking up the nightmare which the couple are undergoing, Emma follows his brother's advice and goes at basement to turn off the cooler, then comes the unpredictable and deadly outcome, Emma is stabbed by Jack The Ripper, upon learning what happened in basement Martin scolds Jack the Ripper for left Emma's blood in the blade, such mistake he could by caught, the morbid Martin burry his wife on the basement, however the best is about to coming in an unexpected twist, stunning episode!!
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5.
Then the Owner Ernest Ferguson (Will Kuluva) exposes to his best friend and employee for long thirty years Martin Lombard Senescu (Martin Landau) that no longer it is a profitable business and already decides shut down the museum to sell the building to be demolish to replace for a modern super-market at its place, over the sad news the obsessed Martin arguing that probable a new spot could change the profits, due such wax figures were made by a famous European guy, in face of the Ernest's refusal Martin begs to keep the five bleak figures of muderers row in your own house's basement with a expensive cooler to keep the wax in a stringent temperature aiming for the proper maintenance those old sinister wax characters.
His polite and forbearing Wife Emma (Margaret Field) at first sight agreed to keep those wax figures there, as time goes by reaches an expensive energy bill whereof they can't afford due Martin no longer has a job to keep the house, worst his former Boss didn't pay a penny to aid the expenses, the angry Emma goes talking with his brother Dave (William Mims) explaining the matter, Dave suggest her turns off the cooler system that will resulting a melting process of those grotesque figures breaking up the nightmare which the couple are undergoing, Emma follows his brother's advice and goes at basement to turn off the cooler, then comes the unpredictable and deadly outcome, Emma is stabbed by Jack The Ripper, upon learning what happened in basement Martin scolds Jack the Ripper for left Emma's blood in the blade, such mistake he could by caught, the morbid Martin burry his wife on the basement, however the best is about to coming in an unexpected twist, stunning episode!!
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5.
Pure insanity
kasrasafaie1 May 2019
Most underrated Twilight Zone episode!
mm-3929 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Most underrated Twilight Zone episode every!
The New Exhibit doesn't have the appeal It's a recipe book like to serve man or Shatner shooting the creature in Nightmare at 20 000 feet but just as strong of a story. I remember watching this episode back when Winnipeg had the old Detroit feed! Wow this story blew me away. Then saw it again on repeat at my friend Tony's who said coolest episode ever. What make this one of the best episode is: Great direction, and acting brings out one of the best T Z stories. This dude works at the a wax museum which exhibit's murders. When the museum closes down the obsessive caretaker keeps the wax figures home. Wife thinks its creepy, the brother law wants to shut the a c off to save the power bill and shut down the A C. The wax figures have blood on their hands and a plot twist of gets to be The New Exhibit. Will not ruin the story with details, but creepy, intense with a bad @#$ Twilight Zone ending. 8 starts. A must see!
The New Exhibit doesn't have the appeal It's a recipe book like to serve man or Shatner shooting the creature in Nightmare at 20 000 feet but just as strong of a story. I remember watching this episode back when Winnipeg had the old Detroit feed! Wow this story blew me away. Then saw it again on repeat at my friend Tony's who said coolest episode ever. What make this one of the best episode is: Great direction, and acting brings out one of the best T Z stories. This dude works at the a wax museum which exhibit's murders. When the museum closes down the obsessive caretaker keeps the wax figures home. Wife thinks its creepy, the brother law wants to shut the a c off to save the power bill and shut down the A C. The wax figures have blood on their hands and a plot twist of gets to be The New Exhibit. Will not ruin the story with details, but creepy, intense with a bad @#$ Twilight Zone ending. 8 starts. A must see!
Excuse my Wax Fiends
DKosty1232 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Martin Balsam is a veteran actor by the time he did this episode. He is the reason it works. His character is not realistic yet you buy him as he plays it.
The wax museum is closing and Balsam convinces the owner to let him put 6 of the most famous murderer statues in his basement. Then the wax statues start killing his wife and his friends and finally the museum owner he had worked for all these years (over 30 of them).
At least we think it is the statues, being in the zone the story proposes it is Balsam, and this narrator named Rod Serling keeps hanging around the set as well. You can see the wax figures are real people in some scenes as they make movements when you look at them close.
The episode was more creepy when it was presented years ago. Now it is mild compared to later sci-fi, but is still entertaining.
The wax museum is closing and Balsam convinces the owner to let him put 6 of the most famous murderer statues in his basement. Then the wax statues start killing his wife and his friends and finally the museum owner he had worked for all these years (over 30 of them).
At least we think it is the statues, being in the zone the story proposes it is Balsam, and this narrator named Rod Serling keeps hanging around the set as well. You can see the wax figures are real people in some scenes as they make movements when you look at them close.
The episode was more creepy when it was presented years ago. Now it is mild compared to later sci-fi, but is still entertaining.
The Murderers' Row
claudio_carvalho1 October 2023
In the Ferguson's Wax Museum, Martin Lombard Senescu has been the curator of the murderers' row for thirty years. When Ernest Ferguson tells his employee and friend Martin that he has sold the museum to a supermarket, Martin asks to keep the five statues from his row in his basement. Martin argues with his wife Emma, buys and air conditioning to the basement to keep the figures in the right temperature, increases the energy power bill and becomes obsessed by them. Emma tells her brother Dave what is happening at home and he suggests that she turns the air condition off to damage the wax figures. But something happens in the basement.
"The New Exhibit" is one of the best episodes of "The Twilight Zone", with an ambiguous story of obsession. Who the killer (s) is (or are) in Martin's basement is the great mystery. The performances are excellent, highlighting Martin Balsam in the role of an obsessed man. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Figuras de Cera" ("Wax Figures")
"The New Exhibit" is one of the best episodes of "The Twilight Zone", with an ambiguous story of obsession. Who the killer (s) is (or are) in Martin's basement is the great mystery. The performances are excellent, highlighting Martin Balsam in the role of an obsessed man. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Figuras de Cera" ("Wax Figures")
Wax murderers.
BA_Harrison11 April 2022
Wax museums: the creepy subject of many a horror movie and a fair few TV shows. This one opens in Ferguson's Wax Museum, where Martin Lombard Senescu (Martin Balsam) is curator of Murderers Row, a display of infamous killers throughout history, including bodysnatchers Burke and Hare and the mysterious Jack the Ripper.
When museum owner Ernest Ferguson (Will Kuluva) tells Martin that he has sold the museum to be redeveloped as a supermarket, Martin insists that the wax figures he has cared for for so long be stored in his basement until he can set up a new museum of his own. Martin's wife Emma is initially understanding, but becomes upset when her husband's obsession takes over his life; at night, she decides to destroy the figures by turning off the air conditioning unit, but Jack the Ripper kills her with his knife.
When Martin discovers his dead wife, he buries her body in the basement. Other murders follow, the wax figures coming to life to kill various people who pay unwelcome visits to Martin's home, but are the statues really responsible or has Martin flipped his wig and become a murderer himself?
At fifty minutes long, this is another episode that would have been better served by the show's shorter format: the story is drawn out and the ending predictable, and although it's far from the worst that this particular season has to offer, it's a long way from the best as well.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb.
When museum owner Ernest Ferguson (Will Kuluva) tells Martin that he has sold the museum to be redeveloped as a supermarket, Martin insists that the wax figures he has cared for for so long be stored in his basement until he can set up a new museum of his own. Martin's wife Emma is initially understanding, but becomes upset when her husband's obsession takes over his life; at night, she decides to destroy the figures by turning off the air conditioning unit, but Jack the Ripper kills her with his knife.
When Martin discovers his dead wife, he buries her body in the basement. Other murders follow, the wax figures coming to life to kill various people who pay unwelcome visits to Martin's home, but are the statues really responsible or has Martin flipped his wig and become a murderer himself?
At fifty minutes long, this is another episode that would have been better served by the show's shorter format: the story is drawn out and the ending predictable, and although it's far from the worst that this particular season has to offer, it's a long way from the best as well.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
