Chuck Russell’s 1994 supernatural comedy “The Masks” was based mostly on an ultra-violent character that first appeared in Darkish Horse Comics in 1987. Within the comics, a magical masks offers the wearer supernatural powers, in addition to an outsized, mutated head with inexperienced pores and skin and tombstone-like enamel. The masks additionally robs the wearer of their inhibitions and morality, making them insane, invincible clowns. At finest, the comedian guide model of the Masks is a violent antihero, and he exists in a style extra akin to horror than to conventional superheroism.
Russell’s movie sanded down the sides a bit. The PG-13-rated film featured a meek and weak-willed character named Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) who was reworked right into a assured, flirty, brash cartoon character when he donned an enchanted masks. He did commit acts of violence (the masked Stanley is especially merciless to a pair of mechanics that ripped him off), however Stanley in the end learns to be a extra assured, outgoing particular person, even turning into one thing of a crimefighter by the tip. Solely already evil individuals proceed to be evil beneath the masks’s affect. “The Masks” was a comedy hit, grossing over $350 million on an $18 million finances, and thrusting Jim Carrey onto the Hollywood A-list.
Evidently early within the manufacturing of “The Masks,” nonetheless, the movie cleaved far nearer to the horrific tone of the comics. Russell was already skilled with horror filmmaking, having made “A Nightmare on Elm Avenue 3: Dream Warriors” in 1987 and the remake of “The Blob” in 1988, and he was ready to make a a lot gorier film model of “The Masks” for New Line Cinema. In a current interview with Selection, although, Russell mentioned that the film’s horror and violence had been toned down in later drafts as a result of the principle character too carefully resembled Freddy Krueger.
Chuck Russell mentioned that The Masks was too near Freddy Krueger
Russell additionally famous that he needed to alter the film when he found Jim Carrey. He recalled the inception of the mission, saying:
“I would directed ‘A Nightmare on Elm Avenue 3’ and made mates at New Line. Then I did ‘The Blob’ and New Line wished one other surprising horror movie. There was a comic book guide of ‘The Masks’ that was fairly terrifying. I mentioned its going to be an excessive amount of like Freddy Krueger. It is going to be horrible. However there’s this man named Jim Carrey who has simply come out in ‘In Residing Shade.'”
“In Residing Shade,” for many who might not recall, was Keenan Ivory Wayans’ hit sketch comedy sequence that debuted on Fox in 1990. Carrey was a member of the unique ensemble and had acquired a number of consideration and acclaim. As a comic, Carrey was recognized for his excessive physicality, contorting his physique and face in new and inventive methods. Russell knew that, with a rubbery actor like that, he must change programs with “The Masks.” It could be higher to take advantage of Carrey’s skills to their fullest. So the principle character went from being a sarcastic, violent assassin right into a wild cartoon man. Russell continued:
“It was the one time in my profession when it was very arduous to clarify to others what was the potential with this specific actor. […] He was a one-man inspiration. I received the script to the purpose the place it lived and breathed Jim Carrey.”
The ultimate screenplay, credited to Mike Werb, regarded and felt extra like a Tex Avery cartoon than “A Nightmare on Elm Avenue.” Carrey introduced his signature physique and facial contortion, and a brand new kind of movie character was born. It was the correct resolution.
Chuck Russell made ‘The Masks’ with the spirit of an indie film
Carrey wasn’t but a recognized amount in 1994, and his co-star, Cameron Diaz, was making her massive display debut, so Russell was not granted an infinite finances to work with. The one place Russell was allowed to get spendy was the movie’s intensive digital results … which Russell did not essentially like. As such, he tried to make the remainder of the movie look as grounded as doable. He shot on precise areas for each scene however one. Russell famous:
“I took the idea of an unbiased, low finances movie. Every little thing in ‘The Masks’ is a standard location. The one stage set in the entire film was a small bed room, as a result of I needed to trash it. […] It was the enjoyable of unbiased movies is and the spirit of a workforce that is us in opposition to the world. We will make a film at a sure finances and put all the cash on the display.”
Russell famous that, as a result of “The Masks” was a relatively low-budget affair, the digital impact firm, Industrial Gentle and Magic, may solely afford to ship their “worst workforce” to work on it. It appears, although, that even the worst workforce was turning out A-material. Russell remembers with amusement the visits he acquired on set from a number of the higher-ups on ILM. It appears everybody was impressed. “The Masks” ended up being nominated for Finest Particular Results on the Academy Awards. It misplaced to “Forrest Gump.”
Russell famous that his movie was so profitable, it altered the way in which the Darkish Horse comics had been drawn. The on-page character was drawn to extra carefully resemble Jim Carrey. The books had been, nonetheless, nonetheless amazingly violent.
