Not a horror movie, but this bunny is pretty creepy.
Why is Sarah Jessica Parker wearing a fluffy outfit?
Masks and Reactions
- Thread starter Tinalera
- Start date
Why is Sarah Jessica Parker wearing a fluffy outfit?
I would actually say that Vanilla Sky's a perfect example of the opposite.
Tom Cruise's character is not that scary or weird in that film when he's not wearing the mask. But when he puts on the mask (and with the help of massive facial scarring) that's when the film becomes really weird and creepy...
I think superhero's illustrate a different point: protagonists, in films, almost never wear masks. With superheros we go through the journey with them and can understand why they use the mask. Almost everyone else who wears a mask is either an antagonist or someone who poses some sort of threat. Vanilla Sky is another example. Because the film is kind of schizophrenic, non masked Tom represents our hero and masked Tom represents our antagonist. I reckon that if you saw a movie in which a serial killer wore a Spiderman mask then that would still be really creepy...
For a really creepy mask use check out Richard Jenkins in Let Me In...
Interesting how the bunny was used in this case as a psychological device-maybe not a "killer" but certainly not sunshine and roses.
Masks were also used to excellent effect in "Mission Impossible" TV series-in that case it was for deception and espionage-but those were masks that were meant to actually "become" another person-and they didn't "look" like masks but real faces(even though from a techinical view most of the masks were either cut away shots, or someone pulling off a mass of latex to "look" like a mask).
Les Yeux Sans Visage is an excellent use I think of using a mask for a character who may appear "creepy", but also as a sympathetic device for the character.
I'm getting some really good feedback and insight from everyone here, and I appreciate it!
Masks were also used to excellent effect in "Mission Impossible" TV series-in that case it was for deception and espionage-but those were masks that were meant to actually "become" another person-and they didn't "look" like masks but real faces(even though from a techinical view most of the masks were either cut away shots, or someone pulling off a mass of latex to "look" like a mask).
Les Yeux Sans Visage is an excellent use I think of using a mask for a character who may appear "creepy", but also as a sympathetic device for the character.
I'm getting some really good feedback and insight from everyone here, and I appreciate it!
Some good points there Nick
I hadn't seen Vanilla Sky that way before I'll have to check out Let Me In.Interesting point about the superhero-we understand the need, so therefore not as much creep factor, because of that familiarity-also we see the hero take off the mask, so yea I can see that. Perhaps that's part of it. And I think going back to with my shorts, I don't want to unmask the character, because, in a weird way, I'm trying to show that she's concerned with how she appears to the world. In my current short "Making Faces", without giving anything away, I want to take it in a direction of self discovery again-but unveil another layer, literal and figurative. I guess that's part of my challenge- to try and show that masks can show things other than fear and "creep" they can be used as a way of expression unto themselves.
Some interesting stuff on the science fiction side is in the TV series Terminator: TSCC where the cyborgs were hiding behind "Human masks." Also, in Terminator 4, Skynet was using the convicted killer it turned into a cyborg with a human brain and heart as a "mask" to spy on the resistance.
I always thought the Terminator "masks" were pretty cool-and I though there was some REALLY good work for the original Terminator and T2 when it came to the "ripped" mask of his face.
What's interesting, and again back to what others have said, if they are human looking, there isn't that unsettling factor-compared to "dead" looking faces of hard plastic and the like.
BTW, another great film with masks is "Mirrormask", based on the Children's novel by Neil Gaiman, a fantastic Gaiman "look" movie that plays with the idea of masks as a story telling device, and with identity.
+1 Mirrormask.
Did it ever make it to theatres in North America? There was some good quality to the effects and the story seemed like a "shoe in" for the younger set-who HASNT gone through that whole teen phase of identity? Just a really well done story-thanks for backing me up Ernest!
Did it ever make it to theatres in North America? There was some good quality to the effects and the story seemed like a "shoe in" for the younger set-who HASNT gone through that whole teen phase of identity? Just a really well done story-thanks for backing me up Ernest!
Idk, i was in Europe when i saw it.
And np, i just said what i thought about it. It's a pretty good movie, masks or no masks.
Sorry, missed your post. It's done, but it's going into a festival, so I can't put it online. I can, however, message you with some screenshots of the character in the mask if you want. I just love the way she looked, especially with the super-saturated background lighting that was used. Dario Argento would be proud
