The 411 Movies Top 5 10.09.09: Week 186 - Top 5 Horror Masks

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 10.09.2009

Our month of Halloween-themed Top 5's continues with a look at the most iconic masks in horror movie history.



THE TOP 5 HORROR MASKS

TREVOR SNYDER

HONORABLE MENTIONS



Uber Jason, Jason X - Hey, mock me all you want, but I always thought the Jason X mask was pretty cool. It's a modern updating of a classic look, and yet completely recognizable as Jason the second you see it.



ChromeSkull, Laid to Rest - The movie isn't all that great, but the simple yet creepy as hell mask is great. Plus, this movie actually answers the question of how these killers can keep their masks on during all that running and chasing – a plot point that actually ends up playing a pivotal role in the film's climax.



Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Sure, it's technically just a burlap sack, but the scarecrow mask in this forgotten horror gem is still bad-ass.

THE TOP 5



5. Hannibal Lecter, Silence of the Lambs - This one is a little different from the rest of my list, in that Lecter doesn't choose to wear it, but rather has it forced on him. But the very fact that he needs to have it forced on him goes a long way towards explaining how dangerous he is, so it's still pretty intimidating.



4. The Ghostface mask, The Scream Trilogy - Really nothing more than a standard Halloween ghost mask, but it totally works. The first Scream mask was great, but not enough people give some of the credit for its success to this instant-iconic mask.



3. Michael Myers, Halloween - By now we all know that this was really a William Shatner mask, but the modifications done to it made it a classic example of terrifying imagery. This is also one of the toughest masks to duplicate, despite its apparent simplicity. Want to see what I mean? Do an image search of "Michael Myers mask," and check out how ridiculous some of the knock-off versions you can buy at Halloween stores look.



2. Jason, The Friday the 13th series - Probably the most iconic mask in horror history. Even those who would never watch a horror movie now think of Jason whenever they see this sort of goalie mask. It's a little different in each Friday the 13th film, but whenever you see it, you know exactly who it is (well, except for Part V, but let's not get into that).



1. Leatherface, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 - Yeah, Jason's mask is more iconic, but what can I say? I've always been a Leatherface guy, first and foremost. And really, is there anything scarier that actually wearing the face of your victims? The mask from the 1974 original is probably the one most people remember, but personally I've always slightly preferred the Tom Savini-designed mask from the sequel, and its obvious "patchwork of different faces" look.

SHAWN S. LEALOS

5. Erik's Phantom Mask (Phantom of the Opera, 1943) - In much the same was as Jason Voorhees (see #1), Erik uses the mask to cover his grotesque, scarred face. He had acid thrown on his face at one time and uses the mask to cover the disfiguration because this is, at its heart, a gothic romance turned all kinds of wrong. The mask is legendary and is the most historically significant one on this list.



4. Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) - Leatherface makes his mask, not exactly from leather, but from the skin of his victims. How freaking gross is that.



3. Ghostface (Scream) - The Scream mask owes its existence to the classical painting called The Scream, an expressionist painting by Edvard Munch. It is a twisted, almost expressionistic mask itself, making the killer seem almost otherworldly. While the movies almost parodied its own genre, the mask itself proved perfect, always appearing angry and pained.



2. The Shape (Halloween) - Proof that William Shatner is a scary looking dude. When John Carpenter needed a mask for his serial killer they bought a Captain Kirk mask and painted it completely white. This makes me wonder where Michael got his mask. I really can't remember. Need to watch that movie again... Either way, it made Michael appear completely amoral and allowed him to show no emotion. Unlike Ghostface, which always seemed angry, Michael was just there. That made him a very scary character and fit Carpenter's original vision of him perfectly, a blank killing machine.



1. Jason's Hockey Mask (Friday the 13th) - This is one of the most identifiable masks in horror film history. And the poor guy needed it. Did you see how he looked in the second movie? He looked like a disfigured hillbilly. The guy needed something to scare you and he instead looked like someone that made you want to throw up your nachos. Mmmmmm. Nachos. He got the hockey mask in the third film, thanks to a prankster who ended up with his throat slashed as payment. The mask was beaten up as the franchise continued on but remains the most iconic mask out there today.

STEVE GUSTAFSON

5. Leslie Vernon (Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon) - I'll admit that I just recently saw this movie. As much as I wanted to trash it as just another Saw ripoff, I was happy to say that I couldn't be further from the truth. It truly is an homage to the slasher horror film genre. It follows a film crew that documents an aspiring serial killer who models himself according to slasher film conventions. With chilling results. The mask he fashions speaks for itself, and if you haven't seen this yet, make sure you pick it up this Halloween season!



4. Ghostface (Scream) - The popularity of this mask is unquestioned since I still see tons of these of Halloween night. The mask mocks you with the scream almost looking surprised. Simple and effective.



3. Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) - Where to begin with Leatherface? He wears his horror on his face; the mask is made of human skin. The fact that his character was loosely inspired by serial killer Ed Gein, who also wore the skin of his victims, makes him that much more intense.



2. Michael Myers (Halloween) - I'll let Adam Arkin, who plays guidance counselor Will Brennan in Halloween H20, explain this one, "There's something that's so minimalistic and so neutral about that face, that becomes sort of indelibly etched in your memory, number one. And I think number two, you're able to project any kind of frightening idea or image on top of it." I'll add that since you can't see any emotion, your brain is racking itself, trying to figure out what's going on...until it's too late!



1. Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13th) - It's amazing how iconic a simple hockey goalie mask has become. While the trademark hockey mask did not appear until Friday the 13th Part III, you'll fine a number of people who swear it was there from the very beginning. So powerful is the mask that all you need to do to promote this movie is show this on a poster and people now they are in for a fright...Jason style!