Le Masque de la Mort

"Death Mask" begins with random gratuitous footage of Linnea Quigley in the shower, followed by a compilation of all the gory kills that will occur at some point during the movie. Odd, to say the least. It's as if the director wants to persuade the viewer that it's worthwhile to watch. "Please bear with us, and we promise you these highlights".

Unnecessary, as far as I'm concerned. "Death Mask" is the type of movie that you can't be too harsh for if you have a heart for horror. Despite being extremely cheap, terribly acted, poorly edited, and exclusively featuring cheesy DIY make-up effects, "Death Mask" honestly isn't such a bad film. It has what most horror movies released during the 1990s were lacking: a reasonably original plot and a devoted cast & crew. The setting is awesome, namely a shlocky carnival full of freaks, social rejects, and lewd strip dancers.

It is here that lonely and facially scarred Wilbur works as carver and exhibitor of creepy masks, and dreams of more success. His act is so outdated and unpopular that sleazy circus owner Guido wants to fire him. The gorgeous and good-hearted dancer Angel stands up for Wilbur and takes him to a witch in the nearby swamp. She gives Wilbur a log of wood from the infamous witch-hanging tree, and he carves the most nightmarishly realistic mask out of it. But the mask is more than just an exhibit. Once he puts on the mask, it empowers Wilbur to kill all the nasty people that wronged or rejected him!

"Death Mask" is undemanding and light-hearted fun, and sometimes that's all you wish for in a horror flick! James Best is probably most known for his role in "The Dukes of Hazzard", but he was also a modest B-movie star in the fifties and early sixties and starred in films like "The Killer Shrews" and a couple of "Twilight Zone" episodes. Forty years later he still isn't very good at acting, but hey, at least he's the star of the horror movie that he wrote himself. I'm also pleased to see Linnea Quigley in a leading role for a change! She usually just briefly appears and provides nudity, whereas here she's the female lead star and still provides nudity! That's why she was, is, and will forever remain the Queen of B-movie horror!

Well now, you gotta give the filmmakers at least some credit here: Casting Linnea Quigley in a leading roll and immediately showing her in the first scene totally naked in a shower, spraying water all over her... well, where it needs to be sprayed. Alright, baby, I think with this movie I finally got what all the fuss has been about for all those years amongst horror fans when it comes to this cult actress! And damn, even in a 1998 movie she's still looking mighty yummie . But when I tell you she really was the best actress of the whole cast, then you might guess what that means, no? Yes, very bad acting everywhere on screen (if I still needed to spell it out). But there's still some amusing stuff going on here. We've got these settings: a freak-carnival, a swamp, a whore-house in some isolated town, tents & trailers. The story: a disfigured, traumatized, mild-tempered man/artist turns into a maniac out for revenge when he sells his soul to a voodoo-woman in return for the accomplishment of his masterpiece, being... a self-carved Mask of Death. Very, very low-budget fair kinda deal with more than one couple of boobies at display and some mildly entertaining killings. Certainly not worth more than my generous rating, but hell, I had fun with it .

If you're like me, you grew up in the fetid decade known as "The Eighties", and every Friday night of your adolescence was spent watching the hit action adventure show "The Dukes of Hazzard". Being the young goofball that I was, I became infatuated with the wacky comic relief Sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltraine. Wimpy, easily manipulated, and funny as heck (hey, I was six), James Best's performance has stayed with me all these years.

So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered a video at the video store written by AND starring my hero! I eagerly snatched it off the shelf, also noting that Linnea Quigley, the gal I had admired so after watching "Return of the Living Dead", also had her name above the title.

I had no idea what I was in for. Mr. Best was apparently heavily influenced by the work of Ray Dennis Steckler (the killer wears a hooded sweatshirt; there's documentary footage of carnival rides). He also must hate himself very, very much. He wrote himself the plum part of a hideously scarred loser who can only get a job as the geek in a local carnival. He also sells his blood, eking out enough money to seek pleasure at the local house of ill repute (but even the prostitutes turn him down!). He tries to defend his mask-making as art, but we the audience never see any of his work except for the homicidal mask of the title.

Did I mention that people get killed in this movie? They do.

This flick was amazing- poorly edited, and with bad sound, but with a certain regional charm (It was made in Florida). For some reason, all the killing in the movie are seen in a montage before the opening credits. What were the film makers thinking?

So anyway: This film is a fascinating look into what one beloved TV star considers his "great role". It's amazing! So I recommend this as a curiosity. As a good movie.... no. Curiosity, yes.

Wilbur Johnson (James Best) carves masks in a carnival. He also uses latex to cover up something that happened to him as a child. Poor Wilbur isn't doing well. His masks aren't selling, and he's close to losing his job.

Enter Angel Wilson (Linnea Quigley), a tenderhearted sideshow dancer. Angel helps Wilbur by taking him to see a witch. Said sorceress certainly "helps" Wilbur, but her price for doing so is extremely high.

Horror and vengeance ensue.

DEATH MASK is a low-budget, low profile horror film. Best is good in his sad sack role. The biggest surprise was seeing Ms. Quigley in a bigger, better part than in any of her movies. This is a must-see for her fans...

A clichéd plot and slight time padding mar this otherwise sincere and likable little cheapie from the Florida-based director of JACK-O and DARK UNIVERSE.

Wilbur Johnson (James Best, star of THE KILLER SHREWS and Rosco P. Coltrane from The Dukes of Hazard!) is the facially scarred laughing stock of a traveling carnival. Flashbacks show how his sadistic clown father shoved his face on a red-hot burner. He wears heavy make-up on his face to cover his scars but everyone makes fun of him except carnival dancer Angel (Linnea Quigley), the only one to see the true beauty in Wilbur. Desperate to help, Angel foolishly takes him to a backwoods witch who casts a spell to make Wilbur an expert mask maker. It works, but soon Wilbur discovers that whoever looks into the mask and does not see the beauty in him dies a gruesome death. As the mask is used more and more, Wilbur becomes possessed and starts using it to kill off his enemies.

Death is caused by impalement, carnival ride decapitation and snake bite to the face, there's lots of T&A and some brief morphing FX are used to bring the mask to life. Although limited in budget, this is a sweet-natured film with its heart in the right place. The leads and costars are all pretty good, especially Best and Quigley, who both shine in their respective roles. If you enjoy low-budget horror, this one is worth your time.