Sunday, June 12, 2011

Clearing the Dust

Just a note, this blog has been quiet for a while, I've been trying to get things organized and as a result haven't had the time to post more of the mask history. I hope in the next couple of weeks to start posting again as I am getting things together.

So bear with me, and hopefully the mask history can pick up again shortly-feel free to read past entries to brush up ;)


SR

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Masks in Sports: Hockey Part 3

One of the difficulties of the fibreglass mask was the eye holes. Goalies had trouble seeing, and would often enlarge the eyeholes to see better. The road to the “cage” effectively began with 1977 with Gerry Dejardins of the Buffalo Sabres. A puck clipped the eye of Gerry during a game, entering the hole and damaging his eye, effectively ending his career. Other goaltenders took note and were bothered by the injury. In 1978, the Canadian Standards association banned Fibreglass masks in minor hockey. A career ending injury to Bernie Parent in 1979 sealed the end of fibreglass.

Goaltenders slowly went to the cage mask design. Buffalo management demanded the cage for its goaltenders, and by the late eighties most goalies were wearing the helmet and cage design. The fibreglass mask would no longer see the ice surface-at least not in that form; fibreglass still had a role to play with goaltender equipment. Dave Dryden, brother of Hockey Hall Of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden, is credited with the combination mask and cage of modern day. After Dejardin’s injury, he went to a cage, however he had a complaint. The helmet didn’t fit him well, and he didn’t feel comfortable. He wanted the snug feel of the fibreglass mask. Putting his creativity to use, he cut out the eye and nose section of a fibreglass mask, and screwed a cage which he cut from a helmet onto the front. He took the mock-up to Greg Harrison, who saw exactly what he wanted, adding a more comfortable back plate to hold the mask to his head. It took a while for the mask to catch on, but by the mid eighties goalies were wearing the new “combo” mask, and mask makers once again were free to use the mask as a canvas. The mask hasn’t changed too much in the past thirty years since its advent. The material has changed from fibreglass to composite materials that include Kevlar. As have masks evolved, so have the artwork. From simple straight colours to anything from sharks to celebrities now get painted on the modern goalie mask. The modern goalie masks are truly works of art.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Masks in Sports: Hockey Part 2

In the 1950’s, masks were coming into some prominence, but goalies tried them in practice. Plante during this time toyed with the idea of wearing a mask. The mask was made and Plante is said to have loved it, and wore it in practice, but wouldn’t be permitted wear it during the game.

Some may wonder; why did it take so long for the mask to become a staple of hockey? The era of the NHL, from the early 20th century to the 50’s, was a different one. The owners and managers felt that masks inhibited visibility. There was also the whole “toughness” concept; to hide behind a mask was considered to be cowardly. Also, until a rule change, goalies were not allowed to drop to their knees, so perhaps it was felt as well there was less chance of getting hit with the puck.

Things changed for NHL goaltenders on November 1, 1957. In a game between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens, Ranger Andy Bathgate flung a backhand that opened a large cut on Plante’s nose. Plante went to the dressing room to be tended to. The game halted while this went on (remember, there were no backup goaltenders). While being tended, Plante felt this was the last straw for him. He refused to go back out without wearing the mask he had been wearing in practice. He got into a heated confrontation with coach Toe Blake over it. Blake, not wanting to lose the talented goalie, relented. Plante went and retrieved the mask. TIf there was any hindrance to Plante, it didn’t show. Montreal would score three goals to New York’s one, winning the game. Having the facial protection meant for confidence for Plante, possibly making bigger saves without worrying about his face.

The full fibreglass masks tended to be rather plain white or off white for a long period of time, until a simple magic marker and would add a new dimension to goalie masks. The history goes to one Gerry Cheevers of the Boston Bruins. The Higgins masks were white, apparently Higgins liked the colour, and he felt it represented purity. Cheevers didn’t like the white. Cheevers was known for disliking practice, so one day, after taking a shot “that wouldn’t have hurt a canary”; Cheevers slumped to the ice, being helped off by staff. In the back he kicked up his feet and relaxed. The stories vary, but essentially he was caught by his coach, Harry Sinden, and told to get back on the ice. When he returned, a “stitch” mark was on his mask, made at Cheever’s request by the equipment handler John Forisstall. The rest, they say, is history. Cheevers teammates and fans loved it, and Cheevers would add a stitch every time he was hit. The mask, now on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, shows a mask full of “stitch” marks, making it one of the most recognizable in hockey.

Jim Rutherford is credited with the first mask design as opposed to straight colour, though not at his choice. His distinctive "red wings" over his eyes were allegedly painted as a prank by one of the equipment handlers. He accepted it and he had his mask painted the team colours where he played.. Goalies would continue forward painting their masks, from leopard faces, to crowns, to flames, the full mask offering a canvas for the goalies. It was this expression that led to the next change in masks.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

A break this week

Taking a break this week as far as an update. I've researched more information and will be updating previous entries and information over the next little while. Things should be back on schedule next week.

Thanks to all who are reading this blog, whether following or just keeping an eye out-it is appreciated!



Sunday, March 13, 2011

Masks in Sports: Hockey Part 1

Masks in Sports

Western Civilization has a number of sports to participate in, and to watch. I myself am a hockey fan. I know others who enjoy a game of paintball, or enjoy heading out to the ball diamond for a game of baseball. All these sports are team sports, yet at least one member(more in paintball) wears a mask. They are all for protective reasons, yet to tell these people they are “just a mask” is an insult. These masks are used to personalise the user, a way of telling others about their personality. Wearing a mask in sport is just as important for identity as wearing one at Halloween(though you don’t get many one hundred kilometre per hour projectiles thrown at you!) I will be talking about the history of the mask in hockey, baseball and paintball. I will also discuss other sports where identifiable headgear is used.

Hockey History

Ask any hockey fan who wore the first goalie mask in he NHL, and ninety nine percent will tell you “Jacques Plante”. While Mr. Plante was the first goalie to wear a mask professionally for more than one game, it was another gent who wore one for protection for one game. Does Clint Benedict count if it was only one game some would ask? For purposes here(and if you want to stump your friends trivia wise), we will start with Mr. Graham, as he was technically the first professionally to wear one, but even then the lines are blurred as we shall see.

Let us be clear, we are speaking of professional hockey. Amateurs had been donning the mask for several years before Mr. Benedict. Professional goalies, however, went mask less in the ranks. The entry of the mask into professional sports began on January 7, 1930. Clint was hit in the face with an errant puck from Howie Morenz of the Montreal Canadiens. He was knocked unconscious, his nose broken and his cheekbone smashed. When he returned to the ice, Clint wore a mask that was used for boxing sparring and as football faceguard. The mask covered the nose, mouth and forehead, but left the eyes unprotected. It was made of leather and wire. The nosepiece was large, and obstructed Clint’s view. It obstructed so much; he took it off after the game and didn’t wear one again. Different sources suggest between one and five games was the amount of times he wore the mask.

Other goalies had worn masks, though most wore variation of a baseball catcher’s mask. Photos have been snapped of non NHL goaltenders wearing masks. There is a photo of an anonymous goaltender wearing a catcher’s type mask in an international game against Switzerland. During the 1936 Olympics, Japan’s Teiji Honma was photographed wearing a similar mask. There is even a suggestion, on a University level, that one Elizabeth Graham wore the first goalie mask in 1927. She had been hit in the teeth before and wore the mask as protection. So we can see a bit of blurring on who wore the first mask in hockey. While Mr. Benedict wore a mask more out of necessity, Mr. Plante’s mask was one of choice.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Role Play/Kigurumi Part 1

Masks and modern Role Play

In Western Culture, a distinct subculture has been emerging; the subcultures of role play. There is a distinct subculture who love going to conventions for Science Fiction, Fantasy, Animation and Videogames. a Words like Kigirumi, Cosplay, Costuming and Dolling dominate this realm. Whether it’s our favourite Japanese Anime character, or wanting to replicate a videogame character, there is a passion for dressing up, reinventing ourselves into whomever we want to be. In this section we will be looking at the world of role play in the real world, Kigirumi and Cosplay. It is the practice of dressing up in full costumes, often with masks. There are three main categories of Kigirumi; Anime (Japanese Animation and Manga), Fur wearers (also called “furriers” or furry animals”) and Pajama wear, which involves wearing full length costumes (with a hat piece instead of a mask). Part fo the Anime Kigirumi involves “Dolling”, which is the wearing of an entire body suit, including mask to represent a character. Interestingly, most “dolls” are men dressing as men or women characters, the full body suit completing the illusion. This practice, as discussed earlier, can be traced back to Japanese theatre, where historically only men were allowed to perform, so they would perform in masks as male and female characters.

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Where did all this fantasy dressing begin? The origins can be traced back to 1939, at the first “World’s Science Fiction Convention” in New York. It was during that event that two men wore costumes of what they thought future outfits would look like. Many speculated they looked like they were “from the future”. They were a sensation, and the next year, over a dozen people showed up wearing costumes. This practice continued onward. The Japanese influence can be seen arriving on the West Coast. In 1984, a gentleman by the name of Nov Takahasu arrived at a science fiction convention in Los Angeles. He was impressed by the costumed attendees, and then coined the phrase “Cosplay”. The word comes from Costume (role) and Play (Pure) in Japanese. The phrase would soon be used to describe character costume wearing on both sides of the pacific. In the next part we will take a more in depth look at Kigurumi, and how the term is really a blanket term for a number of various groups under the umbrella

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Masks in Movies Pt 6

Who was that masked woman?

Because of the visual nature of film and storytelling, masked women play an intriguing part of film history. Up until the latter half of the twentieth century, women in Western culture were rarely the villain in stories and film. Men were the heroes and villains, the women often helpless characters that had to be rescued, or worse, property that was simply a part of the show. Whether a love interest, damsel in distress, or simply “eye candy”, women didn’t really get an opportunity to rule or save the world. They were seen as to be the “weaker sex”. Because of the nature of film, the portrayal of masked women in cinema would become one of empowerment; strong females, hero, villain or somewhere in between, would show other women that anything could be done. These women showed that sisters, indeed, could do it for themselves.

In horror films, masked women are considered relatively new. Horror fans would say Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother, was one of original “bad girls”, yet she wore no mask. The mother and daughter in “The Strangers” wore masks as terrorized the family. In one of the scream movies there is a female killer. “Curtains” has a spurned female killer. A vengeful female hunts young girls in “Alice, Sweet Alice”. Part of the interest in the unmasking of a killer is when it is a female, particularly a brutal killer; the shock value is much higher. The term “Hell Hath no fury as a woman scorned” certainly applies to these ladies.

Hero films tend to have more masked women characters, both hero and villain. In 1966’s “Batman” Julie Newmar laid down a memorable performance as “Cat woman”. Cat woman almost has her own history. Created in 1940 by Bob Kane, a number of women on the big and small screens have played her. Besides Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt have played the femme fatale on the small screen version of the show. Michelle Pfeiffer played the role in “Batman Returns” and Halle Berry played in a standalone “Cat woman” film (though it was only loosely based on the Batman character, and was box offices flop). Even today, with rumours about of a third instalment of the current “Batman” franchise, Cat woman’s character has been suggested, with names like Angelia Jolie, Megan Fox and even Cher being connected to the film, though all can show is, after the failure of Halle Berry’s version, the film audience longs for a return of “The Cat”.

Also in the Batman universe, “Batgirl” was a big part of the 1960s program. “Poison Ivy” was introduced to the big screen, along with Batgirl in “Batman and Robin”, the fourth and final film of the previous Batman movie franchise, which also received negatively due to its campy theme. Outside of the Batman universe, masked female heroes and villain are hard to find in film. It could be suggested that Hollywood doesn’t want to cover up “that pretty face”.Heist films are an interesting place look, particularly if there is an espionage element. The comedy “Sugar and Spice” featured a group of cheerleaders wearing “Barbie” masks to hold up banks to help their fellow pregnant cheerleader. “Lady in the cage” had women with stockings over their head as they robbed a bank. In the original 1966 “Mission Impossible” television series series, there are a number of women who are unmasked during the series, both villains and heroes alike. In Disney’s “The Witches”, the lead witch hides her true, rodent-like face with a mask of a beautiful woman. In the movie “Return to Oz”, the villainess goes so far as to wear different women’s heads, as she takes them off and puts them on depending on what suits her in this dark “sequel” to “The Wizard of Oz”. Women are slowly getting their due in regards to masks and movies, though it has taken awhile. Perhaps culture is still not used to the idea of women being strong, assertive characters. Maybe it’s the “pretty face” effect. For whatever reason, Hollywood doesn’t like to mask women

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Masks in Movies Pt 5

Yet through all the horror of the 70’s and 80’s, something happened as we approached the 90’s. Our heroes would start to return, yet almost as dark as the villains they encountered. In 1989, “Batman”, directed by Tim Burton, returned the hero to the screen. However, this was not the campy Batman of the 1960’s. This batman was in black, he prowled a gothic Gotham City, and he meant business. His nemesis, The Joker, was not the Sid Cesar of old, but a psychotic Jack Nicholson, who was possibly more liked than the hero! Dark, twisted humor was the order of the day. And fans flocked to the cinema, raking in over 200 million dollars domestic box office, which back in 1989 was almost unheard of, an era where “Star Wars” was at the top of the fox office records with over 300 million. The franchise would spawn one sequel under Burton (Batman Returns), with a latex clad Catwoman in Michelle Pfeiffer, before being turned over to Joel Shumacher for two rather underwhelming sequels. But the idea of heroes being as dark as their villains started to take hold.

Heist films would start to become noted in the cinema for their use of masks in the 90’s. Now heist films had been around for many years, but the masks, often baklavas, or maybe pantyhose, were merely a prop. Certainly Stanley Kubrick’s “The Killers” had the antagonists wearing pig type of masks, but it wasn’t until Point Break caught filmgoers attention. The film, in which the characters wore masks of various presidents, caught filmgoers imagination. The movie is probably more well known for the masks, than for the actual film; Point Break with simple baklavas would come across as “just another Heist film. “ “Heat” is another heist film where the masks, this time hockey masks not unlike “Jason” masks, are worn in the film. This film also has Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro , two of the greatest actors of the generation, in the film which obviously helped. The climactic shootout between the masked gunmen and police is one of the highlights of cinema history. “Sugar And Spice”, a teen comedy heist film, portrays the characters in identical “Barbie” masks. The twist in the film is that the “villains” are all cheerleaders helping out their pregnant fellow cheerleader. More recently, “The Town”, where the characters wear various masks, from monsters, to hockey masks (a tribute to Heat) to elderly nuns(!), and The Dark Knight, where the movie opens to a heist with clown mask clad robbers continue the heist genre. What is notable about all these films, people wish to have replicas of the masks. They empathise as wanting “the big score” and some excitement in their lives. Also notable is the masks are either suggest innocence (nuns, Barbie) or are cynically appropriate (presidents/politicians). So we see that the masks in fact become part of the story, and are often featured prominently on ads for said films (“Heat”, “Sugar and Spice”, “Point Break” and “The Town”).

As movies moved into the 21st Century, the heroes and their masks became more fantastic. At the dawning of the new century, masked heroes have returned, again with a twist. Advances in computer effects now allow for “fantastic” heroes to come forth. “Spiderman” (2001) would be one of the first examples of this. Crawling walls, and swinging from webs, the movie was a comic book brought to life. “Iron Man”(2008) is another example of this-a robot-like suit of armour allows the hero to fly and blast repulsor rays. Yet looking at these fantastic heroes, the masks need noting. The masks are “full face” ones, not exposing any humanity-because possibly they aren’t seen as human. Flying, swinging on webs, crawling on walls-these fantastic elements could be seen as dehumanizing the hero. They are beyond human in their form. Yet these heroes regularly “unmask” during the film, to show us the human side of us. It’s an interesting contrast between the “humble” human and the “fantastic” hero that sets him apart from those he wishes to protect The Batman franchise would restart in 2006 with a return to its darker roots. Christian Bale would take up the lead role as the Caped Crusader “Batman Begins”. A sequel would follow, “The Dark Knight”. This sequel, even darker than the first, starred the late Heath Ledger as The Joker in a performance that was considered by many to rival Nicholson’s. Ledger died shortly after the filming was completed due a drug overdose. “The Dark Knight” was a critical and box office smash, recording over five hundred million at the North American box office alone. Part of the mythology about the Batman stories is about masks that are worn, and the psychological importance of the “alter ego”. Also in 2006, “V for Vendetta” opened. A story about a masked anti-hero who wears a Guy Fawkes mask, the story in unusual in that, unlike most hero movies, we never see an unmasked “V”. The character, played by Hugo Weaving, either is seen on screen with his mask on, or shots without his mask do not show the character’s face. In a symbolic way, the mask is more important than who is wearing it; it is about the ideal that is trying to be communicated. The mask is the symbol of the revolution, and Guy Fawkes is certainly an appropriate image.


Friday, February 11, 2011

Egyptian Mask History.

When we think of African masks, Egypt immediately comes to the forefront for their mummies and the beautiful gold masks we are familiar with in Western Culture. What may not be as well known is that not all masks in Egypt started gold and metal. We associate masks with King Tut, but the first appearance of masks in Egypt history goes back much further.

The first images of masks in Egypt appear around 3100 BCE. The painted reliefs appear on pottery and other objects. These images show animal headed figures performing rituals and ceremony. It could be at this time that these figures were seen as deities, however there are some examples that show a very obvious human wearing an animal head, as form of costume-even though they were referred to as a deity. Perhaps there was modelling of a sort for the painted images. So it could be said that these are the first “mask” images in Egypt history.

The first mask artifacts show up in Egypt around 2800 BCE, the first intermediate period. The masks were of a simple variety; they were wooden, in two pieces and held together either with pegs, or of stiffened papyrus sheets. These masks were wooden in their mold and had three dimensions features. The eyes were large, the “wigs” were long and wooden. They had the lower chest part painted for both men and women, often with carved beads. Plaster masks were also used during this time., with a very basic mould. The plaster poured and then hardened. Reliefs were painted on the plaster. The moulds were of a basic variety. These masks had less detail and possibly were made for either lower classes, or for those of a “less” status in the hierarchy. What is interesting to note is that men and women were given different colours for their masks; men had a red tone to their painted “skin”, women had a pale yellow. Both sexes often had their status represented on their masks-the more ornate the “jewelry”, the higher the station.

The more well known gold and beaten metal masks appear around 1570 BCE. Probably one of the most well known is the mask of Tutankhamun, or King Tut. His gold mask, was discovered adorned his mummy shrouded body by Howard Carter in 1922. However, masks were just not for the dead; artefacts of masks of Anubis and other Egyptians gods have been found, the masks also appearing on Egyptians hieroglyphs. Masks were important to the Egyptians as a way of preserving their dead: The masks found on sarcophagi help to “hold” the face in place, in order for the deceased to retain in their image into the next world.

There is also some suggestive evidence they were used in ritual for the living as well. Anubis mask artefacts have been found that are big enough to fit over the head, possibly suggesting a clergy use during funeral ceremonies, however this has not been completely confirmed. Mask artifacts of this type are rarer in find. This combined with the painted ritual reliefs seem to indicate that masks were worn by the living for various ceremony.

When the Roman times came to Egypt, in approx 30 BCE a different type of “mask” started to replace the plaster/papyrus/metal three dimensional masks. A painting of the deceased, on the lid of the sarcophagus, found its way into use. The paintings, lifelike images of the deceased, have been found in Roman era burial sites in Egypt. The Romans perhaps liked the masks, but wanted a more “real” interpretation of the deceased, and started the painted mask reliefs. As more Roman influence came into Egypt, the earlier Egyptian values and ritual decreased. The final appearance of mask type aspects were found in the latter part of Roman occupation. Linen shrouds, with an imprinted image of the deceased, were wrapped around the dead, a linen “mask” portraying the deceased. This type of mask is the last known of masking ritual before the end of mummification practices in Egypt.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Masks in Movies ot 4

In 1980, the mask trip would continue in horror with a trip to a summer camp turned into horror for movie goers. “Friday The 13th” entered theatres. Even though Jason Voorhees is now a horror icon, complete with hockey mask, it wasn’t until the third Friday the 13th film that we see the iconic masked Jason; in the first film he wasn’t even the antagonist, and the second film he wasn’t wearing his famous mask but rather a bag over his head. From the third film onward he would keep his famous hockey mask. In the film Jason attacks (and apparently kills) a boy wearing a hockey mask to scare a girl, and puts the mask on. In the modern remake of Friday the 13th, there is a shot of his old bedroom with hockey trophies, insinuating Jason was a hockey player. Jason Voorhees was a child at Crystal Lake Summer Camp (based on a real summer camp in New York by the same name). With Jason at camp, he drowns while swimming. Two counsellors are too busy having sex to pay attention to him and Jason dies. It is someone other than Jason who is the killer in the first film. It is only from the second film onward that Jason is the killer. Jason would hunt down and kill all the counsellors he felt responsible for his death. He then kept the camp as his home, and in subsequent movies would kill those who came to the camp, as a predator would kill others infringing on his territory. The film would spawn many sequels (including a not well received trip into space!) over the decades. The trio of Jason, Michael and Leather face would be the predominant masked killers throughout the eighties and nineties. That isn’t to say film goers were devoid of alternate masked villains. In the film “Alice, Alice”, a killer stalks a Christian boarding school. The killer, dressed in a yellow raincoat and female transparent mask, doesn’t sound frightening at first. The visual works very well, however, as the killer stalks the hallways for both children and adults alike. In “Too Beautiful to Die”, a killer haunts the runways of the fashion industry, wearing a mannequin type mask, hunting down fashion models. In “Happy Birthday to me” the killer wears a latex mask to impersonate another character while she hunts down and kills people at her birthday party.

But as the masks would fill horror films, masks also took a different ride as well in the 1980’s. Masks would start to show up in science fiction films. Movies like “Cocoon”, “Strange Invaders”, and “Dr Alien”, and on television the mini-series “V”, would portray aliens as donning our skin and faces to blend in, or take over our planet.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Masks In Movies pt 3

everyone perhaps trying to find themselves, trying on “different faces”, as it were.

The 70’s would lead masks into darker territory film wise. Movies like “Beneath The Planet Of The Apes” involved mutants wearing masks and body suits. In 1974, masks in film would take a frightening turn.. In 1974, a trip to Texas changed the face (literally and figuratively) of masked horror.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” pointed film masks in a new directionin a new direction. It was one of the first “Slasher” films; films that often use gratuitous violence to tell the story (interestingly enough, the original “Massacre” has very little visible blood, most is implied-it’s sequels made up in that department, however). “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is said to be influenced by Ed Gein’s story. So was Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. Other films were claiming some influence on their story. Contrary to popular belief, TCM is NOT based on an actual Chainsaw murder. This urban legend has been denounced by popular sites such as Snopes.com, and the moderator of the TCM fan site has constantly had to refute this rumour. The “Chainsaw” part of the movie is said to come from the imagination of Tobe Hooper, the director, who wondered absently if turning on a chainsaw in a hardware store would cause a panic. So while the character may have been influenced by Ed Gein’s crimes, there never was a “chainsaw massacre”.

The villain of TCM is a character named “Leather face”. He lives with his brother and father in a house in Texas. When a group of teens comes into town, they go to a house that is next to the family. As the teens go wandering, they run into Leather face, a chainsaw wielding man wearing a mask made of human skin. We discover that the family are in fact cannibals, as we see skeleton based furniture in the house and bodies in the freezer. The teens slowly find their way into the clutches of Leather face and the family, with the final character making a desperate run from freedom after a memorable dinner scene. Leather face actually has 3 masks during the film; his “hunting” face, a “mother” face, and “pretty woman” face, all made of human skin. Leather face would terrorize audiences, and set in motion what would be a bevy of masked killers. This is one of the influences of the Gein story. The masks also pose the question of identity. In the first film, Leather face has 1 “male” mask and two “female” masks. He even comes across as almost motherly while wearing a “mother” mask at one point in the film. He does all his killing with his “male” mask, and sits down to dinner with his “pretty woman” mask. Also, as the story goes on, Leather face comes across as less a villain and more an agent of his dominating family. The importance of who he is beneath the mask is not as important as what he uses the masks to represent.

In 1978, a second masked antagonist entered the cinema, with a Halloween theme no less. “Halloween” was the cinematic debut for Michael Myers. In the film, Michael kills his babysitters as a child on Halloween night. Michael is sent to a reformatory but escapes twenty five years later. He would continually hunt down Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, who is revealed to be his sister. Wearing a white mask, he continues to kill those connected to his childhood, and anyone who gets in his way of Strode. What is his motivation? Unlike Leather face, who was dominated by his family, in the original movie he seems to have none, just killing for the sake of killing.

One cannot speak about masks and movies without mentioning another cultural changing film; “Star Wars”. In 1977, George Lucas would release a film that would change a generation. Iconic masks like Darth Vader’s and his Stormtroopers would grab imagination. Sequels followed in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return Of The Jedi”. Only the villains wore the masks, except when the heroes were trying to infiltrate the villains lairs. Even a “side” character in Boba Fett, a bounty hunter, was extremely popular, and is one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe; and this is what seemed to bemuse Lucas: people weren’t interested in “plain” Luke. They wanted to be Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Stormtroopers. The most popular hero was Han Solo, more of an anti-hero who shot first and asked questions later.

Coming out of the depression and slowly out of World War 2, colourful masked characters would slowly start to come back to the screens. Movie serials were finding some traction in the theatres, and “Batman and Robin” would star in a 15 part movie serial, the masked duo, along with more of the Lone Ranger, would work their way across the screen. Superheroes originated in cinema as serials back in the 1940’s. As part of a movie going experience, there were several segments to the cinema experience. There was a newsreel, a cartoon, coming attractions and movie serials before the main attraction. The serial was a short film that often had heroes battling villains, and ending in “Cliff-hangers”, often with hero literally hanging off of a cliff. If you wanted to see the conclusion, you had to come back the next week or month and see how the story continued. Heroes like Captain Marvel (1941), Batman and The Phantom (43), Captain America (44) dominated the screen in these films. Wha is interesting to note is that these characters, even though masked, were not feared. The admiring quote “Who was that masked man?” even today implies someone doing good while remaining anonymous. Even the masks the characters wore only covered part of the face-it was important to see part of the face of the hero, they were human, we can identify with them. The mask was a sign of humility, good was the main intention; whoever the person was, their actions were more important than their identity. To me this suggests that during this time, people were more likely to taking things at face value, and not question the motives. The masked hero wants anonymity, nothing more. The idea of masks to “scare” or unnerve people didn’t really enter too much into the equation.

Moving into the fifties, there was turmoil in the comic book industry. Regulatory bodies were imposing censorship on comics that were felt to be too violent. As a result, the serials dwindled, as the comic industry was connected to the serials in regards to income. Serials disappeared from theatres, as did their masks. The fifties were also a time of cultural change. As World War 2 was left in the mirror, there was more optimism, more hope. So why this seeming void of masks in movies? Perhaps a feeling of “nothing to hide” was prevalent. We wouldn’t see masks back on the screen until the 1960’s

The 1960’s were the beginnings of another shift in movie making. Masks at this time were becoming visible again in the theatre. There were a few masked killer films during the 60’s, most of them from Europe. Movies like Mr. Sardonicus, (1961), Onibaba, (1964) and “Les Yeux Sans Visage”; though it wasn’t the killer who wore a mask. A rebirth of sorts took place in 1966. “Batman” was released as a feature film. Based on the campy television series of the same name (which were two-parters, harkening back to the serial days), the campiness carried over to the feature. With odd camera angles, clichéd dialogue and the words “wham!” and “Pow!” filling the screen, the movie was still a hit, comic book heroes were back in the public eye. “The List of Adrian Messenger” has an intriguing use of masks. The main characters play their roles, all wearing masks that disguise their identity. It is only at the end of the film during the credits where the performers unmask to show their true (performer) identities. It wasn’t a superhero movie, but rather a movie that used masks as a way of telling a story. Television’s were tuned to “Mission Impossible”, an almost never ending parade of masks, spies, and plots. We would also see this in “The Second Best Secret Agent In The World” (1965), more espionage about a multi-masking spy hero. The 60’s were a time of cultural change again. There were the Korean and Vietnam wars, the women’s liberation movement was moving forward, a culture trying to find themselves. Perhaps this explains the “multi-masking” movies and television; everyone perhaps trying to find themselves, trying on “different faces”, as it were.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Masks in Movies pt 2

Coming out of the depression and slowly out of World War 2, colourful masked characters would slowly start to come back to the screens. Movie serials were finding some traction in the theatres, and “Batman and Robin” would star in a 15 part movie serial, the masked duo, along with more of the Lone Ranger, would work their way across the screen. Superheroes originated in cinema as serials back in the 1940’s. As part of a movie going experience, there were several segments to the cinema experience. There was a newsreel, a cartoon, coming attractions and movie serials before the main attraction. The serial was a short film that often had heroes battling villains, and ending in “Cliff-hangers”, often with hero literally hanging off of a cliff. If you wanted to see the conclusion, you had to come back the next week or month and see how the story continued. Heroes like Captain Marvel (1941), Batman and The Phantom (43), Captain America (44) dominated the screen in these films. Wha is interesting to note is that these characters, even though masked, were not feared. The admiring quote “Who was that masked man?” even today implies someone doing good while remaining anonymous. Even the masks the characters wore only covered part of the face-it was important to see part of the face of the hero, they were human, we can identify with them. The mask was a sign of humility, good was the main intention; whoever the person was, their actions were more important than their identity. To me this suggests that during this time, people were more likely to taking things at face value, and not question the motives. The masked hero wants anonymity, nothing more. The idea of masks to “scare” or unnerve people didn’t really enter too much into the equation.

Moving into the fifties, there was turmoil in the comic book industry. Regulatory bodies were imposing censorship on comics that were felt to be too violent. As a result, the serials dwindled, as the comic industry was connected to the serials in regards to income. Serials disappeared from theatres, as did their masks. The fifties were also a time of cultural change. As World War 2 was left in the mirror, there was more optimism, more hope. So why this seeming void of masks in movies? Perhaps a feeling of “nothing to hide” was prevalent. We wouldn’t see masks back on the screen until the 1960’s

The 1960’s were the beginnings of another shift in movie making. Masks at this time were becoming visible again in the theatre. There were a few masked killer films during the 60’s, most of them from Europe. Movies like Mr. Sardonicus, (1961), Onibaba, (1964) and “Les Yeux Sans Visage”; though it wasn’t the killer who wore a mask. A rebirth of sorts took place in 1966. “Batman” was released as a feature film. Based on the campy television series of the same name (which were two-parters, harkening back to the serial days), the campiness carried over to the feature. With odd camera angles, clichéd dialogue and the words “wham!” and “Pow!” filling the screen, the movie was still a hit, comic book heroes were back in the public eye. “The List of Adrian Messenger” has an intriguing use of masks. The main characters play their roles, all wearing masks that disguise their identity. It is only at the end of the film during the credits where the performers unmask to show their true (performer) identities. It wasn’t a superhero movie, but rather a movie that used masks as a way of telling a story. Television’s were tuned to “Mission Impossible”, an almost never ending parade of masks, spies, and plots. We would also see this in “The Second Best Secret Agent In The World” (1965), more espionage about a multi-masking spy hero. The 60’s were a time of cultural change again. There were the Korean and Vietnam wars, the women’s liberation movement was moving forward, a culture trying to find themselves. Perhaps this explains the “multi-masking” movies and television; everyone perhaps trying to find themselves, trying on “different faces”, as it were.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Masks in Modern Media: Movies

Since the first film was developed in the late 19th century, masks have played an important part with them in culture. Because film performances are really an offshoot of theatre, masks continued over to the screen. Because of the nature of film, however, more could be done when it came to special effects and editing. Masks have become not only things to be seen, but replicas to be bought and used. They also hold an important part of makeup appliances. Unlike the more symbolic appearances in the past, however, they can be used to make someone appear realistically as someone (or something) else. Since camera started rolling, masks have been a large part of the cinema and television experience. From the earliest mask in Hollywood in 1925 with Lon Chaney’s performance in “Phantom of the Opera”, masks have hidden faces. Whether it’s a masked killer trying to hide (or find) their identity, an anonymous hero saving the day, or wearing a face to avoid capture, masks have done it all in film. So grab your popcorn and soda, the movie is about to start.

Because of the nature of film, it can get tricky when we are talking about masks; there are films where the mask is an actual part of a character, such as Jason from Friday the 13th, or “Catwoman” from Batman-masks that the character actually wears to hide their identity. Then there is the makeup application of masks, also called facial applicances-these are masks that are attached to the face to actually create a character’s appearance-Robert Engund is probably one of the more famous for his “Freddy Kreuger” makeup in “Nightmare on Elm Street”-masks that actually create the character rather than hiding identity and are often applied in long painstaking sessions in the makeup artists chair.

The Early years (1900-1940’s)

The early 20th century is a time of innovation for film. The technology to capture frame by frame “moving pictures” has some murky background. The earliest known horror film is a 2 minute French short titled Manic du Diable, or “House of the Devil. That was in 1896. Horror films continued through the early 1900’s, including movies like “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” in 1919. Thomas Edison even made a film based on Frankenstein in 1910. But when did masks come into play as something the character wore?

In 1925 was the first incarnation of the well known “Phantom of the Opera”, with Lon Chaney. The story is about a disfigured man living in the Paris Opera house. Shunned from the world, he inhabits the caverns and tunnels beneath the Opera House. When he finds Christine, he immediately longs for her. Wearing a mask that covers his face, he terrorizes the opera group, eventually grabbing Christine. In one of the pivotal moments in cinema history, she pulls the mask off his face, showing his horribly disfigured face to the audience. It is said women fainted and men gasped at the horrible appearance when watching the movie. It was to be horror’s first “unmasking”. We can see the imprint of masks hiding a killer’s terrible secret on the audience. There were very few masked characters during this time. Surprisingly, there were a few early examples in this era of the “masked killer” which wouldn’t become well known for decades. Movies like “Star of Midnight” (1935), about a killer wearing a woman’s mask, and “Black Widow”(1947) about a woman behaving like her namesake, showed a little bit of monster as well. These films, not surprisingly, are not as well known as their more modern horror/thriller counterparts.

Friday, January 7, 2011

New Year, New ideas

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and your New Year is going well. I will be picking up and adding to the current histories, I will also be editing and updating the blogs to date, with more information and detail. I've got some hopefully interesting directions to take over the course of the year, and I appreciate all who read these histories!

Thank you again to all who take the time to read!



China Mask History

In China, we can find masks dating back to the Neolithic period (10000 BCE-2000 BCE). While there are clay masks, interestingly there are also some examples of masks made from jade, an intriguing choice. Jade was fairly common in the region, and was used for masks as well as pottery and other day to day items. In the Shang Dynasty (2000 BCE-1000BCE) was China’s bronze age, and the masks were made of bronze. The masks are almost geometric in their style-triangles and rectangles give the masks a precise feel. These masks were used for ritual and ceremony it is believed. The Zhou(1600 BCE-256 BCE) dynasty would also carry these bronze masks with little change. During the Han Dynasty (200 BCE-220AD) we start to see more stylistic masks of tigers and other animals, with more flowing and detailed faces. These masks were also made of bronze. There would be divisive years from 220-600 AD, with no real dynasty being established until the short lived Sui Dynasty(500 AD-600 AD), it only lasted one hundred years. It wasn’t until the Tang Dynasty (618-906) that masks would make a dramatic leap forward in appearance and usage. Chinese Opera is starting to take stage. The use of face paint and masks is prevalent in Chinese Opera. What is interesting from a mask point of view is the symbolism of colours on the face; red represents bravery and loyalty, black is objectiveness,and yellow for sophistication. There are more colours representing attributes like being calm, impulsive or jealous. The characters are easily represented by these colours, and the audience at a glance knows what to expect from each. Performers to this day are referred to “Disciples of the Pear Garden”, and perform in over three hundred types of Chinese Opera.