Subject:
The reinvented mask for the new MTV Scream series, updated for modern audiences
Lifespan:
One picture
The body:
Or, I guess technically the face. The left side of the mask is angled toward the viewer. The mask is gleaming white against a black background. There are three brown straps bolted to the mask with gold bolts (I can’t ascertain if they’re part of the mask as it will appear in the show, or part of the stand attached to the mask). No hood is present, surprisingly. This picture was an Entertainment Weekly exclusive, accompanied by a brief article.
Dissection:
“The [original] mask is so iconic. If you were to have that mask in a television series, but you weren’t following any of the characters [from the original], I believe that would be misleading the audience.”— exec producer Jaime Paglia.
“It evokes some of the Jason hockey mask and the white Michael Myers mask, but it’s still first and foremost evocative of the Scream mask.”— executive producer Jill Blotevogel.
Those are two bold statements for the rationale behind changing the Ghostface mask and the new design itself. Neither stands up to scrutiny.
The mask itself is a sorry visage for a new slasher. Throw a little rouge on the cheeks and this thing looks more like a cheap wall hanging from Spenser’s in your local mall. While I never thought the Ghostface mask from the SCREAM films was particularly iconic, or for that matter scary, at least it worked for that particular horror franchise. Its distorted shape and exaggerated look gave it the quirky personality that defined the franchise. Personality is exactly what this new mask lacks. Simply put, it’s bland. Nothing about it says, “horror,” and it’s not scary. Instead, it says “lifeless,” and “boring.” If I saw a guy coming at me in this mask, my first thought wouldn’t be to run. And right there, it fails.
My first thought also wouldn’t be, “Wow, that guy’s mask reminds me of the FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN franchises,” either. Blotevogel can name drop all she wants, but this mask doesn’t evoke any of the three she mentioned. It doesn’t look like a hockey mask, Myers’ mask had features, and as I mentioned, it’s a far step from the original. Chalk up the quote to another lame attempt of a producer to get street cred.
The mask does have one distinctive feature: it’s wide open mouth. It won’t be long before internet horror geeks start referring to it as “Blowjobface,” “Headface,” “Suckface” and an assortment of like oral sex references (Given the mask is white, I can’t wait til people start calling it “Money Shot Face!”). Seriously, it looks like the sculptor designed the lips based on a blow up doll. Creepy, but not in the way the mask is intended, I’m sure.
As for Paglia’s comment, I hate having my intelligence insulted. In this day and age, any viewer could look up the show on the IMDB and realize it’s not the same set of characters. This sounds like a slick excuse for the change, one I’m not sure franchise fans will buy; especially since articles appeared on horror sites months ago stating the show’s producers likely don’t have the rights to the old design. I fully realize that many in Hollywood are liars to protect their own interests. But don’t make it sound as if your audience isn’t so sophisticated, that it will get confused if you were to use the same mask.
Postmortem:
Cause of death— Lame “reboot;” lame producers underestimating and thereby insulting the intelligence of horror fans
Interment instructions— Bury this mask with any hopes of Scream being anything fun. Of course, based on the mouth, this mask might want you to bury it somewhere else.
View the body
All quotes and photo owned by Entertainment Weekly.
