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The most recognizable figures in slasher films, Jason and Michael Myers, referred to hockey masks as ‘murder masks’ for a reason: it’s because they offered intimidation. Slashing is an art and Jason and Michael excelled
in it. They understood the concept of a mask being multi-directional. The mask did not simply serve the purpose of making them unrecognizable, rather the mask did so much more: it created a fearful sense. Slasher films have dominated in a certain style, and a mask having cavities where the eyes are, with a pale face and an emotionless gaze as well as the rest of the mask painted a super artificial feeling, all serve to aid one concept: horror. The goggles. They do nothing.
It is true that Jason had to go through a couple of films before truly finding his unique style. However, the fact that he chose to stick to hockey chic demonstrates great understanding of one’s brand (so much for being a ‘mongoloid’ eh). It seems that the killer from The Laughing Mask is one step ahead of Jason Vorhees. These crude masks are menacing with gaping mouths smirked super wide and eyeholes slashed into mottled leather pulled tight over the head. These masks are crude as well as functional, they are the perfect blend of terrifying and practical. Not to mention they give an age old Marvel superhero Venom a run for his money in the terrifying cheer department. Apart from the mask, he fancies himself some incredible suits. In addition to the strikingly simplistic, the killer dons the mask whilst listening to some very interesting 1930s pop music. To top it off he brutally murders his victims while laughing which is the cherry on the cake. All of these features point toward the killer’s absolute dominance which is intriguing. Could this retro-chic serve as a critique of slasher villains being stuck in the past?
We are shown the meticulous style of Michael Aguiar from the very beginning of the film by his careful precise filmmaking. The opening of The Laughing Mask begins at the beginning with Vera Lynn playing in the background and an unknown woman is mercilessly stabbed to death by his mask-grinning killer. The scene is unflinchingly vile, but his vision captures the gore as it is too shocking to ignore. It’s vile details like this, here and throughout the film, that separate The Laughing Mask from other lesser micro-budget slashers. These movies have a lot of power shackles like the police precinct here. They are just a small office without anyone in uniforms or even badges, but the film earns your allowance for its budget cuts by being such glorifying fun.
While the victim is assaulted, at the climax, a splash of blood erupts filling the killer’s vicinity. The mask of the killer’s grin is left soaked.
It is fortunate that Aguiar has a firm grasp over the composition and visual elements then because it all almost balances out the rather stiffness of The Laughing Mask’s acting – which is quite stiff all told. Sheyenne Rivers earns a special mention for her portrayal of a veteran detective who was recently called back onto the case and who is actually quite remarkable. Her character – O’Malley – is introduced post coital as she lights up a cigarette and slips her glasses back on and so happens to be a himbo, purpose fulfilled. Tired of the much younger guy, she pulls a gun and gets rid of him. Still completely unclad: there goes my notion of a hard-boiled post-feminist gumshoe. The Laughing Mask serves up its horror with a side order of quote marks by planting it deep within a grim noirish paradox of dimly lit bars, strip joints and morally sluggish attempts at characters who seem incapable of speaking to each other and all the while the film turns into a gritty whodunit as murders pile up.
The author’s tone suggests Aguiar’s stylistic choices are deliberate and crafted to depict the contentious relationships that exist between the genders. The male characters are nothing short of misogynists, accompanied by an unsettling jest regarding the examination of the victim’s rough body. Their claims are so astonishingly crass that it leaves one speechless. A plot centered around an affair is rather commonplace, but the plot of The Laughing Man Caretaker’s movie has more to offer besides its crass ambitions. There are plenty of films that have an idea in abundance compared to those with nothing at all. However, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of information being presented – the body of a victim bears a likeness to a savage corpse while the plot does not claim to be any better. The A-list bodiless killer does pretend – perhaps – to one-up the biologist from the infamous Tusk. Aguire does an excellent job of creating sanity, but one can still claim there is an element of corruption present. Regardless of how strangely he chooses to portray everything, it is never boring Aguire fails to create the perfect ending leaving The Laughing Mask equally confusing and frustrating. Perhaps Aguire could take a couple notes from the antagonist’s mask and simplify it: sometimes it is better to do less.
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