The Mask

[CAH]

OK, let me just first say that I think "The Mask" is one of the greatest comic book concepts of all time. Can you imagine actually having something like that that would release all of your inner desires (for better or worse) when you put it on?

That being said, I absolutely loved the 1994 Jim Carrey adaptation of the comic book, and truthfully it is one of my favorite films of all time, but I have always wondered...would anyone like it to be 're-adapted' to be much more like the original comic, a horror film instead of a comedy? I would love to see that, because I thought the comic was great...but it would just be better IMO to see what it originally was intended to be...a bloody and gory horror flick.

Besides, ANYTHING to do with the mask is already twice as good as the horrible sequel Son of the Mask...

CAH

 

[Artistsean]

The only problem with doing that it that NOW the Mask is too closely connected with being a family friendly super hero movie. They had a cartoon series, action figures, and the sequal was just for families I think (never saw it)
If they made it to be like the comic then it wouldn't do as well as the other movies or as it could have been, because fainlys wont see it or they will and have nothing but bad things to say about it. Bad Press would spread.
That is unless it was advertized like a horror movie and stated very clearly "Not Intended for Children!"
I hear around 96 or something that Dave Foley was supposed to star in the sequal. I wonder what happened with that.

 

[CAH]

Well, I see exactly what you are saying and have thought about that many times.

I really love the concept of The Mask...and if the opportunity ever arose when I get to Hollywood that I could make a new Mask film...I would more than likely do it.

Here's what I am thinking would be best for The Mask franchise though...I would continue the story in Edge City...and open with the final scene from the first film...after that, I would have Kellaway be told that Ipkiss and Tina/Milo/Charlie have all moved out of town (just so Charlie doesn't get The Mask)...and Kellaway is brought The Mask. From here, I would continue on with Kellaway's story, with him obviously becoming The New Mask and wreaking havoc, only much more dangerous havoc...he does more than just hurt a few people.

If not continuing with Kellaway's story, I would say the best thing is to just leave the franchise alone...although I would LOVE to see a new film...MAYBE a completely new storyline and main character could work, but I seriously doubt it.

For Kellaway's story, I'd call the film either The New Mask or The Mask Strikes Back.

BTW, does anyone know where to find an exact replica of the wooden mask used in the original film? I want it...

CAH

 

[Joker]

if I ever make it in hollywood, along with a re-imagining of power rangers, a new, sin city style (ala shot for shot from the comics) mask movie is my dream movie to make...

 

[Savage]

Okay, this re-imagening of Power Rangers I'd like to hear about because I was thinking the same thing. I would honestly do away with the costumes and leave them super powered teenagers (something that wasn't showcased much in the show).

Anyway, I WOULD love for The Mask to get the Begins treatment but the thing is it's so closely nit within the culture that this "New" version would bomb beyond belief. People simply would not like the "change" from this hilarious Jim Carrey family comedy to this trippy Rob Zombie horror/thriller flick...It's pretty much like making an Ace Ventura flick now about him solving the murders of some kind of...animal zodiac killer or something.

 

[Artistsean]

Thats what I was saying, Unless it went under a different name (not using The Mask in ht title) and clearly stated that it is not for children. Maybe even not having it connected to the first or second film, or the cartoon, or the toys, at all. Sort of like how Punisher wasn't connected at all to the first Punisher movie, or how the new Hulk is going to have nothing to do with the old Hulk film, or how the new Daredevil that will eventually get made will have nothing to do with the original Daredevil movie.
They would have to do something to disconnect it from the Mask and Jim Carrey before attempting to do a movie that graphic. And that is probably not impossible, just incredibly hard to do. But I agree it should be like a Sin City type thing.

I like the idea of a Reimagined Power Rangers too, I'm going to start another thread so that the ideas don't overwhelm this thread.t:

 

[Joker]

Okay, this re-imagening of Power Rangers I'd like to hear about because I was thinking the same thing. I would honestly do away with the costumes and leave them super powered teenagers (something that wasn't showcased much in the show).

no teenagers, military people...just with you know, space technology...total re-imagining, leaving not even the name...only thing that's the same is the colors, the names, and the basic plot (they fight Lord Zed)

 

[CAH]

Well, at least some of us actually want to see The Mask re done, or "The Mask Begins"...(hey...that could work)

CAH

 

[Savage]

no teenagers, military people...just with you know, space technology...total re-imagining, leaving not even the name...only thing that's the same is the colors, the names, and the basic plot (they fight Lord Zed)

Nice. So like an organization of these guys or just people with military backgrounds. The former kind of reminds me of SPD.

And I don't see the Mask being remade to be more faithful. Too jarring for the public. At least with franchises/series like Batman and the Incredible Hulk, the tone was kept the same. Even in Batman and Robin Batman was known to take things pretty seriously and is a character to be taken very seriously as well. With The Mask the tone would be...completely flipped on it's head. Which sucks. Lousy hollywood.

 

[CAH]

^True I guess.

Oh well.

CAH

 

[Artistsean]

They could possibly make an HBO cartoon of The Mask based on the very bloody comic. I could see that happening.

 

[Savage]

See, now that I can see happening. Maybe the guys that did Invader Zim or Billy and Mandy. Or maybe go for some more realistic art like the guys that did Spawn.

 

[CAH]

I'd go for it, if it happened.

Maybe it will someday.

CAH

 

[warren_sparta27]

might sound stupid, but i had no idea that the mask was supposed to be some bloody horror story.
i loved it as a kid though, the Jim Carrey film, and the tv show, i thought it was fantastic.
but could someone let me know more about the original comic, what happens? is it still the same characters from the film?
can i still get it from most comic book stores these days?

 

[j@ck3dLun@cy]

It was alright mates, but it just felt like another Jim Carrey flick of that time period.

 

[KenK]

might sound stupid, but i had no idea that the mask was supposed to be some bloody horror story.
i loved it as a kid though, the Jim Carrey film, and the tv show, i thought it was fantastic.
but could someone let me know more about the original comic, what happens? is it still the same characters from the film?
can i still get it from most comic book stores these days?

It wasn't a horror story, it was just an extremely violent comic with a lot of humor. Basically, everything in the Jim Carrey movie is right from the comics, the filmmakers just left out the violence. The scene in the alley with the street punks, and the scene with the auto mechanics is taken right from the first mini-series.

Other differences, Stanley has a girlfriend the whole time, and wears the mask very briefly, so she can kill Stanley. After that, she gives the mask to Kellaway, and he becomes the Mask, using the powers to kill criminals. The police try to take him out, and his partner, not realizing it's him, tries to fight him. Kellaway, as the Mask, almost beats his partner to death, until he realizes he's let the Mask take over. So in the end, he buries the Mask in his basement. I haven't read any of the other Mini-series since, though.

 

[Vapor]

I like The Mask but I think the original concept is cool too. I had a similar idea I thought was cool until I learned about the original concept of the Mask lol

Couldn't they just do it and treat it like a different/new movie and just change the names of the characters.. I mean the original name of the mask character in the comics was Big Head. They could maybe call it that and giving it an R rating or whatever would keep the children away.

 

[uchiha_itachi]

i used to watch the mask liek every day for months when i was little, i knew every single line from tht film lol

 

[Mike059jig]

Hey Pachuco!...Best Part..

This movie brought to life the the Cartoon themes that I thought would never see on the big screen......I used to watch this everyday on tape when i was younger

 

[uchiha_itachi]

the cartton ruled aswell actually, the episode were ace ventura was in it was wierd tho lol

 

[Le Diable Blanc]

I totally have to see that movie again.

 

[Sam Fisher]

It was alright mates, but it just felt like another Jim Carrey flick of that time period.

Jim Carrey is overrated.

 

[Spike_x1]

Bump.

I'd LOVE to see either a new movie or something like an HBO mini-series that's not connected in any way with the Jim Carrey film, except for the names of the characters (but change the wearer of the Mask's name back to "Big-Head" for the love of God). Also lose the mask's uselessness during daylight and Norse God bullcrap-origin. Where the hell did those ideas comes from?

The first two stories are incredibly easy to translate from page to film (might be a good idea to scrap the balloon/tommy gun and the mechanics' scenes or replace them with original scenes, in order to further distance itself from the '94 flick). Just have Stanley buy the mask for Kathy, discover its powers, and then ruthlessly and gleefully murder anyone who's ever done him the slightest wrong. Finally have his awesome fight with the police, complete with rooftop scene ("He said fire at Will! Not me!" and having his eye shot out), and then the epic car chase with the passenger sitting helplessly in the back while Big-Head makes small talk and gets groceries.

After that, Kathy gets the mask while Stan's not paying attention and kills him (we also get a tease of Kathy as Big-Head, which would be great if a sequel was later adapted from "The Mask Returns") and hands it over to Kellaway (Never ever mention his first name). In Kellaway's hands, we get our psychological story of how the mask corrupts him from his original goals of simply cleaning up the city, leading to his breakdown at the end after nearly beating his partner to death and blowing up his head, resulting in Kellaway burying the mask in his basement and completely lost in his own guilt.

And the medieval weapons would be necessary to pop up once in a while, too (the spear on the rooftop, the battle axes, etc). I always thought that Mahnke was trying to give little hints as to how far back in time that the mask's roots reached with the inclusion of those weapons.

An expanded fight scene with Walter would be welcome (the only flaw, IMO, with the first story is that Big-Head and Walter's fight isn't long enough), but save the really awesome stuff for a sequel when Walter fights Kathy/Big-Head and kicks the crap out of her.

The first story is ridiculously easy to translate to film (it's self-contained, yet still leads into a sequel if the film/mini-series is popular enough; you've got action, character development, a simple but engrossing plot, heroes and villains, and the pseudo-chemistry between Kellaway and Kathy). The only problem with restarting the franchise would be the public's inevitable confusion between this and the '94 movie, but if the studio makes it clear in the advertisements that it's dark and violent, puts emphasis on the R rating, then there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[fabman]

It wasn't a horror story, it was just an extremely violent comic with a lot of humor. Basically, everything in the Jim Carrey movie is right from the comics, the filmmakers just left out the violence. The scene in the alley with the street punks, and the scene with the auto mechanics is taken right from the first mini-series.

WORD!

Well, even if it was lighter in tone, I think Jim Carrey's The Mask was a great adaptation of the comics. It showed the character's somewhat evil side (scene with mechanics) and I think that people tend to forget that it's not really a family film, remember the shoot-out at the end, several scenes with the gangsters. I've just seen it today after several years and I had forgot how good this film is. It's really a gritty, cartoony, action-comedy. Something like that, anyway.

The only error they made was to make Son of the Mask. I haven't seen it and I don't want to see it but the whole concept is just... f'ing wrong, it's a f'ing family flick, might aswell be by Disney. That's not the Mask. Also, what's missing (I've seen a few scenes and trailers, though), are Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz and Co. and director Chuck Russell. I think he did a good job with the first The Mask, a very good job. He's a great director even if his last two films, The Scorpion King and Bless the Child, haven't been very good - let's hope for a comeback!

I was really waiting for a sequel starring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz and there were rumors for years but what did we get? Sad...

 

[uchiha_itachi]

^ the sequel blew so hard