Death Mask

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.