The Mask is a 1994 American
superheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comedy filmComedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
based on a
series of comic booksThe Mask is a Dark Horse comic book series created by writer John Arcudi and artist Doug Mahnke, and based on a concept by publisher Mike Richardson. The series follows a magical mask which imbues the wearer with reality-bending powers and physical imperviousness, as well as bypassing the wearer's...
published by
Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. This film was directed by
Chuck RussellCharles "Chuck" Russell is an American motion picture director, producer and actor.-Filmography:*The Hearse *Hell Night *The Seduction...
, and produced by
Dark Horse EntertainmentDark Horse Entertainment is a motion picture and television production arm of American comic book publishing company Dark Horse Comics.They also have a sub-label, Dark Horse Indie.-Productions:*30 Days of Night*B&B*Barb Wire...
and
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
, and originally released to movie theatres on July 29, 1994 through
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
The film stars
Jim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
as Stanley Ipkiss (also known as
The Mask). The film's supporting cast includes
Peter GreenePeter Greene is an American character actor.A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Greene did not pursue a career in acting until his mid 20s...
as mafia officer Dorian Tyrell,
Amy YasbeckAmy Marie Yasbeck is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Casey Chapel Davenport on the sitcom Wings from 1994-1997.-Early life:...
as a newspaper reporter,
Peter RiegertPeter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
and Jim Doughan as two police detectives,
Richard JeniRichard John Colangelo , better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni, was an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:...
as Stanley's friend, Orestes Matacena as nightclub owner and mafia boss Niko,
Ben SteinBenjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
as a psychologist, and
Cameron DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
in her feature-film debut as Stanley's love interest Tina Carlyle. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, but lost to
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
.
Plot
Stanley Ipkiss (
Jim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
), a clerk in an
Edge City"Edge City" is an American newspaper comic strip created by the husband and wife team of Terry LaBan and Patty LaBan. The scripts are written by both of them, with the art being created by Terry LaBan. The strip debuted in 2000 and is syndicated by King Features Syndicate.The main characters in...
bank, is a shy, luckless romantic who is regularly bullied by nearly everyone around him, including his boss (
Eamonn RocheEamonn Roche is an American film and television actor.One of nine siblings, his father was the late actor Eugene Roche. One of his brothers, Brogan Roche, is an actor; another, Sean Roche, is a director....
), his landlady Mrs Peenman (Nancy Fish), and car mechanics. His only friends are his
Jack Russell TerrierThe Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
Milo and his co-worker Charlie Schumaker (
Richard JeniRichard John Colangelo , better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni, was an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:...
). Meanwhile, gangster Dorian Tyrell (
Peter GreenePeter Greene is an American character actor.A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Greene did not pursue a career in acting until his mid 20s...
) runs the exclusive Coco Bongo nightclub while plotting to overthrow his boss Niko (Orestes Matacena). Tyrell sends his singer girlfriend Tina Carlyle (
Cameron DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
) into Stanley's bank with a hidden camera, in preparation to rob the bank.
Stanley is attracted to Tina, and she seems to reciprocate. Later that night after being denied entrance to the Coco Bongo, he is stranded with a broken-down rental car at the city's filthy harbor, where he finds a mysterious wooden mask next to a pile of garbage which at first he mistakes to be a drowning man. He takes the object home and jokingly puts it on. The mask wraps around his head, transforming him into a
wackily-suitedA zoot suit is a suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. This style of clothing was popularized by African Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Italian Americans during the late 1930s and the 1940s...
, green-headed, figure, "The Mask", a trickster with reality-warping powers, physical imperviousness and without personal inhibitions who exacts comical revenge on some of Stanley's tormentors and scares a street gang that attempts to mug him.
The next morning, Stanley encounters world-weary Edge City detective Lieutenant Kellaway (
Peter RiegertPeter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
) and newspaper reporter Peggy Brandt (
Amy YasbeckAmy Marie Yasbeck is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Casey Chapel Davenport on the sitcom Wings from 1994-1997.-Early life:...
), both of whom are investigating the Mask's activities of the previous night. Despite these threats, the temptation to again use the mask is overwhelming and he puts it back on that evening. Needing money to attend Tina's performance at the Coco Bongo, the Mask noisily interrupts Tyrell's bank robbery and steals the targeted money while Tyrell's henchman and close friend Freeze (
Reginald E. CatheyReginald "Reg" E. Cathey is an American stage, film and television actor.Cathey is a native of Huntsville, Alabama and a graduate of J.O. Johnson High School. He spent his childhood in West Germany. His favourite band is Blur....
) is shot by police responding to the disturbance.
The Mask buys entry into the Coco Bongo, where he "rocks the joint" by dancing exuberantly with Tina in front of the cheering crowd after Tyrell is called away by Sweet Eddy (
Denis ForestDenis Forest was a Canadian character actor.He was known for portraying henchmen in Academy Award-nominated blockbusters The Mask and Cliffhanger....
). After Freeze dies in Tyrell's arms, Tyrell violently asks who was responsible and Eddy points to the Mask dancing with Tina. At the end of the dance the Mask gives Tina a kiss that literally blows her shoes off, but is then confronted by Tyrell. One of Tyrell's henchmen then pulls out a gun and shoots off a part of the Mask's tie, which transforms back into Stanley's distinctive pajamas. The Mask escapes, while Tyrell is temporarily arrested for the bank robbery by Lt. Kellaway, who also finds the pajama scrap.
Kellaway confronts Stanley at his apartment, just as a weary Stanley discovers all the bank money stuffed in his closet. Stanley manages to bluff his way out of trouble and later consults an expert on masks named Arthur Neumann (
Ben SteinBenjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
) who tells him that the object is a depiction of
LokiIn Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
, the
NorseNorse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
god of darkness and mischief, prompting Stanley - after learning that
OdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
banished Loki for causing too much trouble - to contemplate the possibility that Loki was banished into the mask. Despite the possible source of the mask's power, and with both Tyrell and Lt. Kellaway hunting for him (the latter of whom now has finger print evidence that Stanley stole the money), a more confident Stanley stands up to his boss and arranges for Tina to meet the Mask at the local Landfill Park. The meeting goes badly when the Mask's advances scare Tina away and Lt. Kellaway arrives and attempts to arrest him. The Mask toys with the enraged officer before zooming out of the park and tricking a large group of Edge City police officers into joining him in a mass-performance production of the song
Cuban PeteCuban Pete may refer to one of the following:*Cuban Pete , a 1946 film starring Desi Arnaz and The King Sisters.*Cuban Pete, the nickname of the Mambo dancer Pedro Aguilar...
. Stanley manages to get the mask off and Peggy helps him escape, but then betrays him to Tyrell for a $50,000 mob bounty. Tyrell tries on the mask and becomes a demonic monster. Forced to reveal the location of the stolen money, Stanley is kept hostage in one of the mob cars as Tyrell's henchmen search Stanley's apartment and reclaim the money. Stanley is later literally dumped in Kellaway's lap with a green rubber mask and is thrown into jail.
Tina sympathetically visits Stanley in his cell, where he urges her to flee the city. Tina in return thanks Stanley for being the first person to treat her like a person rather than a party favour, reflecting that she knew she had found someone special at the club in the form of the man
inside the Mask. She attempts to leave the city, but is pursued by Orlando (Nils Allen Stewart) and cornered by Tyrell. Upon being told by Orlando of her attempt to leave the city, Tina is forcefully taken to his raid of a charity ball at the Coco Bongo which is hosted by Niko and attended by the city's elite, including the city's mayor Mitchell Tilton (Ivory Ocean), and Charlie. Upon arrival, the Masked Tyrell kills Niko in a gunfight and prepares to destroy both the club and Tina. Meanwhile, Milo helps Stanley break out of his cell, and dragging Lt. Kellaway along as a cover and hostage, they go to the club to stop Tyrell.
Upon arrival, Stanley tells Lt. Kellaway to call for backup as he sneaks into the Coco Bongo with a gun. After brief initial success by securing the assistance of Charlie, Stanley is spotted by Orlando and captured. Tina tricks Tyrell into taking off the mask, which is recovered and donned by Milo, turning the dog into a cartoonish pitbull who defeats Tyrell's men, while Stanley fights Dorian himself. Stanley then recovers the mask and wears it one last time, using its abilities to save Tina by swallowing Tyrell's bomb, and then flushing Tyrell down the drain of the club's ornamental fountain. The police arrive and arrest Tyrell's remaining henchmen. Mayor Mitchell Tilton tells everyone that Tyrell was the Mask the whole time and orders Kellaway to let Stanley go, Tilton tells Stanley that he is a Hero and thanks him for saving the lives, Tilton tells Kellaway he needs to see him in the morning.
As the sun rises, Stanley, Tina, Milo, and Charlie take the mask back down to the harbor, where Tina throws it into the water and they share their first kiss. Charlie attempts to retrieve the mask for himself, only to find Milo swimming away with it.
Cast
- Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
as Stanley Ipkiss / The MaskThe Mask is a Dark Horse comic book series created by writer John Arcudi and artist Doug Mahnke, and based on a concept by publisher Mike Richardson. The series follows a magical mask which imbues the wearer with reality-bending powers and physical imperviousness, as well as bypassing the wearer's...
: Jim Carrey, who portrays Stanley Ipkiss, commented that he characterized Stanley after his own father: "a nice guy, just trying to get by". When Ipkiss puts on the Mask, he becomes a wacky, zoot-suited, suave cartoon figure having the ability to manipulate his own shape and the world around him to a superhuman extent; this is implied to be the projection onto himself of his preferred fantasies.
- Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
as Tina Carlyle: The girlfriend of mobster Dorian Tyrell who is attracted to Stanley Ipkiss. Tina is largely dissatisfied with Dorian as a partner, but does not defy him until she has been courted by his rival. This role marked the feature film debut for former model Cameron Diaz. Before Diaz was cast, the studio considered casting Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
and Kristy SwansonKristen Nöel "Kristy" Swanson is an American actress best known for playing Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also played Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the movie version of the V.C...
. There was also a studio offer for Anna Nicole SmithIn 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
.
- Peter Greene
Peter Greene is an American character actor.A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Greene did not pursue a career in acting until his mid 20s...
as Dorian Tyrell: Dorian is a Mafia officer who desires to kill his superior. He is psychopathicPsychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
, manipulative, ambitious, arrogant, paranoid and selfish with scant regard for any of the lives destroyed or simply taken as a result of his media ambition. The only person he cares somewhat about other than himself is Tina. When Dorian wears the Mask, he becomes a troll-like figure representing his malice, and exhibits bestial behavior.
- Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
as Lt. Mitch Kellaway: A slightly cynical police detective who pursues the Mask, Dorian and Niko throughout the film.
- Orestes Matacena as Niko: The mafia boss of Edge City and owner of the Coco Bongo Club.
- Jim Doughan as Detective Doyle: Lt. Kellaway's slightly-inept partner.
- Richard Jeni
Richard John Colangelo , better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni, was an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:...
as Charlie Schumaker: A friend of Stanley Ipkiss. Charlie is amiable, but can be selfish or irrational at times.
- Amy Yasbeck
Amy Marie Yasbeck is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Casey Chapel Davenport on the sitcom Wings from 1994-1997.-Early life:...
as Peggy Brandt: A reporter. Originally, the character was murdered by Dorian when he is first transformed by the Mask. Director Chuck Russell however, cut this scene with an eye to including Peggy who later reforms in a Mask sequel (though this idea fell through when Carrey declined to return). However, she appeared in the animated series.
- Jeremy Roberts as Bobby the Bouncer: One of Dorian Tyrell's bodyguards who works as the bouncer of the Coco Bongo Club.
- Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
as Dr. Arthur Neuman: A psychologist who tells Ipkiss about the Mask being representative of a Norse Night God named LokiIn Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
. He's also the author of a book, The Masks We Wear, which deals with people portraying themselves differently to others.
- Ivory Ocean as Mitchell Tilton: The Mayor of Edge City.
- Reginald E. Cathey
Reginald "Reg" E. Cathey is an American stage, film and television actor.Cathey is a native of Huntsville, Alabama and a graduate of J.O. Johnson High School. He spent his childhood in West Germany. His favourite band is Blur....
as Freeze: Dorian Tyrell's bodyguard and a friend.
- William Daniel Mielcarek as Doc: One of Tyrell's thugs.
- Denis Forest
Denis Forest was a Canadian character actor.He was known for portraying henchmen in Academy Award-nominated blockbusters The Mask and Cliffhanger....
as Sweet Eddy: One of Tyrell's thugs.
- Eamonn Roche
Eamonn Roche is an American film and television actor.One of nine siblings, his father was the late actor Eugene Roche. One of his brothers, Brogan Roche, is an actor; another, Sean Roche, is a director....
as Mr. Dickey: The boss of Stanley and Charlie.
- Nancy Fish as Mrs. Peenman: Stanley's grouchy and yelling land-lady.
- Nils Allen Stewart as Orlando: One of Tyrell's thugs.
- Blake Clark
Blake Clark is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, and veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as a Captain with the 101st Airborne Division....
as Murray: Peggy's boss.
- Garret T. Sato
Garret T. Sato is an American actor who was born and raised in Oahu Hawaii. He attended Aiea High School and Leeward Community College where he took up Acting. He is Yonsei...
as One of Tyrell's thugs.
Reception
The film was a box-office success, grossing $119 million domestically and over $350 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest grossing superhero movie at that time, behind
BatmanBatman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
. Even though it had been out-grossed by several superhero movies throughout the years, it remains immensely popular, especially with children. Critics also approved of the film, including
Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, of the
Chicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, who gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, noting Jim Carrey for his "joyful performance."
The Mask is one of three films featuring Carrey (the others being
Ace Ventura: Pet DetectiveAce Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
and
Dumb and Dumber) released in 1994 that helped launch the actor to superstardom.
The film was nominated for
Best Visual EffectsThe Academy Award for Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects.-History of the award:The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1928, presenting a...
at the
67th Academy AwardsThe 67th Academy Awards, honoring the best films of 1994, were held on March 27, 1995 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by well-known comedian and talk show host David Letterman....
, but lost to
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
. In addition, Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe. It currently holds a 75% "Certified Fresh" rating on
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a consensus stating "It misses perhaps as often as it hits, but Carrey's manic bombast, Diaz's blowsy appeal, and the film's overall cartoony bombast keep The Mask afloat."
At
MetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from film critics, it has a rating score of 56, indicating "mixed or average reviews" based on 12 reviews.
American Film InstituteThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
Lists
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
- "Somebody stop me!" - Nominated
- AFI's 10 Top 10
AFI's 10 Top 10 honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute , the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008....
- Nominated Fantasy Film
Cultural and literary allusions
- Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
- Stanley decorates his apartment with items featuring characters from Looney Tunes cartoons, and when he turns into the Mask, he tends to imitate said characters: Bugs BunnyBugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
(dying in the arms of the mobster, kissing someone in the lips, fooling people, and cracking jokes), Daffy DuckDaffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
(bouncing and yelling uncontrollably), the Road Runner (jabbering after saying a joke and before fleeing the scene to resemble the "beep, beep" produced by the Road Runner), Pepe le PewPepé Le Pew is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, first introduced in 1945. A French skunk that always strolls around in Paris in the springtime, when everyone's thoughts are of "love", Pepé is constantly seeking "l'amour" of his own...
(in the scene wherein he romances Tina) and TazThe Tasmanian Devil, often referred to as Taz, is an animated cartoon character featured in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes series of cartoons. The character appeared in only five shorts before Warner Bros...
(spinning in a tornado). His reaction to Tina's singing in the Coco Bongo is the same as that of the character of the wolf in the cartoon Red Hot Riding HoodRed Hot Riding Hood is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released on May 8, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994 it was voted #7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field...
, which Stanley is seen watching earlier on. Many of the imitations come from shorts directed by Tex AveryFrederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
.
- The Fugitive
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
- While being arrested in the park, the Mask's joking claim that "it was the one-armed man" is a reference to the villain in the TV seriesThe Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
and later in the film The Fugitive.
- Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
- The Mask performs a famous line by Clint Eastwood in Dirty HarryDirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
by saying "Now, you got to ask yourself one question. 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do ya, punks?". Carrey routinely performed impressions of Eastwood in his stand-up comedy routines and appeared in bit parts in Eastwood-headlined flicks Pink Cadillac and The Dead PoolThe Dead Pool is a 1988 American action thriller film about the manipulation of a "dead pool" game by a serial killer, whose efforts are foiled by a hardened detective. It is the fifth and final film in the Dirty Harry series, set in San Francisco, California and starring Clint Eastwood as...
, the latter of which was a Dirty HarryDirty Harry is the name of a series of films and novels starring fictional San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, portrayed by Clint Eastwood...
film. Carrey would also impersonate Eastwood momentarily in the film Bruce AlmightyBruce Almighty is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God that He isn't doing His job correctly, and is then offered the chance to try...
.
- The Cincinnati Kid
The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 American drama film. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best...
- After defeating Dorian, the Mask performs a famous line by Edward G. RobinsonEdward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
in The Cincinnati Kid, when he says You were good, kid, really good, but as long as I'm around you'll always be second best, see.
- In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
- The laugh performed by the Mask towards the end of the film (after revealing that his guns were loaded with nothing more than signs reading "Bang!"), is reminiscent of Carrey's Fire Marshal Bill character from In Living Color.
- Elvis
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- When The Mask dodges all the bullets he briefly turns into a green-faced Elvis.
- The Minister's Black Veil
"The Minister's Black Veil" is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was first published in the 1836 edition of The Token and Atlantic Souvenir, edited by Samuel Goodrich...
- In the television interview of Ben SteinBenjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
as an author, the book showcased may be an allusion to Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
's short story, The Minister's Black Veil.
- Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
- The song "Hi de ho" from K7 has the same main musical theme as "Minnie the Moocher" from Cab Calloway (it is closer to the version of the film The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
). It can be heard during the charity party, just before Dorian comes into the club.
When "shot" at the first scene inside the Coco Bongo, the Mask's consequent "dying" dialogue references several classic literary moments:
- "Ya...got me partner!" - A good impression of Pat Buttram
Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram was an American actor, known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. He had a distinctive voice which, in his own words, "... never quite made it through puberty"...
, a voice highly associated with Western films.
- "Tell Auntie Em to let Old Yeller Out" - A reference to Aunt Em in The Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
and Old YellerOld Yeller is a 1956 children's novel by Fred Gipson, which received a Newbery Honor in 1957. It was illustrated by Carl Burger. The title is taken from the name of the big yellow dog who is the center of the book's story...
.
- "Tell Tiny Tim I won't be coming home this Christmas" - Tiny Tim is a character in Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
.
- "Tell Scarlett I do give a damn" - A comedic take on Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.-Role:In the beginning of the novel, we first meet Rhett at the Twelve Oaks Plantation barbecue, the home of John Wilkes and his son Ashley and daughters Honey and India Wilkes...
's line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" is a catchphrase from the 1939 film Gone with the Wind starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.It was spoken by Gable, as Rhett Butler, in his last words to Scarlett O'Hara. It occurs at the end of the film when Scarlett asks Rhett, "Where shall I go? What...
", in Gone With the WindThe slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
.
- At the end of the scene, he is presented with an award for his performance and breaks the fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
by thanking the movie audience with Sally FieldSally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...
's acceptance exclamation "You love me! You really love me!". As this is going on, people-shaped silhouettes appear onscreen and applaud while Dorian combs his hair, adding to the illusion of an appreciative film theatre audience.
Track listing
- "Cuban Pete
Cuban Pete may refer to one of the following:*Cuban Pete , a 1946 film starring Desi Arnaz and The King Sisters.*Cuban Pete, the nickname of the Mambo dancer Pedro Aguilar...
" (C & CC+C Music Factory is a dance-pop and hip hop group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés which stopped recording 1996, following Cole's death...
PopPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
Radio EditIn music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
) - Jim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
- "Who's That Man" - Xscape
Xscape, was a female American R&B group that originally started out as a quintet and then became a quartet. The group had a string of hit songs during the 1990s...
- "This Business of Love" - Domino
- "Bounce Around" - Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! is an American Soul/R&B group from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy...
- "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" - Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
- "You Would Be My Baby" - Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
- "Hi De Ho" - K7
Louis Sharpe better known by his stage names K7 and Kayel.He is the frontman of the Latin freestyle group TKA, is a pop-oriented hip-hop emcee from the U.S., signed to Tommy Boy Records....
- "Let the Good Times Roll" - Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
- "Straight Up" - The Brian Setzer Orchestra
The Brian Setzer Orchestra is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. The group had success covering Louis Prima's "Jump Jive an' Wail", which appeared on Prima's 1957 album The Wildest!...
- "Hey! Pachuco!" - Royal Crown Revue
The Royal Crown Revue is a band formed in 1989 in Los Angeles, California. They are often credited with starting the Swing Revival movement. Live, RCR has been extremely successful: They participated in 1998's Vans Warped Tour, opened for the B-52s and The Pretenders and played at major US Jazz...
- "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" - Susan Boyd
- "Cuban Pete" (Arkin Movie Mix) - Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
- 1994 Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
- # 80
Orchestral soundtrack
The orchestral score soundtrack to
The Mask was released shortly after the original soundtrack's release. The score was composed and conducted by
Randy EdelmanRandy Edelman is an American film and TV score composer.-Life and career:Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played...
and performed by the Irish Film Orchestra.
Track listing
- Opening - The Origin Of The Mask
- Tina
- Carnival
- Transformation
- Tango In The Park
- Lovebirds
- Out Of The Line Of Fire
- A Dark Night
- The Man Behind The Mask
- Dorian Gets A New Face
- Looking For A Way Out
- The Search
- Forked Tongue
- Milo To The Rescue
- The Mask Is Back
- Finale
Home video
The film was released on DVD by
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
. It was later released
Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on December 9, 2008. It has an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is encoded in
1080p1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....
/
VC-1VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
. Its audio is a 5.1
Dolby TrueHDDolby TrueHD is an advanced lossless multi-channel audio codec developed by Dolby Laboratories which is intended primarily for high-definition home-entertainment equipment such as Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. It is the successor to the AC-3 Dolby Digital surround sound codec which was used as the...
encoded at a 16/48 kHz bit and sample rate. The disc has multiple supplementary packages including additional scenes, production details and two commentary tracks, one by director Chuck Russell and the other by director Chuck Russell and the rest of the production crew.
Sequels
Shortly after the release of
The Mask, it was announced in
Nintendo PowerNintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
that Carrey would be returning in a sequel called
The Mask II. The magazine held a contest, with the winner being an extra in the film, but, due to Jim Carrey declining to reprise his role, the project never came to fruition. In a 1995 Barbara Walters Special, Carrey revealed that he was offered the then-record-setting sum of $10 million to star in
The Mask II, but turned it down, because his experiences on
Ace Ventura: When Nature CallsAce Ventura: When Nature Calls is the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective . Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame or captive animals. This is the only sequel to a film starring Carrey in which Carrey reprised his role...
convinced him that reprising a character he'd previously played offered him no challenges as an actor.
After this, an
animated seriesThe Mask: The Animated Series is a television animated series based on the comic book superhero, The Mask, but is a sequel to the 1994 film adaptation. The show ran for three seasons, from August 12, 1995 to March 8, 1997, and spawned its own short-run comic book series, Adventures of The Mask....
was released and ran for three seasons. Some ideas for
The Mask II made it into the animated series.
An unrelated sequel,
Son of the MaskSon of the Mask is a 2005 American fantasy family-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman, starring Jamie Kennedy as Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist from Fringe City who has just had his first child born with the powers of the Mask. It is the stand-alone sequel to the successful 1994 film The...
, was released in theaters in February 2005. The sequel was universally panned by critics, and it received 8 nominations at the 2005
Golden Raspberry AwardsA Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
for Worst Remake or Sequel, Worst Actor (
Jamie KennedyJames Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
), Worst Sequel, Worst Director (
Lawrence GutermanLawrence "Larry" Guterman is a Canadian film director known for his work in companies like DreamWorks, Warner Bros. and Universal. He directed Cats & Dogs, Son of the Mask, and Back in Time...
), and Worst Couple (Jamie Kennedy and anyone starring with him).
External links