Horror Movie Mask Spotlight: CHROMESKULL from LAID TO REST (2009)

The slasher film LAID TO REST, 15 years old this month, is a gruesome celebration of savage murders, blood, and guts. The source of all the carnage is ChromeSkull, a sadistic killer who wears a gleaming chrome mask shaped like a human skull.

ChromeSkull’s mask earns a ten out of ten for its polished, menacing face and creepy permanent smile. Presumably applied with a skin-safe adhesive, the metallic mask fits snugly against the killer’s face, framing his bald dome.

Director Robert Green Hall’s FX team Almost Human Inc. used human skulls as inspiration to create a truly terrifying mask. The late director discussed the mask’s development in an April 2009 interview with Fangoria magazine:

“The thing that took really long is that when you sculpt a skull over the anatomy of a human face, when you invariably wind up shooting it from the front and at a low angle, it always looks like it’s smiling. That could be good, but ultimately we thought the first few versions of it were a little too goofy, and it looked kind of ridiculous. It was hard to counteract that in the sculpture, and make it appear at all angles like an actual, medical accurate skull dipped in chrome. That’s the look I wanted.” (pg. 30)

— FANGORIA issue #282, April 2009

In unrelated fashion news earlier this month, fashion brand Alexander McQueen (known for using the skull as a trademark motif) released a series of short teaser videos that featured long-haired models dressed in select Fall/Winter 2024/25 fashions and wearing silver skull masks à la ChromeSkull. While the teaser videos coincided with the 15th anniversary of LAID TO REST, they were certainly not intended as a tribute to the movie!