Book Review: Unmasked (2011)
Review by Kayley Viteo
If you’re at all involved in the horror genre, you know Kane Hodder. Most known for playing Jason Voorhees, he has also gone on to play masked villains Leatherface and Victor Crowley, but also notorious, unmasked killers Ed Gein and B.T.K. He is a legendary stuntman (which shouldn’t be news to you), but this is all basic information. In Unmasked, a biography co-written by Kane Hodder himself and Michael Aloisi, everything you wanted to know and more is revealed.
Unmasked is one of the most detailed biographies I’ve come across, although I admit that biographies is what I read least within the horror genre. But let’s not limit this to a mere “horror biography,” because while Hodder is most passionate about his work in the genre, there is a level of detail here that exceeds just his time as Jason Voorhees and Victor Crowley. In fact, some of the most interesting parts of Unmasked have nothing to do with his roles in the horror genre, and pre-date his most prolific time as a stuntman.
The book starts with a wonderful foreword by Adam Green (director, Hatchet). It’s a heartfelt piece that makes you appreciate not only Hodder’s long career, but is a nice set-up for the tone and emotion of the book. I’m not sure what I expected when I first started reading Unmasked, but there is one thing it certainly doesn’t lack – emotion. Hodder reveals a huge number of personal details, and not trivial ones. From being a ten year old seriously bullied (and beaten) to his extreme burns (and the aftermath) to his battle with OCD, Hodder creates a biography that is, to say the least, emotionally tense. That being said, Unmasked is also extremely amusing. Hodder’s tone is frank and self-deprecating, leading to sections like “fight intermissions.” This is exactly what it sounds like – Hodder detailing fights he’s been in, ending with a detailed list of kills he’s made on screen (a series of pages I pored over with no small amount of joy).
The only real complaint I have with Unmasked, and it’s a small one, is the timeline bouncing, which can be a little confusing. That being said, given the energy Hodder and Aloisi inject into the book, it’s hard to respond negatively to something so small given the strength of the book as a whole. Hodder’s passion for any number of things, not the least of which are his fans and his burn safety activism, makes Unmaked a pleasure to read. This isn’t your typical biography – the stories are honest even when Hodder comes out of them looking, at best, strange. But, that’s exactly what makes the book so fun to read – you’re never quite sure what to expect from him next. If you’re looking for an entire book built around gossip, this isn’t it; instead, Hodder has one chapter devoted to “name dropping,” where he tells some stories from the sets he’s been on, and expounds on his experiences with some celebrities he’s worked with. The humor is at times sardonic, but always unflinchingly honest, and that’s what puts this biography above others.
Unmasked is released on October 1, and you shouldn’t miss this one. Pick it up from independent publisher Dark Ink.
