When news broke that one of the upcoming DC movies was a film based on Clayface, I thought, Um, well, that’s certainly a choice. And, it’s not because I don’t like the character (in fact, as you’ll soon see, I actually LOVE the character!). It was more along the lines of me thinking, Why him?
Truth be told, I only learned of the character from seeing two of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes, “Feat of Clay: Parts 1 and 2” when I was a kid. Because unlike say, The Joker, or The Penguin, or The Riddler, Clayface was always one of the more obscure villains in Batman’s rogues gallery, and often used for Scooby Doo-esque reveals.
But, whoa. After watching that trailer, I can’t WAIT for this movie. So, here’s why I’m now super excited for this upcoming film.
Clayface Was Always My Favorite Villain From Batman: The Animated Series
Despite having no idea who Clayface was until I saw those aforementioned Batman: The Animated Series (B:TAS) episodes, I’ve been a fan ever since! For those who weren’t alive to watch it when it first aired, B:TAS actually introduced a lot of cool Batman villains to kids and adults back then, such as Mad Hatter, Clock King, and Man-Bat. These were all villains who had comic book origins, but weren’t in any of the movies at the time.
However, out of all of the Batman villains that I learned about from the cartoon, the one who captivated me the most was definitely Clayface. A disfigured actor named Matt Hagen, who uses a chemical called Renuyu (Think of it like The Substance) that can transform his face, ends up getting himself into a heap of trouble. In one nightmarish scene, we see silhouettes of men holding him down and pouring the chemical down his throat, which mutates him.
In that way, Clayface - in this animated version, anyway - is a tragic character. Being an actor, he’s obsessed with the fame that came attached to it, and just wants his old face back. He resorts to a life of crime to get what he wants, but once he’s turned into a monster, he’s resentful of the world and just wants to be left alone so that he can continue committing crimes. But, in swoops Batman, messing up his plans. Of course.
That said, I’m interested to see how they could even make a Clayface movie without Batman. But, I wasn’t always interested…
I Actually Didn't Have High Hopes For Clayface At All...Until I Saw That Trailer
Oh, man. From the very first glimpse that we get in the trailer of a man in bandages, I was already unsettled. It’s the eyes. I can’t take how hopeless and scared they look. Not only that, but then there’s that low drone before the song, “Do You Realize?” by The Flaming Lips, which automatically gives me goosebumps (Mainly because it reminds me of the “Winkies” scene in one of my favorite horror movies, Mulholland Drive).
We then get shots of what our protagonist (played by Tom Rhys Harries) looked like BEFORE his disfigurement, only to see a quick shot of his face getting slashed by a razor blade. So, at this point, I’m already like, “I’m out.” But then, we see another quick shot of what looks like the protagonist with a waxy, plastic mask on, followed by injections, and all other matters of mad scientist stuff.
The song then keeps repeating "Beautiful face,” which is juxtaposed by shots of a melting face, lips trying to pry themselves apart as if they’re glued together, and then other haunting images as we’re assaulted (yes, assaulted) with the words “Look” “Fear” “In” “The” “Face.”
They could have just ended there, but THEN we see an inhuman silhouette stretching against a wall, as well as a later scene of Tom Rhys Harries soaking in a bathtub, only to smear his face with his hand. And do you know what? THAT’S how you make a trailer, because now I’m invested. And do you know why? Because…
I Am SO In For A Comic Book-Themed Horror Movie
I like comic book movies. I mean, I used to like them a lot more, but I still watch them…on occasion. They’re fun. That said, one thing that kind of annoys me about them is that a lot of them are still aimed toward a much younger demographic, and that’s fine. Not every movie needs to be geared toward my preferences. I do personally love it when comic book films veer toward hard-R ratings, like my favorite comic book movie, Dredd.
However, do you know what I love even more than comic book movies? Horror flicks! In fact, I’d say that horror is my favorite genre of film. That’s why I’ve seen most of the best horror movies of all time, and I’m always down for a good scare…until I’m not, but, that’s neither here nor there. What is important is that I’ve never yet gotten a film that’s actually melded those two genres together
Which is really cool, since Clayface looks to be leaning in that direction in a major way. Yes, there have been attempts in the past to do comic book horror, such as the Blade movies, and the Disney+ special, Werewolf by Night, but I mean a movie that is primarily a horror movie first, and a comic book movie second. That’s something I’ve never quite seen before.
That is something that I now desperately want after seeing that teaser trailer. Even without having seen the movie yet, it actually gets me pumped for the future.
If It's Successful, It Makes Me Excited For Other Potential Horror Stories In The Universe
You know what didn’t work? The Sony Spider-Man movies without Spider-Man. Now, I’m not talking about the Venom trilogy, which actually did well, all things considered. I’m talking about movies like Morbius, Madam Web, and Kraven the Hunter. These were all films that took Spider-Man villains of sorts, and gave them their own backstory, all to middling results.
However, I’m looking forward to Clayface since I’m really interested in seeing what story they tell, especially with a horror twist. I’m thinking it will employ lots of body horror and really delve deep into the psyche of this man who’s going through a horrific transformation.
And, it just gets me thinking of what other Batman villains could fit the bill for horror. My first thought immediately went to Professor Pyg, and if Clayface does well, I’d love to see a horror story revolve around his character.
Or what about Calendar Man? A story about a serial killer who plans murders on major holidays? Yes, please. A Mister Zsasz film? Terrifying! A Ventriloquist & Scarface movie? Can we greenlight that now, please? The point is, this could be a winning formula and I want to see it happen in the future if Clayface is good.
I Just Want To Be Scared, And Clayface Could Fit The Bill
Most importantly of all, I just want to be scared, and I think Clayface could definitely fit the bill.
For one thing, I hate distorted faces, and we already see that in the trailer. For another, body horror really disturbs me, and that’s what this movie is all about.
Plus, the trailer just has incredible tension throughout, and with the bandaged face, it gives me serious Goodnight Mommy vibes, which is one of the horror movies that I’m too scared to watch.
So, I went from not caring about Clayface to circling October 23rd on my calendar. That’s how good this movie looks. Will YOU be seeing it?
