Chuck Russell, director of The Mask, dies at 74
Filmmaker Chuck Russell has passed away at 74. Chuck Russell directed The Blob & Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors in the 1980s, and later directed The Mask, Eraser, Bless the Child, The Scorpion King, and Witchboard (2025). A horror legacy that will never be forgotten.
Sebastian Fawkes20That Sucks. Loved 'The Blob', 'The Mask', and really Enjoyed 'Dream Warriors'. RIP
mellowcanuck.bsky.social14The blob might have the best effects in the 80s.
Paranoia8The Blob terrified me as a child. To this day its practical effects are some of the grossest, most disturbing depictions of body horror and gore, 2nd only to John Carpenter's The Thing. I love it today. We need more horror movies willing to kill kids Also the Mask was pretty fun and iconic RIP 💐
Ringo Bunnyman5Damn. Rest easy, Chuck. Some big-time films. 🌹❤️
Hallenbeck774Sad to hear. The Blob is low-key one of the best horror films from the '80s, and still hold up well today.
whiskeybooks.bsky.social3He was a good guy. I met him a few times in 90s and he was always kind.
Film Crit Hulk28A genuinely terrific stylist with a great POV. Still mad his career got sidelined by a lot of BS around The Scorpion King (that really wasn't on him at alllll). Feel like we could have gotten so many more big, weird, joyful movies. Fun note: He also produced BACK TO SCHOOL and COLLATERAL!
Zeddy13RIP. Seeing The Blob remake at age 10 fucked me up for the rest of my childhood. Dream Warriors is easily the best Nightmare sequel. Cameron Diaz singing in The Mask is maybe a top 5 'best a human being has ever looked on film' moment. And you know what fuck it we're watching Eraser tonight.
Josep Maria Sempere11Ay… The Blob y Eraser son dos películas que como puro entretenimiento me parecen chulísimas, y huelga decir que La Máscara fue uno de los grandes fenómenos de los noventa. Descanse en paz :(
Simon Abrams11JUNGLEE, his 2019 Bollywood action movie, is a paycheck movie, but a fun one. And yes, THE BLOB (1988), is as good as your needy friends say. I programmed it at IFC Centet’s Summer of 88 midnight movie series and wrote this on that occasion: boxd.it/umPDx
Jorge Matías 🏳️⚧️9The Blob es una de las mejores películas de terror de los 80.
Thempire Iain 🏳️🌈🧡🏳️⚧️8Goddamn... Dream warriors is one of my favorites May his memory be a blessing
Nashies! Aug. 16th 🎂7I had my first french kiss watching The Mask in the theater. Terrible kiss, fun movie.
Mac Rogers6I won’t call Russell a stealth genius or anything, but he was kinda the master of The Movie That’s A Fair Bit Better Than You Thought It Was Gonna Be: The Blob, The Mask, Eraser, especially Elm Street 3.
Dottie Doggo4Masterful hit after masterful hit
Shana L. Darabie4The Blob was the first movie I ever saw a kid die in and was like “no, I thought I’d automatically be safe.” And I’m not afraid to admit I think Dream Warriors and The Scorpion King are awesome. Russell will be missed
No. No. No. Fuck no. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him at the Masters of Horror dinner last year. What a sweet, lovely, talented man. He was a good friend to many of mine, and a real inspiration to me as a horror writer. He will truly be missed. www.tmz.com/2026/07/24/c...
Wolfe (The E is Silent!)7One of my favorite facts about him was how he cofounded a Studio with Frank Darabont called ‘Edge City Productions’ (the Town where ‘The Mask’ took place). It was meant to fund genre pieces at a low budget over at HBO. Their first project, while turned down, evolved into Michael Mann’s ‘Collateral’.
Gosunkugi5So sad. Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and The Blob are two of my favourite movies ever, and stand tall as examples of quintessential 80s horror.
Matt Patches5Dang spoke to him just a few weeks ago for the Eraser anniversary — full of vigor
Nathan Alderman4RIP. THE MASK is a smarter, more heartfelt, and far better-made film than its "SOMEbody STOP me!" reputation makes it out to be.
Sarah Stubbs2I’m in shock. I literally spoke with him in June. 😞 He was so kind and generous with his time.
Paul Ross1That’s very sad. Soon there will be no one of any worth left.
Jason Adams14My man directed both DREAM WARRIORS and THE BLOB remake -- horror icon
The Film Canary4Sad news, he was behind some real gems, including the massively underrated remake of The Blob, and by all accounts one of the nicest guys out there.
Farad Thee Sexy Stallion3DREAM WARRIORS and THE BLOB are two of my all time favorite movies. RIP.
OldManGrim2Directed the best horror sequel ever made in Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors…he wrote Dreamscape, a film Christopher Nolan borrowed heavily from for Inception He did the ‘88 Blob remake, which to this day is the most terrifying film I’ve ever seen Damn, RIP Chuck Russell
Jesse Hammer2Damn. Chuck Russell was one of horror's great 80's visionaries. Back to back bangers with 'Dream Warriors' and 'The Blob'. RIP. #filmsky
Kickazzjohnni 2I’m upset that the creative geniusthat made my childhood movie is gone 😭
Martin John2Goated from The Blob and Dream Warriors.
Deadman972Goodbye Chuck Russell. Elm Street 3 is in a league of its fucking own. You had a weird career, but you were in the cool book for life thanks to Dream Warriors.
Freakquency2Gonna watch Dream Warriors and The Blob in his honor
RIP to director Chuck Russell, who you probably know most as the director of the Mask, but whose masterpiece film that you should absolutely go back and watch is his 1988 remake of The Blob. Seriously, it's a near perfect movie.
Ashley Lynch ✂️🎞️51One thing I'm sad about is that Chuck Russell tried to use the blank check you get when you have a massive hit like The Mask to get a Neuromancer adaptation off the ground and it just couldn't get out of development hell. He spent a decade trying to make that movie happen.
Ian6I watch this movie probably once a year. It's so good. Some amazing practical effects.
Guillaume Babey (commissions open)5His Blob set the template on what a good remake should be, and boy are the lessons seldom learned.
Mime6664I watched it on a midnight showing (full of drunks) in a tiny little cinema with no a/c. And yet, I have never seen an audience so thoroughly charmed and enthralled by a movie. We had an absolute ball.
Dieter3The 80s blob was a real horror movie adaptation. RIP
Leitmotif in a Minor Key2This post just unlocked childhood memories I had completely forgotten. My parents let me watch this when I was young (I think I was 10ish when it hit free TV for the first time) and it scared me so much I never watched it again. I love horror now. I'm going to watch it this weekend if I can find it.
Scout Tafoya30Damn. The Robert Mulligan to Frank Darabont's Alan Pakula, the one people forget about. He was always looking to expand his vocabulary, working in India, in DTV, in huge blockbusters with major stars, and yeah, The Blob is one of those taut and nasty movies we so rarely get anymore.
Josh Miller24THE BLOB is so good. A practical FX horror masterpiece.
Wabi Sabi For Robots20Also the director of ERASER, a silly but fun Arnold flick featuring one of his best lines
Norm Wilner15Oh, hell. I was bowled over to get Chuck for an episode of @semcast.bsky.social a couple of years back. He picked ENTER THE DRAGON and it was an absolute delight. Go listen to it, and then -- yes -- watch THE BLOB. someoneelsesmovie.com/episodes/chu...
Colette Arrand12‘88 Blob is so shocking when you see it for the first time. An absolute blast.
Tom De Ville12Ah man, The Blob is one of THE great 80s horror movies.
Jaime Christley [Critters] ah-cha-cha12The Blob is one of the few horror movies post-Psycho where you go in thinking, unconsciously, "well there are certain lines you just don't cross" and the movie is like Fuck you, watch me. (complimentary)
Alan Cerny12OH NO. Three perfect horror remakes in the 1980s. THE THING, THE FLY, and THE BLOB. Seriously, it's so good.
CC11Also the director of the best mainline sequel in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Dream Warriors. An incredible talent lost. RIP
Fry300011Le mec a fait : -La meilleure suite des Griffes de la nuit, inventive, drôle et avec des persos hyper attachants (Freddy 3). -L'un des meilleurs films d'horreur méta, qui casse toutes les attentes et les clichés du genre, avec du gore gluant bien trash (The Blob).
RIP Chuck Russell. Between things like Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Blob, Eraser (and even The Scorpion King,) Russell could be great at delivering these outsized genre crowd-pleasers. A king of the kind of film you rent from the video store on a fun Friday night.
Alpha Chrome Yayo11What a loss - every single one of these is a BANGER Dream Warriors is a strong contender for best Elm St flick, and I reckon history will eventually recognise Eraser as the hugely underrated classic that it is
Sean Northridge11The Scorpion King is a fun romp and people need to get over themselves. RIP to a true talent.
Robyn- Looking For Work! 🏳️⚧️10Also directed The Mask, which is still a comedy classic and pretty stellar landmark of special effects
Lancer (COMMS OPEN)7Dream Warriors is the best Nightmare movie, The Blob remake is peak, and Eraser is one of my favorite Arnie flicks No idea he did all three Rip to a legend of making movies that make you go “hell yeah”
Sam Kurd (he/him)5The Blob is one of the best unsung horror remakes going. RIP to a master.
Rest in peace, Chuck Russell. Writer, director, producer who gave us Dream Warriors, The Blob '88, The Mask, and several other cult / genre favorites.
weinberg23lots of people sharing their favorite Chuck Russell deep cuts, so here's one of mine: he was a producer on Hell Night (1981). always liked that one.
Joey Ernand2Along with those, I always had a soft spot for ERASER too ❤️
TheHey™1Snapping Paul McCrane in half will always be a highlight for me.
DoRayMeFarTed1The Blob (1988) is a lot of fun. RIP Mr Russell.
Samothy Whamothy: The Return1WOW, I just watched The Mast LAST NIGHT
RIP Chuck Russell. If you like your action well-paced and your effects practical, you owe it to yourself to revisit his vision of The Blob. deadline.com/2026/07/chuc...
Brandon Sheffield18(he also directed the mask, eraser, dream warriors, etc)
The Price of Reason3Aw, man. The 80s remake of The Blob remains one of the finest practical effects showcases this side of John Carpenter's The Thing. All the respect.
Stephen Kleckner1Oh man! Like The Thing, this remake pissed off all the boomer adults around me as a kid. I think they went in expecting goofiness, and got ... holy shit! 😆
leothebardo.bsky.social1The blob is a masterpiece
Nu Pogodi! Enjoyer 1God this movie’s so fucking good
