Jim Carrey’s wholesome appreciation of death metal: “He knew what was going on”
It’s refreshing when a band agrees to appear in a movie that could potentially ruin the image they’ve put out to the world, but it shows a level of respect for the arts that you can’t help but respect. Certain artists might have turned down the chance to star in the fantasy franchise Harry Potter, while various members of Radiohead and Pulp donned costumes and makeup to portray band members in the fourth instalment.
However, there’s also L7, who unashamedly wore massive fake vaginas to portray the band Camel Lips in John Waters’ Serial Mom.
In some instances, being asked to perform in a movie could be a band’s ticket to success, but there’s a risk that you’ll be misinterpreted and misrepresented, which was a worry that Cannibal Corpse had when they were asked to star in Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Released in 1994, the movie marked a major moment in the actor’s career, with Dumb and Dumber and The Mask also emerging the same year. He co-wrote the screenplay as well as starred as the titular character, and the movie was a hit at the box office. But what was revealing was Cannibal Corpse appearing in the film, showing the actor’s perhaps unexpected appreciation of death metal.
Talking to Tampa Bay Times, the band’s singer, Alex Webster, once revealed, “He said he was into some of our stuff. He said he had Butchered at Birth and Tomb of the Mutilated; that’s our second and third albums. And he was calling out songs by name that he was hoping we would perform for the movie.” Meanwhile, Paul Mazurkiewicz recalled to Noisey the actor approaching the band in “his Ace Ventura garb”, saying, “‘Oh my god! Cannibal Corpse! It’s so great to have you guys here!’”
He continued, “Then he starts rattling off lyrics and tells us he wants us to play ‘Hammer Smashed Face’. It was insane. He specifically asked for that one. He also rattled off the lyrics to ‘Rancid Amputation’, which was on our previous album. So he knew what was going on.”
The band were worried that they’d be made fun of in the film, considering their understanding of Carrey as a boundary-pushing comedian, but they were eventually reassured. They were surprised to find that Carrey knew a thing or two about their music, too, and were pleased to discover that their performance in the film would only make them more well-known.
Since their appearance, the band have continued to reign as one of the most popular death metal bands of all time. Despite frequently getting into controversy because of the violent imagery they are associated with, and album names like Gallery of Suicide, Gore Obsessed, Evisceration Plague, The Wretched Spawn, and Torture surely don’t help, they’ve remained popular for decades.
For many fans, seeing Cannibal Corpse in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the first time they’d been introduced to death metal, and thanks to Carrey’s seeming appreciation of the band, a new generation was turned onto the band.
