In horror circles, Kane Hodder is kind of a big deal. From his lengthy career as a stuntman and stunt coordinator, to his iconic portrayals of Jason Voorhees, Victor Crowley, Ed Gein, and more, Kane has seen and done pretty much everything in the filmmaking industry. His autobiography, Unmasked: The True Story of the World’s Most Prolific Cinematic Killer, documents the entire ride. I’ve been wanting to read it for some time now and I finally got my hands on a copy. What did I think? Read on for all the details!

Unmasked Synopsis

Unmasked documents the unlikely true story of a boy who was taunted and beaten relentlessly by bullies throughout his childhood. Kane only escaped his tormentors when he moved to a tiny island in the South Pacific where he lived for all of his teen years. After living shirtless in a jungle for a while, he headed back to America where he fell in love with doing stunts-only to have his love burn him, literally. For the first time ever, Kane tells the true story of the horrific burn injury that nearly killed him at the start of his career. The entire heart-wrenching, inspirational story of his recovery, the emotional and physical damage it caused, his fight to break back into the industry that almost killed him, and his triumphant rise to become a film legend are told in Kane’s own powerful voice.

I’ve followed Kane Hodder’s career for quite some time. His portrayal of Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is the definitive take on the character in my opinion. Speaking as a longtime fan, I couldn’t be more pleased with Unmasked. Director Adam Green (Hatchet, Frozen, Holliston) kicks it all off with one of the most heartfelt forewords (tributes, really) I’ve ever read. And it only gets better from there.

The Kane Hodder Story

Unmasked not only chronicles Kane’s career, it does so much more. Kane is so brutally honest throughout that each story feels like he’s sitting right there with you telling it firsthand. The story of the burn that scarred so much of his body, in particular, is unbelievably powerful. Kane recounts the year (yes, YEAR) he spent in the hospital in amazing, vivid detail. So vivid, in fact, I was squirming uncomfortably as I read it.

He tells the bulk of the stories in the book for the first time. I’ve read a ton of articles and interviews with Kane over the years, and I didn’t know most of the stuff in Unmasked. It’s one of the many reasons it’s such a joy to read. From his childhood, to his stunt career, to his rise to fame, it’s all here. And I couldn’t put it down!

Final Thoughts

Unmasked is great. You should read it. Kane’s writing partner, Michael Aloisi, wrote a companion book called The Killer and I that documents the author’s collaboration with Kane. I’m reading it now. I was so impressed with Unmasked that I wanted more. This was as close as I could get. The Killer and I is also apparently a television series that’s streaming on Amazon Prime. I think I’ll check that out next. This will tide me over until I can finally watch To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story. I’m so looking forward to that!

Unmasked is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, audio book, and Kindle Edition for just $5.99!