Makeup-FX artists Todd Masters and Toby Lindala reveal their gory secrets in Vancouver

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      There's a lotta sick, gruesome shit happening in the world these days. Between the mass decapitations of the Mexican drug cartels and the recent dismemberments in Canada, there seems to be no limit to the real-life horrors we humans exact upon each other.

      But that doesn't mean a person can't appreciate the artistry involved with fantasy violence, like the work being done in scary movies and TV shows. As the intrepid Vancouver correspondent for renowned horror mag Fangoria from '88 to 2000 I got to hang out on set with some of the top makeup-FX peeps in the biz, including Todd Masters and Toby Lindala, both of whom take part in the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show this weekend.

      I hooked up with Masters when he was in town doing the awesome Tales From the Crypt Presents Demon Knight back in '95. At IMATS he'll participate in a panel discussion about the work he and his company, MastersFX, have done to date. His horror credits include Turistas, Slither, and Snakes on a Plane.

      Lindala--who's a keynote speaker at the trade show--is best known for his local work on TV's The X-Files. I ran into him on the set of Disturbing Behaviour back in '97 or something. He's also dabbled in the grisly arts for such flicks as Lake Placid, Final Destination 3, and Final Destination 5. (Not to mention 1991's chuckleworthy Xtro II: The Second Encounter, which I remember covering mainly because the job included interviewing an inebriated Jan-Michael Vincent.)

      IMATS Vancouver isn't all about the gore, however. For those whose interests in makeup go beyond blood and guts, the show's beauty keynote speaker is Emmy-winning fashion veteran Valenté Frazier, whose credits include America's Next Top Model, Elle, and Vogue. No Fango for that dude.

      You can follow Steve Newton on Twitter at twitter.com/earofnewt.

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