The Halloween franchise has survived so long and become so popular for several reasons, but one of them is undoubtedly the silent remorseless killing machine that is Michael Myers, and more specifically, his look. The new Halloween doesn't acknowledge any of the previous franchise sequels, but it still had a lot to live up to when it came to recreating the famous mask. In an exclusive look at a new special feature attached to the Halloween Blu-ray release, we get a special peek at how the new movie took the time to make sure they recreated the iconic Michael Myers mask perfectly. Check out the clip below.
At this point, the history of where the Michael Myers mask came from is pretty widely known. It was a rubber Halloween mask of William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk originally, that the first Halloween then modified into the pale white expressionless mask that we all know today. Who knew that Captain Kirk could look so terrifying?
Of course, the new Halloween has to then take a mask that was originally an off the shelf retail product and recreate it. The mask can't simply be something that looks similar to the original. For the purposes of this sequel, it is the exact same mask, so it has to look like it's the exact same mask. For FX makeup designer Christopher Nelson, this means the mask doesn't simply need to have the same expression, it has to look worn and dirty in the same way that the first mask did. According to Nelson...
Approaching the mask had to have the same expression, the way the dirt collected on the nose and the mouth and on the neck and the way it warped specifically. That original mask had an expression of tragedy, of blankness.
In the new Halloween, Michael Myers' mask has been obtained by a podcaster who is looking to cover Myers' rampage of decades ago. When Michael then escapes custody he goes after the podcaster in order to get his property back. needless to say, he does.
This means the mask needs to look not only like it's been well used, but also like it's been sitting around collecting dust for the last few decades. That look had to be created in every detail.
It certainly appears to have worked as James Jude Courtney, the man wearing the mask throughout the new Halloween, says that the mask really changed him. It had an impact on the way he performed, simply putting it on would change the way he was breathing and he would find a side of himself he wasn't previously familiar with.
Halloween is available in Digital HD and can be picked up on Blu-ray starting today.
