The horror genre was built on certain groundbreaking franchises, chief among them being Halloween. John Carpenter's original 1978 movie made Jamie Lee Curtis a star, and broke new ground as a slasher. The property has never truly been far from theaters, as countless incarnations and timelines have brought Michael Myers back to rack up a body count. Throughout it all The Shape has worn his iconic white mask, and now we can see exactly how it was made.
The original Halloween movie was made on a very small budget, with plenty of creative filmmaking needed in order complete John Carpenter's vision of Haddonfield. Michael Myers' iconic face was actually a mask of William Shatner's likeness from Star Trek, with filmmaker Tommy Lee Wallace making some adjustments to craft the now iconic look. A new video reveals exactly how Wallace made this happen, as he creates a new Michael Myers mask right in front of our eyes. Check it out below.
I mean, how cool is that? Michael Myers' appearance is an iconic part of the Halloween brand that has terrified moviegoers for decades. And while we've seen plenty of different versions, it turns out that the OG design doesn't even take much time to craft. Let's break down exactly how to make The Shape's mask from an old school William Shatner one.
The above video featuring Tommy Lee Wallace comes to us from Sean Clark's YouTube, and was originally intended for Halloween: The Complete Collection Box Set. In it Halloween OG collaborator Tommy Lee Wallace as reveals exactly how Michael Myers' appearance was accomplished for the original 1978 movie. And that includes the use of a Captain Kirk mask in the likeness of actor William Shatner.
First off, Tommy Lee Wallace changed the color of the mask's hair. By using a spray paint, Captain Kirk's blonde locks are transformed into The Shape's messy dark mane of hair. He also removes the mask's side burns and eyebrows, to create a less human appearance. Additionally, Wallace cut the eye holes to make them larger. Finally, the mask is sprayed in "appliance white" paint, which creates the creepy pale skin of Halloween's villain. Adorably enough, the mask rocks a shower cap during this last part, as to not accidentally paint the hair white.
As Tommy Lee Wallace mentions in the video, no on involved in Halloween expected John Carpenter's slasher to become such a pop culture sensation. As a result, Michael Myers' appearance has become a staple of the horror genre, recreated for the myriad sequels that have hit theaters over the years. And there's something extra scary about the original mask, which was void of emotion or battle scars.
Plenty of different versions of the mask followed, including the one currently in rotation for David Gordon Green's Halloween and its two upcoming sequels. Set 40 years after the events of the Carpenter original, the mask is old and distorted from its time in storage. What's more, there are punctures from being stabbed by Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode.
Michael Myers is set to return to theaters with Halloween Kills on October 16th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
