VOTD: Original ‘Halloween’ Mask Creator Reveals How William Shatner Became Michael Myers
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One of the most well-known pieces of movie trivia is that the mask worn by the seemingly invincible slasher Michael Myers inHalloweenis a repurposed mask ofWilliam Shatneras James T. Kirk fromStar Trek. However, what no one has ever really heard is the process by which the sci-fi costume accessory was turned into the iconic horror mask. But that changed last week as Halloween documentary short producerSean Clarkrevealed a video whereTommy Lee Wallaceshows exactly how he created the Michael Myers mask back in 1978. It’s crazy how insanely simple it is.
Making of Michael Myers Mask
As Sean Clark explains in the YouTube description for the video, this little featurette shot back in 2014 was intended to be included on theHalloween: The Complete Collectionbox set. For whatever reason, it didn’t end up in that box set, but now it’s online for everyone to enjoy.
This was exactly how Tommy Lee Wallace created the originalHalloweenmask, and for some reason, none of the sequels that followed could replicate the unsettling look of the original mask. The only exception is the recentHalloweensequel from 2018 that picked up 40 years after the events of the original movie. Director David Gordon Green was able to get the style of the original mask accurately recreated, but with some clear aging after being hidden away for four decades.
It just goes to show you that a big budget isn’t required to create something iconic in the world of cinema. Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity and ingenuity, and you could have yourself the next classic movie monster on your hands.
This is a nice distraction to hold us over untilHalloween Killsarrives,which is currently still setforOctober 16, 2020.
