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 in Halloween is a repurposed mask of William Shatner as James T. Kirk from Star 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 producer Sean Clark revealed a video where Tommy Lee Wallace shows 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 the Halloween: The Complete Collection box 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 original Halloween mask, and for some reason, none of the sequels that followed could replicate the unsettling look of the original mask. The only exception is the recent Halloween sequel 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 until Halloween Kills arrives, which is currently still set for October 16, 2020.