‘Halloween Kills’ Director Shares Why It’s Hard to Film the Michael Myers Mask
The most iconic horror slashers are recognized for their unique look and weapon of choice. For example, Friday the 13th sequels killer Jason Voorhees is known for his hockey mask and machete. In this case, Halloween‘s Michael Myers wears a Captain Kirk mask that’s painted white and kills with a chef’s knife. Halloween Kills is the second installment of David Gordon Green’s new trilogy. He recently explained the difficulties with filming Myers’ mask just right.
Michael Myers masks have evolved over time
Halloween Kills is the 12th entry in the franchise, although it ignores the continuity of everything after the original movie. However, it’s Myers’ 11th appearance, as he wasn’t in Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The mask is different in each movie, although they all include the same blank expression crafted from white latex with brown hair.
Halloween fans are very specific about what they like to see in a Myers mask. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers‘ mask is the first to be widely criticized. The eye shape, hairstyle, and eyebrows are the main differences between the masks. 2018’s Halloween went with a mold very similar to the original but aged it to reflect the 40 years that have passed. The fans widely praise the mask used in Green’s films.
‘Halloween Kills’ director David Gordon Green found it tricky to perfectly capture the mask on screen
Green’s Halloween trilogy has big shoes to fill. The classic franchise has a loyal fan base that wants to see it treated with respect. However, Green has no intention of making a bad movie. In fact, he’s even considering the small details to ensure that he’s doing the series justice. The mask is one of those details.
Comic Book reported on the Halloween Kills Beyond Fest screening Q&A. He discussed some of the biggest challenges that he faced when making the movie. “In terms of the challenges, I feel like I’m usually very prepared for either the technical or the performance,” he explained. “And there’s always a curveball in one of the other of them, on every scene.
He continued: “So when you’re trying to juggle the reality of a kill scene, or making sure that the effect looks real, sometimes I get so caught up in that, that I neglect to give the actress attention, and performance attention. Or sometimes I come in so rehearsed that then the… How to shoot the gag so that the lighting is just right, or it’s hard to…”
Green added that it can be rather tricky to make Myers’ mask look good on screen. “The Michael Myers mask, it only works in certain angles and certain lighting environments,” he said. “So sometimes you’ll get so caught up in dialogue that you’ll think, ‘Oh wait. But then the mask is not getting the love it needs by the lighting department.'”
The Halloween Kills director continued: “And so it’s just kind of juggling all of those technical… I mean, there’s no scene in this movie that’s just two people talking in a room. So it gets very challenging trying to figure out where to prioritize. Is it in the atmosphere, is it in the technical, is it in the emotional?”
‘Halloween Kills’ will be release day-and-date in theaters and on Peacock
Halloween Kills premiered at the Venice International Film Festival to mixed reviews. Audiences will be able to check out the movie for themselves on Oct. 15. Halloween Kills will be available in theaters and on the streaming service Peacock.
Halloween Ends will be the final installment in Green’s trilogy. It’s currently planned to be released on October 14, 2022. Stay tuned for more information.
