Halloween Kills arrives on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD tomorrow — and we’ve got a peek at one of the bonus features. All told, the release includes the original theatrical version of the film as well as an extended cut with an alternate ending — plus extended and deleted scenes, a gag reel, and behind-the-scenes footage.
The clip Gizmodo has today is from the latter: an up-close look at Michael Myers’ mask in Halloween Kills, which was precisely modelled on the mask worn in John Carpenter’s 1978 original (which was, famously, a William Shatner mask painted an eerily blank white). As the movie’s make-up FX designer Christoper Nelson explains, “It’s just like an old-fashioned latex Halloween mask,” albeit one with extreme care paid to the tiny details that make it unique, as you can see in the video below:
“For 40 years we’ve been dissecting this mask,” Nelson says, adding that even the matted wig hair attached to the mask got its own extraordinarily careful treatment. “Some people were like, ‘Chris, there’s like a piece of hair swirl sticking up there, could you mat that [down]?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, no, no. That has to be there. If it’s not there, it’s not the ‘78 Shape.’”
The accuracy was especially important, of course, since Halloween Kills — which leans heavily into themes of how trauma in the past influences behaviour in the present — actually includes flashbacks to 1978, offering new perspectives on the fateful October 31 night when Michael, aka the Shape, first menaced Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends. Halloween Kills is currently out on digital and hits 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD tomorrow; the final chapter in director David Gordon Green’s reboot-sequel trilogy, Halloween Ends, will arrive this October 14.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.