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‘Rewind’ to ‘18: Green, McBride & Curtis Talk Halloween with MTV

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In our latest ‘Rewind,’ we flash back to September 9, 2018, with an interview with Halloween (2018) writer and director David Gordon Green, co-writer Danny McBride and star and executive producer Jamie Lee Curtis, conducted by MTV’s Josh Horowitz.

Filmed just prior to the release of Halloween (2018) at the Toronto International Film Festival, the video features director Green’s thoughts on and personal trepidation surrounding the tackling of such “sacred” terrain, Lee’s reminiscing on her “scream queen” legacy (itself established by her breakout role in John Carpenter’s immortal 1978 classic Halloween), and McBride and company’s creative approach to the material, itself stemming from their lifelong, personal fandom of the Halloween film franchise.

Check it out below.  

‘Rewind’ to ’89: Halloween 5’s Danielle Harris & Donald Pleasence on MTV’s “The Big Picture”

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In our latest installment of ‘Rewind,’ we take a trip back to 1989 via MTV’s “The Big Picture” with host Chris Connelly, who interviews the film’s then twelve-year old star Danielle Harris (with the addition of a clip from the set of Halloween 5 of series veteran, the late-great Donald Pleasence), as well as a rather cheeky video montage of Halloween‘s Michael Myers, set to Steve Winwood’s “Back in the High Life Again.”

Be sure to stick around for the end, in which Harris goes trick-or-treating just outside MTV’s studios in New York City! Oh, the 80’s!

Check it out below, as well as trailers for both 1988’s Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and 1989’s Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

‘Rewind’ to ’80: Mick Garris Interviews Jamie Lee Curtis

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In out latest installment of ‘Rewind,’ we take a trip back to 1980 via a compelling video interview with Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis, who discusses with interviewer and filmmaker Mick Garris (for the Fantasy Film Festival) her feelings at being attached to John Carpenter’s seminal classic, as well as her 1980 slasher films Terror Train, Prom Night, and Road Games.

“I was so thrilled to get it,” offered the then twenty-year old Lee enthusiastically in reference to landing the part of final girl ‘Laurie Strode’ in Halloween. “You know I must tell you, when you get your first movie and you’re looking through the script, and you keep turning the pages and you seeing your character’s name on it. I mean, ‘Laurie,’ ‘Laurie,’ ‘Laurie!’ I mean, it was exciting to me! I just kept turning the pages, and there was more and more!”

Check out the video below. Lee’s historic vivaciousness, wit and charm contained within is entirely contagious, as is her pride at having worked on the handful of previously mentioned horror films, which helped to define her early career.


Excl: Kristina Klebe Looks Back on Rob Zombie’s Halloween

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The Halloween film franchise, over its forty-two years, has assisted in launching the careers of many, from Jamie Lee Curtis in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween to Paul Rudd in 1995’s Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (in his first feature film role), as well as Golden Globe-winner Michelle Williams and her co-star Josh Hartnett in 1998’s Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later. Similarly, the franchise also helped catapult the career of German-American actress turned producer and director Kristina Klebe, who recently sat down with HalloweenMovies in order to discuss her breakout role of “Lynda” in Rob Zombie’s 2007 reboot Halloween, as well as her far-ranging career which spans theater, voice-over work, directing, and surprisingly at one time, filming open heart surgeries, among other things.

Kristina Klebe

Born in New York City, where she’d later hone her acting skills in off-Broadway plays ranging from characters such as “Juliet” in “Romeo & Juliet” as a member of the Jean Cocteau Repertory to working with Colman Domingo (“Fear of the Walking Dead”) on “The Big Funk” for New York Theater Workshop, Klebe showed an interest at a young age in the craft.

“I think the thing that inspired my inclinations towards acting was more than anything else being an only child,” offered the actress, who’s multinational upbringing found her spending significant time in Germany, France and Italy as both a child and later a teenager, including living in Paris as an exchange student in her senior year of high school, where she interned at the film distribution company M5.

“As a kid, I made up stories and imaginary characters all of the time in order to entertain myself. Also, because my parents spoke both German and English at home, I interestingly didn’t start speaking until I was two years old, and because of that I was in my own world I think, as I couldn’t prior to that find words to express myself, which led to me have a very vivid imagination. I think that helped me as an actor, because in my opinion, it’s all about imagining a situation, and putting yourself into it. Later in life I’d discover the Michael Checkov technique, which is exactly that: imagining yourself in the world of the narrative, both in theater and on film.”

Attending Catholic school as a young child, Klebe recalled of the time, in which in addition to her scholastic activities included public service (her choice was to read to the blind), “I liked to recite things, and I loved poems. I’d get a two-page poem on a Friday and memorize it in order to recite it in class the following Monday. I just loved poetry, and spoken word, most probably because I didn’t speak until I was two. Maybe I felt the need to catch up.”

Her introduction to the stage happened during this time frame as well.

“The school’s drama department would put on Christmas shows,” Klebe offered, “and we’d do ‘The Three Kings.’ They asked, ‘Who wants to play one of the kings, and which one do you want to play?’ And I raised my hand and said, ‘The one that has the most lines!’ I wanted to be the lead in the show, which is absurd now when I think about it, but I was a little kid, and I wanted to act.”

Her passion continued into college. Klebe graduated Dartmouth cum laude with a major in Politics and a minor in Film, and then attended the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut (along with John Krasinski), all the while honing her craft off-Broadway, where she played the leads in such productions as “The Bourgeois Gentleman,” “On the Verge” and “A Servant of Two Masters,” among others.

“I was always doing theater,” Klebe recalled. “That was my number one love, and still is. My dream was always to be on Broadway, and that’s why at one point in my career I decided to go to Hollywood, for it to assist in that dream. That was my ultimate goal: to get back up on the stage in New York.”

Kristina Klebe on the New York Stage as “Juliet” in “Romeo & Juliet” (2004)

It wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling, by way of the Halloween franchise. Having auditioned for the film while on a trip to Los Angeles, Klebe made the decision to move to the west coast shortly thereafter, and after only having lived in Los Angeles for a week, she got the call. She’d got the part of “Lynda” in Rob Zombie’s remake.

“It was a weird thing,” said Klebe of the casting. “I mean, how lucky! That doesn’t happen very often, you know. And then at the same time, I was offered an incredible theater role as ‘Charlotte Corday’ in Marat/Sade at the Classical Theater of Harlem. What a month! What a year. I ended up giving up the play in New York to be in Halloween. It was a great theater role, and it was hard to say ‘no’ to it, but how could I not? It was a crossroads for me, leaving theater and going into film, and having the opportunity to be in such a big film was just incredible.”

As for her familiarity with the source material, Klebe confessed that at the time she’d never seen Carpenter’s classic, and that the horror genre itself had previously frightened her.

“I remember I was traumatized at an early age by horror movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street,” she said recalling a sleepover at a friend’s house at an early age, where she first saw the 1984 Wes Craven classic. “I came home crying the next day, and said to my mom, ‘Don’t ever let me watch anything like that ever again!’ So, growing up, I didn’t really watch horror films. I was scared of them. So, I hadn’t seen Halloween when I got the part. Prior to production, I started to watch it, but then stopped, because I didn’t want to be influenced by (Halloween 1978’s) PJ Soles performance. But of course I watched the original after we finished filming, and it’s a masterful film.”

Regarding her casting, and her preparation for the role of the foul-mouthed yet endearing character, “When I received word that I’d received the part, they also told my manager that they were testing for the role of ‘Laurie,’ which went to Scout Taylor-Compton (writer’s note: Academy-award winning actress Emma Stone had also auditioned) and wanted to do a chemistry read with Danielle Harris, Scout and myself. I had never done anything like that before.”

(left-to-right) Scout Taylor-Compton & Kristina Klebe on the set of Halloween

“We went to the Sony lot, I believe it was,” Klebe continued, “and as I was meeting Rob for the first time, I was super nervous. Not because Rob was a rockstar – thankfully I wasn’t too familiar with his music. If I had been, I would have probably been even more nervous, but because I was just praying that I survived that test, and that I did a good job, because you know, they can always fire you. I think it’s moments like that, when you are under so much pressure, that you can really shine, and show people that you can handle it. It’s so important as an actor, but we are not always taught that.”

Regarding Klebe’s working relationship with Halloween veteran Danielle Harris (who’d previously inhabited the role of “Jamie Lloyd” in both 1988’s Halloween 4: The Return of the Michael Myers and 1989’s Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and who in Rob Zombie’s Halloween took on the role of “Annie Brackett”) and her understanding of her place in the genre, she said, “I didn’t really know at the time. I was so new to the world of horror and of Hollywood, that my thoughts were really preoccupied with the mantra of, ‘Do a good job, Kristina. Do a good job.’ I do remember though that I couldn’t believe that I’d have a scene with (actor) Brad Dourif. I was star struck by him, as I was a huge fan of his work in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. So that was really cool. Plus, Brad loves and writes poetry, as I do! And we talked about poetry the entire time on set!”

(left-to-right) Kristina Klebe, Danielle Harris & Scout Taylor-Compton in Rob Zombie’s Halloween

As for working with director Zombie, “Rob was always so great and easy to work with,” she recalled. “He was very direct, and he was great at giving directions, was full of praise for his cast, and sometimes encouraged improvisation. There’s a scene in the director’s cut of Halloween, where the girls are walking and I’m talking about conjugating some French with a French teacher, which I had made up, and Rob said, ‘Hey, you speak a couple of languages, right? Do something like that.’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, OK!’ Rob can pick out your strengths and he knows how to play to them.”

(left-to-right) Behind-the-scenes of Halloween with Kristina Klebe, Rob Zombie & Scout Taylor-Compton 

Announced on June 4, 2006, the Halloween remake, with writer, director, producer and music supervisor Zombie at the helm, sent shock waves through the Halloween fan-base, and proved instantly polarizing. And while he received Carpenter’s blessing to “make it his own,” the news of a remake of one of cinema’s most beloved horror films nevertheless set horror fans abuzz, both for the Zombie re-imagining (given his previous gore-soaked films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects), and against.

Was Klebe aware of any perceived pressure surrounding the film?

“I don’t remember that being a concern, honestly,” she offered. “I really don’t remember it being an issue at all, but it could have been a situation of, as I wasn’t aware, I wasn’t looking for it? But I don’t remember it being a topic of conversation. Rob might have been aware, but Rob’s so confident that he probably wouldn’t have given a shit. He was probably like, ‘Yeah, whatever. I’m going to do my thing.’”

It being a Zombie film, the levels of violence, and of nudity, would be upped from Carpenter’s suspense-driven original, and this applied to the scripted role of Lynda as well, which called for the character to suffer (by mid-2000s wide release standards) a rather gratuitous post-coital demise.

(left-to-right) Behind-the-scenes of Halloween with Danielle Harris, Kristina Klebe & Scout Taylor-Compton

“At the time, would I have preferred not to have done the nudity?” offered Klebe. “Of course. But it was a pre-requisite, and it was a big movie, and it was my first big role in a big movie. So, there really wasn’t any room for debate. I think it’s not that I have an issue with being naked in a movie. There are many European films that have beautiful and tasteful nudity – like Blue is the Warmest Color. The problem is that I don’t like being naked on the internet. The fact that people take stills from a film and feature them on prurient websites, skin sites, is bothersome. It’s not really a nice photo when it’s a screen grab taken from a film, because it’s from a moving image which is meant to be moving. If I was going to pose nude for photo, then I’d do it properly for Playboy or something, which I was actually asked to do in Germany but turned down.”

(left-to-right) Tyler Mane as “Michael Myers” & Kristina Klebe in Rob Zombie’s Halloween

“Today though, I certainly know that stills ending up on some of these sites is a possibility,” she continued. “I haven’t done any nudity since, except for Proxy, (in reference to the 2013 Zack Parker-directed indie) in which I did a topless scene, as well as a scene of me masturbating. But I was not taking off my underwear. I don’t care if that’s not what a normal person would do, but I didn’t do it because I knew it would be all over the internet. That’s the only other movie I did a topless scene in, and it was right for the character, and would have been weird had I not done it. But I’m very concerned about these things being on the internet. I think it ruins it for an artist, and for the directors who want to take care of their actors.”

As for her character’s death, which required Klebe to be mock-strangled and subsequently carried off by towering actor and stuntman Tyler Mane, “That was the part that was the most difficult,” Klebe offered. “I felt so embarrassed, and he probably felt that way too, but Tyler was still so gentle and careful, and I could not have asked for a more respectful man to have done that scene with. Even if he was playing Michael Myers.”

Zombie also proved to be caring.

“While filming Halloween, I was also shooting the (2008) romantic comedy ‘The Accidental Husband’ in New York,” recalled Klebe, “and they needed a pick up shot, so I had to fly back to the east coast to do it, and then get right back on a red eye flight in order to return to the Halloween set in LA, in order to shoot the scene in the library where the girls are talking. I guess I was a little tired and I had a blemish on my chin or something, and someone on the crew, and I won’t say who, mentioned it in front of people. Like, ‘Oh, Kristina, you have something on your chin, and you should cover that up.’ People could have said anything, and I wouldn’t have cared. I was just so tired and was only focused on the scene, but I guess Rob became so angry with that person over their comment that he yelled at them, and later came to my trailer to apologize personally for that person’s statement. It was such a weird moment, and I thought, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that Rob even noticed that, and that he went out of his way to apologize.’ It was meaningful. He really cares for his actors.”

(left-to-right) Scout Taylor-Compton & Kristina Klebe in Rob Zombie’s Halloween

Welcome note provided to Kristina Klebe on her first day of Rob Zombie’s Halloween

With the film wrapped, Rob Zombie’s Halloween would debut on August 31, 2007, receiving the widest release of any previous installment in the franchise, as well as a gala Hollywood premiere at Mann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA, six days prior. Klebe recalled of the event, “I took my dad with me as my plus one, which was always on his bucket list. He had grown up in post WWII Germany, and the country at the time was very poor. There was little food, and very little of anything, really, and he would ride his bike to school ten miles every day, and would pass posters advertising American movies. As a kid he thought it would be a dream to go to a Hollywood film premiere, so being able to take him to one, and a movie that his daughter was in, was very meaningful to us both.”

Kristina Klebe attends the premiere of Rob Zombie’s Halloween

“I remember that I was obviously a little nervous since I had a nude scene in it,” she continued, “but my parents are European, so it’s not such a big deal for them.”

As for her response to Zombie’s “nurture over nature” approach to the pathos of Michael Myers and her reaction to the film upon seeing it, “I felt like I understood the little Michael,” Klebe said. “I liked the fact that there was a backstory. I know that’s a bit controversial, because many people don’t want an explanation for Michael Myers, but I liked the realism of it, and I remember liking the movie when I went to see it on that first day.”

With Rob Zombie’s Halloween a box-office success, grossing $80 million worldwide, Klebe found a footing in the genre space, and as the years went by she’s appeared in several horror films, including a hilarious turn as “Eva Braun” in director Adam Green’s parody “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein” installment of the 2011 anthology Chillerama. More would follow, with lead roles in 2014’s Montenegro-shot Killer Mermaid and Mike Testin’s 2015 feature Dementia, as well as a supporting role in Neil Marshall’s 2019 feature Hellboy.

Additional appearances include those in SAW director Darren Lynn Bousman’s 2016 cult-fave Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival (as “Geraldine,” in which she steals the show with an infectious song and dance number) and Mike Mendez’s 2016 feature Don’t Kill It, as “Agent Evelyn Pierce,” all running concurrently with both television and theater work.

Was she concerned at being typecast as a “Scream Queen?

“I didn’t even know the term at the time of Halloween,” reflected Klebe. “On a career level, I think it’s been a double-edged sword. I didn’t realize that being in one horror film would then put me into a niche as a ‘horror movie actor.’ I can remember growing up that people would say, ‘Don’t’ ever be in a soap opera, because then you’ll forever be a soap star.’ But I would have probably accepted a lead in a soap regardless, because I love acting and I want to have every opportunity to act, because I love it so much. I didn’t really realize at the time though that being in a horror film was similar in the way that it’s impacted my career. On the flip side, it’s provided me with so many opportunities for work, for which I’m so incredibly grateful. Eventually though, as I found that many of them were only within the genre, I made a conscious decision to change my path and to branch out. I didn’t want to be perceived as someone who could only do horror, but as someone who could anything: television, drama, thrillers, action films, comedies and voiceover work.”

One of those opportunities arose while making an appearance at a horror convention and speaking to Friday the 13th veteran and Chillerama co-star Kane Hodder: an appearance in Gun Media’s Friday the 13th: The Game.

“Yes!” exclaimed Klebe. “How funny! I have always loved doing voiceover. When I was growing up doing theater, I was a singer, and loved musicals, and loved the musicality of changing your voice and pitch and accent, which certainly applies to voiceover work. That’s always fascinated me, and it was something else I wanted to do. But anytime I would try to get into that world, it proved daunting. It’s really an insular space, and they seem to often only hire people they know. So, Kane and I were talking about this, and he said, ‘Well, we are casting for this Friday the 13th game,’ and I literally begged for an audition. I auditioned for many roles in the game, and they gave me the role of ‘The Girl Next Door,’ which they then changed to Jenny ‘Myers’ as a nod to Halloween. I don’t think anyone knew that the game was going to be as popular as it became, and I’m so happy about that, because I love all of the people involved.”

Artistically industrious, in 2011, Klebe, whose historically divided her time bi-coastally, decided to in addition to her already prolific creative endeavors to also pursue a career behind the camera as a director, and dove into studies at NYU’s Grad Film Program at Tisch School of Arts in New York City.

Kristina Klebe directing on the set of her short film As Human As Human

“So, this was an interesting. When I was growing up, I got along with all of the girls, but I always felt like I was one of the guys,” Klebe mused. “I was into sports, and kind of a tomboy, and I always felt like I didn’t feel any separation between men and women. I obviously knew that some guys were attracted or there was attraction, but I was always able to maintain friendships. And in the acting world, I felt more competition between women than between women and men.”

“Only when I went to NYU did I experience first-hand the real gender divide. I was like, ‘Wait a second, hold on. Why are all of these guys that I went to school with getting meetings and agents, and they have less experience than I do in the film business?’ For the first time, I felt a real wave of anger come over me about how unfair things were. For me, the doors were closed. I was being told ‘Oh, in order to direct a feature you first have to have written a feature script,’ something which men at the time seemed to not be hearing. Believe it or not, I couldn’t handle that much rejection, which is ironic, as an actor.”

“So, for a minute I just kind of gave up, even though by that point I’d already directed a couple of shorts, one of which (As Human As Human) ended up being award-winning film, which played in competition at the Sitges Film Festival.” (Writer’s note: Klebe’s most recent short film, Daddy’s Little Girl, was supposed to premiere in competition at the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival in April, but the festival was canceled due to Covid-19.)

Undaunted, she wrote her first feature script, Gene Therapy.

“I think since then things are getting better,” she said, “because people are now much more aware of that ‘boys club’ mentality, which is great. I hope that more women are hired as directors until we are at an equal 50/50, and I still aim to direct the feature from the script that I wrote. It’s a dark, fantastical comedy, and something that I feel is a meaningful story. A script that has something to say.”

As such is life, Klebe’s philanthropic side, something which commenced in Catholic school by her readings to the blind, itself evolved along with her creativity, and eventually the two made a confluence years later in documentary form while attending NYU. Via Doctors Without Borders, Klebe filmed open heart surgeries in Haiti and Nicaragua, a task which may seem surprising for a woman who was terrified by Freddy Krueger as a child.

“It was part of an exercise called a character study,” she offered of how she became involved, “and mine was about this well-known New York heart surgeon who performed open-heart surgeries. I followed him one day, documenting his work from the start of his shift until the end, and afterward, he asked me if I would film him and his trip to Haiti for Doctors Without Borders and Open Hearts Haiti. So, I did, and filmed him performing heart surgeries on these poor Haitian children who have no money and little opportunity. The surgeries were free. It was one of the most meaningful trips I’ve ever taken in my life, and changed my perspective. Our lives are so privileged, and the trip made it quite clear to me that so many of the problems which we think we have are absolutely miniscule in comparison to what these kids and their families are going through. And I loved doing my part to help by being there to document it.”

Reflecting on our current pandemic and self-isolation, Klebe finished, “My biggest sadness is that I feel as if I can’t do anything for people right now. I would love to bring food to people who need it, or help in some way however small, but due to social distancing and out of concern for my family’s health, I can’t take the chance of bringing anything back to them. But I’ve been yearning to help, and I look forward to the day when I can return to that.”

Klebe’s latest feature I Am Fear, in which stars and produced, was released on March 3, 2020. For more, you can follow her on Instagram at @kristinaklebe and on Twitter at @kristinaklebe, and catch her on the television series “American Dad” on June 1.

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Writer’s note: this interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Return to Summer Glen: Where’s H20’s Hillcrest Academy?

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Described in 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later as a, “very posh, secluded private school in northern California,” the actual location of the structure (which doubled as the film’s fictitious Hillcrest Academy) exists less than four miles from the towering skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles, and its got a rather interesting history, both in the realms of horror cinema for its appearance in H20 (among other notable films), and in real life.

Located at 1923 Micheltorena Street in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, the historic Canfield-Moreno Estate (as it was originally christened) was constructed in 1923. Designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar for silent film star Antonio Moreno (who would later go on to appear as “Dr. Carl Maia” in 1954’s classic film Creature from the Black Lagoon) and his wife Daisy Canfield (herself an oil heiress), the Mediterranean Revival architectural mansion sits on nearly five acres of land, with commanding views of the LA basin, and in the 20s upon its completion hosted many a lavish party, for both the Hollywood elite and high society.

The festivities didn’t last long however, as in 1933 Daisy perished in a car accident, her chauffeured vehicle having plunged from Mulholland Drive into the canyons below while returning from a social event. Following the tragedy, the estate saw many different incarnations, first as the Chloe P. Canfield School for Girls, and later in the 1950s as a convent for Franciscan nuns, who in the 1970s operated within its twenty-two rooms a home for young women.

Which brings us to 1998, which was both the year of release of Steve Miner’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, and also the year the estate was sold to Dana Hollister, who re-christened it The Paramour. Eschewing soundstages, much of the action in H20 was filmed within and on the grounds of The Paramour, which has also made appearances in such films as Wes Craven’s Scream 3 and Nicolas Winding Refn’s Neon Demon, and which most recently appeared in singer and religious leader Poppy’s music video for “Scary Mask.”

Today The Paramour serves in the capacity of not only a high-end boutique hotel, but also as a space for events, weddings and film shoots. Have a look here.

We’ve assembled a few photos of The Paramour, both modern and as it appeared in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, below.

The Ballroom at The Paramour

The Ballroom in H20

The Pool at The Paramour

The Pool in H20 (note: it was covered for filming purposes)

The Paramour’s Winding Drive

In H20

And here’s a few I snapped when we recently visited.

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Scream 3 (2000)

The Neon Demon (2016)

Poppy – Scary Mask ft. FEVER 333 (Official Music Video)

Excl: Sandy “Judith Myers” Johnson Talks Halloween

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Her famous, alarmed delivery in 1978 of a single word: “Michael!” introduced audiences worldwide to not only the evil which lurked in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, but also heralded the arrival of arguably the most famous villain in all of slasher cinema.

Forty-two years later, Sandy Johnson, the actress who emoted that line, and the woman who portrayed Michael Myers’ first victim in John Carpenter’s classic film Halloween, recently spoke with HalloweenMovies.com in regards to the role, its impact on her life, and in discovering so many years later a celebrity she didn’t know existed.

Sandy Johnson as “Judith Myers” in John Carpenter’s Halloween

Born in 1954 in San Antonio, Texas, Johnson demonstrated at an early age an interest in the arts, particularly in dance, and that interest would eventually lead her (as it has many) to the bright lights of Hollywood, CA, and eventually to John Carpenter, Debra Hill and to the world of Halloween.

“I loved modern dance, and I loved choreographing,” Johnson told us on the phone when we chatted with her last month, “and once I’d moved to LA I also started to take acting lessons at some of the (acting) studios, which led to some commercial bookings, and later to a few movies. So, it kind of developed from my passion for dance, really.”

Of her memories of the time period, one of the most divisive in American history (marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and subsequent antiwar protests, as well as the second wave of feminism), Johnson recalled, “Those were crazy times. They certainly affected me, as I was kind of a wild kid, and my mom was struggling, so she didn’t keep a really good watch on me. My best friend was kind of in the same boat, so we did our own thing. They were fun times. There were parties everywhere, the parks were filled with Love-ins, and there was impromptu music. That whole era was certainly set apart, and it was an interesting time in which to live. And Hollywood? That was certainly different than it is today.”

Sandy Johnson in the 70s

According to Johnson, there was more on her mind during her early days in Hollywood however than simply the nightlife. With her father soon ailing, Johnson spurred herself into the world of print modelling, and eventually in 1974 to Playboy, in order to assist him with the financial burden of his medications.

“My father was very sick with cancer,” she recalled, “and I was still going to school and working at chicken places and stuff, just trying to make ends meet. My dad needed money for medicine, and there was a drug called Laetrile available in Mexico, and he kind of wanted to try it. He wasn’t doing well at all, so I needed to make money to help him out. So, I just started doing any kind of modelling I could find, and that’s how my pictorial in Playboy came about. A friend of mine said, ‘You know you might try them; they pay well.’ So, that’s what I did, and they accepted me. So, all of it really initially was just in order to make money for my dad. Unfortunately, the drugs weren’t successful, and he didn’t last long. But by then of course, I was heavily involved in Hollywood and the entertainment industry, so I stayed with it.”

Playmate of the Month for Playboy’s June 1974 issue, Johnson said of her centerfold spread, her experience with Playboy and its impact on her burgeoning acting career, “At the time nudity wasn’t that big of a deal, and it had become acceptable. A lot of the big stars were doing it in their movies, and it kind of changed everything. So, I found that Playboy was actually helpful for my career, and as I was also being represented by their agency, if film productions were particularly looking for someone who didn’t have a problem with doing nude scenes, they’d reach out to the agency, and through them they’d find me.”

Sandy Johnson, Playmate of the Month, June 1974

As the 70s marched on, Johnson’s first two feature film bookings came via Al Silliman Jr.’s 1978 3-D film The Surfer Girls and the comedic Jokes My Folks Never Told Me, but it would be the third film in which she appeared that would forever etch her name in cinematic history: her role of “Judith Myers” in John Carpenter’s Halloween.

“There were several people there,” Johnson recalled of her audition for the film. “It may have taken place in one of the houses they used for the movie, and they had the living room set up as an office. I remember them telling me the story of the film, and of what parts they were looking to cast. They had me read some lines, and do some screaming, which I remember thinking was strange because we were in a residential neighborhood! And then it wasn’t very long after, maybe the next day, that I got a call from the agency informing me that I had been cast in the role of Judith.”

As a fan of genre, she was thrilled at the booking.

“I love horror films,” effused Johnson. “It’s what I’d do with my friends as a young person during sleep overs. Horror films are what we watched!”

With principal photography of Halloween taking place during the spring of 1978, Johnson recalled of her time on set, in what was the soon-to-become infamous Myers house (then located at 707 Meridian Avenue in South Pasadena, CA), “My scene was to be the last shot of production, even though it would be the first one in the finished film, and they needed to make the house look new, so the art department was busy fixing things up. Painting the walls and cleaning windows and those kinds of things. And I remember that after several rehearsals that we did that scene in maybe two or three takes. I also remember it being a really long shot, and that everyone was really excited about the new (Panaglide) camera which they were using.”

Of Carpenter’s direction of her and co-star David Kyle, who played her rather shall we say ‘premature’ boyfriend in what is perhaps one of the fastest off screen lovemaking session in all of film history (one minute and eleven seconds to be exact), Johnson offered, “John and (producer and co-writer) Debra (Hill) did some play acting in order to block the scenes for us, especially for the murder scene, in regards to how they wanted the angles. For the stuff downstairs I just remember John saying, “Make it playful, kind of teasing and carefree, like a 60s kind of vibe.”

As for Johnson’s interaction on set with young lead Jamie Lee Curtis, “I remember that she was very nice,” Johnson said. “Jamie was in the production trailer with me at some point, which was used for wardrobe and make-up and just about everything else, and I remember that whoever was scrubbing the (FX) blood off of me after my takes was pretty rough, and it was a sensitive area. So, I was not really thrilled with the pain involved, and Jamie must have noticed this because she said, ‘Would you like me to help with that?’ I said, ‘Yes,’ and I just remember that she was much gentler. It was a kind gesture.”

Premiering in October of 1978, Johnson remembered of first seeing the modestly budgeted Halloween, a film which took some time and word of mouth during its regional rollout to evolve into one of the most successful independent productions of all time, “It was at a theatre in LA. The whole cast was there, but it wasn’t what you’d consider a ‘premiere’ because it was way too small a movie for that of course. I doubt if there was any press or anything. But I remember it scared the hell out of me. It was a very scary movie. And to see it on the big screen! And I had not been in a horror film before, so that was scary to see yourself get murdered up there, but it was also cool.”

As with most things, Johnson moved on with her life, unaware of the juggernaut which the film would become, something which she wouldn’t truly be aware of until decades later.

“I was busy making other films, taking classes, and carrying on a romance,” said Johnson of her life on the direct heels of Halloween. “I had a lot going on! And you know, I just made the film and then went onto the next thing. Yeah, I had no idea. And then of course I became a teacher and got my PHD. I was just focused on other stuff. So, it wasn’t like I was Googling ‘Halloween’ or anything, although I am sure that if I had I would have been shocked!”

Her eventual realization of Halloween and its enduring popularity came via a text message in 2018, a full forty years after shooting her scene in the Carpenter classic.

“It was kind of late at night, and I was playing Words With Friends with my sister, and I got a text from someone that read, ‘Are you the Sandy Johnson from Halloween?” At the time I hadn’t thought of Halloween in decades, and I replied, ‘Yes, who is this?’ It turned out that it was Rick Henriques, who is now my representation and booking agent, and he had been apparently looking for me for nine or ten years! I guess so were several other agents, but he just happened to be the one that was relentless, and who finally found me. So, he started telling me how Halloween had become a big film, and that I had thousands of followers, and I was just sitting there thinking, ‘I am dreaming for sure. None of this is real.’ But it turned out that it was real, and it is awesome.”

Sandy Johnson and date attend the premiere of David Gordon Green’s Halloween

Johnson’s first appearance on the horror convention circuit took place that October at the Halloween-themed event H40: Forty Years of Terror, held at the Pasadena Convention Center, itself located merely miles from where she shot the now infamous opening of Halloween.

“I’d never been to any convention like that!” recalled Johnson. “I was totally unaware that there were horror conventions or anything like them, so I just like walked into that place as a newbie. They sat me down in front of a banner, told me what I’d need to do, and then the doors opened up, and it was like, ‘Oh, my god!’ The people! I mean there were thousands of them just pouring in, and the line went on for as far as I could see. I just couldn’t even believe it, and I loved meeting all of them. It was just really fun.”

Writer’s note: this interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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Follow Sandy Johnson on her Instagram @unicornsandyj

Excl: FX Artist Christopher Nelson Talks Halloween Kills w/ BTS Photos!

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“Let’s hope that the MPAA is nice to us,” said special make-up FX designer & department head Christopher Allen Nelson of the onscreen mayhem in the upcoming feature film Halloween Kills, when we recently sat down with him to chat all things Halloween.

An Oscar and Emmy award winning FX artist, Nelson’s impressive career began in the heyday of the FX-heavy genre pictures so prevalent in the 90s (you can dive into that in part one of our exclusive interview series here), and as a lifelong fan of Michael Myers, he found himself elated to work on 2018’s Halloween, both in the reimagining and design of The Shape’s iconic mask, but also on the film’s practical, and often grisly, special effects (see part two here).

Christopher Allen Nelson

For Halloween Kills, “There was a lot of challenges on this one, because it’s far more intense and layered,” said Nelson of the film, itself a direct sequel to David Gordon Green’s 2018 smash hit Halloween, the latter who has returned to direct from a script he co-wrote with returning collaborator Danny McBride and series newcomer Scott Teems.

In an attempt to remain as spoiler free as possible (something here at HalloweenMovies.com to which we adhere), we nevertheless queried Nelson on what fans of the long-running franchise may expect of Halloween Kills.

Behind-the-scenes of Halloween Kills

“I remember seeing (the film) Aliens,” offered Nelson of Halloween Kills’ similitude to the James Cameron-directed 1986 horror sci-fi film, which upped the ante of its 1979 predecessor Alien. “The first film is such a beautiful film. It’s my favorite in the series. Then Aliens came out, and I remember that when I went to see it that there were things that I wanted to see in the film, and things that I expected as a fan. The first film is legendary, but with the sequel I wanted it to go a little further. There were things the fan in me wanted to see, and Cameron delivered on every level. And I think that’s what Halloween Kills does. This one will deliver for Halloween fans, both for fans of the 2018 film and fans of the original 1978 film. It will give them what they want to see both visually and story wise. It feels like a natural progression of the narrative, and I think (director) David (Gordon Green) accomplished that.”

Returning to reprise her role of final girl “Laurie Strode” in Halloween Kills is series star Jamie Lee Curtis, who is joined by original cast members Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens and Charles Cyphers. Additional cast includes Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Robert Longstreet and Anthony Michael Hall, with Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney both returning as the iconic Michael Myers.

Pertaining to his visual design approach to the character, one who met a fiery fate in the closing moments of Halloween, “It was definitely a challenge, considering what happens at the end of the 2018 film,” offered Nelson. “It was a challenge carrying the mystery into our approach of him. We can’t take away that silhouette, and that face that everyone knows and loves, and we’re not reinventing ourselves, but we’re evolving. And so that was the way for me to approach it. Like I’ve said before, I approach the designs from an emotional standpoint, so everything can flow and live within the context of the world and the story which David is telling.”

“Also, there’s so much when it comes to makeup and effects, much more than in the last one,” Nelson revealed. “It’s very exciting because there are a lot of varieties within the art form. The volume (of FX needed) was a little challenging, and to do so on the budget (we had). As much as you can plan and think ahead, things always change on set within the schedule and within the day-to-day challenges shooting-wise, so you must adapt and do the best that you can. Some things make it in, and some things you build and execute on the fly. So, there was a lot of work. I had make-up, masks, and gags going every single day while myself and (special make-up effects co-designer) Vince Van Dyke and crew where designing, changing, and building.”

“So, it was very ambitious. Not only that, but we were really trying to push the envelope on how we were going to do it. Not only the quantity of make-up and FX, but also the quality, and of how to use new techniques, and yet keep most everything practical. David’s a huge fan of practical effects, so it’s all still very much so. We had a lot to do, and I honestly can’t wait for people to see this movie. There are some surprises in the film that I think people will be very excited about, as to how we pulled them off. I can’t wait to see and hear the reactions of people. I think it’s something I’m going to be very proud of.”

Christopher Allen Nelson applies make-up to Michael Myers actor James Jude Courtney on Halloween Kills

As for the film’s narrative expansion into the rich history of the franchise, “How do you say it without saying anything?” Nelson chuckled. “It should be clear that the ‘78 material that was in the 2018 script, but which wasn’t filmed, is not material in Halloween Kills. Ever since I’ve been involved in the Halloween world, directly, I’ve found that people are so passionate about it, and that they read into and see things sometimes which aren’t there. That can be a good and bad thing at times, and yet part of what makes the world of Halloween so fun.”

“Also, what’s in Halloween Kills, it’s not fan service,” offered Nelson. “It really lives and breathes within the context of the story, and the past has a lot to do with the present. And so, you’ll have to just hold off and go to the movie and get your popcorn, live in the world and enjoy it, and just take it in because you’ll be satisfied. I was satisfied, and I’m a tough critic, and I’m not a fan of fan service. If anybody knows me, they know that I don’t like a whole lot of everything. But I came away from filming thinking, ‘David and all of the filmmakers, they did it right.’”

“All I can say is, wait until you see this movie,” he continued. “I know you might think you know what’s going on, and I know that you may think you saw something (online), but you won’t know for sure until you see the movie. It’s hard for me to articulate, but you will be very, very pleasantly surprised.”

Circling back to Nelson’s prolific and successful career in the field of practical effects, we asked him, “What advice would you give to other monster kids like yourself who want to work in the world of movie magic?”

“I think that the advice I would give to somebody getting into the industry is to know your history,” he replied. “Know the people and the pioneers that have come before you, and the shoulders that you are standing on. I think that’s a key element, and something which I take into account constantly. Also, know your cinema, and know your movies. Know why you love the movies you love. Not just horror, and not just sci-fi, but all film genres. Learn storytelling and filmmaking and cinematography and writing and directing. If you know every aspect, and every department on a film, I think it makes one a better artist, a better filmmaker, and a better crew member, when they respect and love cinema and respect each other and other people on set. Try and take your ego out of it, and really just try to be the best you can be.”

“You don’t have to be the super, ultimate, best artist, and I’m walking proof of that,” Nelson finished humbly. “I’m not the best artist out there. I’m not the most talented guy. But what I lack in that, I make up for hopefully in knowledge and in a love of cinema and filmmaking, as well as a respect for this genre. Horror has made a huge jump, and there are filmmakers that have lifted the genre into great films. Immerse yourself into the people’s art that came before you, and respect your peers and respect those artists, both past and present. I think that’s my biggest advice.”

For more on Christopher Allen Nelson, follow him on Instagram at @cnelsonfx

‘Tis the season….. to start screaming. First look at the mayhem David has created for all of you. @halloweenmovie #halloweenkills #strodesstrong @universalpictures @miramax @blumhouse @halloweenmovie pic.twitter.com/klrpzk1Ykg — Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) October 31, 2019

Halloween Kills is slated for release October 16, 2020 by Universal Pictures. Produced by Trancas International Films, Miramax and Blumhouse Productions and based on characters created by series originators John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween Kills and its 2021 follow-up Halloween Ends are produced by Malek Akkad, Jason Blum and Bill Block. Green, McBride, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jeanette Volturno, Couper Samuelson and Ryan Freimann serve as executive producers.

Excl: FX Artist Christopher Nelson On Halloween 2018 & What You Didn’t See

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“I was at the first Slashback Video installation at Mystic Museum in Burbank, CA,” Oscar and Emmy award winning FX artist Christopher Allen Nelson told us of his journey into the Halloween film franchise, when we recently sat down with him to chat, “and I crossed paths there with Slashback co-creator and Blumhouse director of development Ryan Turek. He said, ‘It looks like we’ll be doing a new Halloween (film),’ and I of course lost my mind.”

Christopher Allen Nelson

A lifelong horror fan and creator of some of the most eye-popping (sometimes literally) special effects in more than one hundred films (from 1993’s splatterific Return of the Living Dead III to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill series, in which he also appears), Nelson recalled of the meeting of jumping at the chance to ply his trade in the world of Haddonfield.

“I of course was overly excited,” effused Nelson of Turek’s admission, “and I said, ‘You have to consider me, because I’m one of the hugest Halloween fans in the world, and I have to do it!’ Ryan asked if I was serious, given that the film, within the Blumhouse model, was slated to have a modest budget, and I told him, ‘I’ll cut my rate to do it. Just please talk to the powers that be and just give me a shot.’ And sure enough, he stepped up, and set up some phone calls with (director) David Gordon Green and (series producer) Malek Akkad, kind of to get me vetted, so to speak.”

“David and I spoke on the phone,” Nelson continued. “He’s also a huge Halloween fan, and we got along very, very well. During that call, I was able to convince him that I was the one they needed to hire as their makeup effects designer, and the same with Malek. You know, Malek and David wanted to crew the film with people who really hold the franchise close to their hearts, and who respect the material and who are dedicated to it. So, after a few conversations I ended up getting the gig, and I was just absolutely elated.”

As for any pressure he felt in reimagining the visage of the cinema’s most iconic slasher, “It stemmed from doing the material justice, and in respecting it,” said Nelson of creating the Myers mask. “I didn’t really pay too much attention to that pressure though, only because I knew that I was the best guy for the job. I don’t mean that to sound arrogant. I knew only because I loved and respected that story, and have loved and respected those characters, ever since Carpenter’s original film scared the bejesus out of me when I was ten years old.” (Writer’s note: you can read more about that, and Nelson’s early years in the FX industry, in part 1 here).

“And I knew I couldn’t go wrong with that,” Nelson continued. “I work creatively from an emotional foundation. I may not be the best technically, but I have immense passion for the projects I do emotionally. I really just went into Halloween as a fan, and I went into it asking, ‘What do I want to see as a fan?’ And so that’s the way I approached it, and I think we did a pretty good job. Were there things I would do differently? Sure. But I think, all in all, I was very satisfied with it, and I just love it. I love the way it turned out and am very proud of it.”

Christopher Allen Nelson

Pertaining the process of sculpting the Myers mask, “I assumed that was going to be the hardest thing, and that it was going to be a really long process, and yet it turned out to not be,” recalled Nelson. “I wanted everything to be the best it could within the context of the story, and where we were forty years following the original. Also, I wanted to add some character, and to balance what we know of Michael Myers, both for the die-hard fans and to satisfy modern audiences.”

Of the original, itself a modified Don Post Studios mask of actor William Shatner which Carpenter and Co. had purchased for $1.98 at Bert Wheeler’s Magic Shop on Hollywood Boulevard in 1978, “I work a lot with Vincent Van Dyke Effects,” Nelson allowed, “and we decided that we’d try hiring (FX artist) Justin Mabry to sculpt a ‘78 version of the mask, because at the time there was a ‘78 flashback in the 2018 film. Justin’s a big Halloween fan too, and he has sculpted many iterations of the ‘78 mask in the past. He asked for a shot at it, so we started there. Justin came in and spent about two days sculpting a version of the ‘78. And then, that got nixed, very early on, before we even started shooting. The ‘78 part got written out of the script, so now we were left with the 2018 mask. For that mask, myself and Vincent Van Dyke designed and sculpted it based off of a lot of different things. Both what we thought it should be, and what we thought fans wanted to see, as well as all the notes from Trancas, Miramax, Blumhouse, Universal and David. And rightly so.”

“Ultimately, it came down to what we all wanted to see as fans, and what was going to work in the context of film’s story. We’ve had forty years to sit back and to digest the original movie and to analyze the mask and to stare at it, but we didn’t have the luxury of doing the same with the 2018 mask. So, we had to be really smart about it in the design, and to respect the history of it. So, what we came up with was what we came up with. Originally, we had one iteration (of the mask) that was much less worn and discolored, and there was a thought to go way more deteriorated, much like one of the original masks (from the ’78 film) in its current state, but I honestly didn’t think that would work on screen and in this story, as much as does make some sense. I wanted there to be an emotional response in seeing that mask and character, beyond just the iconic look. We also didn’t want to go into Rob Zombie territory and to mimic the great mask Wayne Toth did (for Rob’s films). So, I went with my gut, and the second version we created was the version you see in the 2018 film. That was the one. Everyone across the board was happy, and they accepted it and liked it and we all thought it could work. So, it took two (attempts). In my mind I explored so many other designs and versions. Some would have worked, some not. But in the end, you have to go with what is best for the film you are making. I don’t think people understand all that goes into why and what we do sometimes. You can’t explain it, you just have to do the best you can to make everyone, including yourself, happy. There is also the fine line between art and commerce one has to tread and keep in mind. I got lucky maybe, or maybe it was because we are huge fans, and I approached it as a fan. ‘What do I want to see?’ And that’s what I wanted to see. And I think it worked. Credit must also go out to director of photography Michael Simmonds. He really is insanely good at his craft. He knows how to shoot this world and The Shape. He tells mini stories with each shot. One of the main reasons The Shape looks so good in these films is because of him. And David of course.”

With the mask approved, Nelson then found himself not only overseeing the film’s makeup effects in Charleston, South Carolina in January of 2018, but also assuming the role of the ill-fated, Bahn Mi sandwich-loving “Officer Francis,” who meets a rather grisly demise in the film’s third act.

“Oh god, it was so surreal and so strange,” recalled Nelson of his casting in the film. “It came about during pre-production as we were designing and building the effects. I was on daily calls with David brainstorming and discussing approvals and makeup ideas, and one day he said, ‘I know you’ve dabbled in acting.’ I told him that I wasn’t doing that anymore, and that I’d given it up, but he said, ‘I want you to play a cop in this movie.’ I actually first turned it down, but he said, ‘Come on! It’ll be great! It’s a really quick thing, and I have this idea to carve your head into a jack o’ lantern.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, that sounds cool!’. So, I had to do it, just for that reason. And then cut to weeks later and I’m acting on set.”

Of that, “The whole thing was improvised,” Nelson recalled of his scene with actor Charlie Benton. “It wasn’t written. I think there was one bit, where we were talking about food of some sort, and that was all that was really written for it. So, David had me and Charlie make it all up on the day, just improvising. It was surreal. It was amazing. It was great. I mean, there I am with, you know, with Jamie Lee Curtis on set, and David Gordon Green directing. And James Jude Courtney! You know, I’ve already gone on about the elation and the dream-like state of putting the Myers mask on Michael Myers himself, who was standing before me with the jumpsuit and knife, and the ten-year old in me was thinking, ‘This is just a dream come true!’ And then to also be able to be in the film, and to be a victim in it in what turned out to be sort of visually iconic. That jack o’ lantern head has since become quite popular! I’ve seen it on tattoos, it’s an accessory in toys and it’s a prop that you can buy in stores. It’s really amazing. It’s still thrilling. It’s still super exciting to have had that happened.”

Christopher Allen Nelson on the set of Halloween (2018)

“Another thing a lot of people don’t know is that I got to play The Shape for two shots in the film!” Nelson revealed. “The shot where he is reaching through the window in the door, grabbing for Jaime and his hand is blown off? That’s me! I applied that make-up myself and my key Kevin Wasner executed the gag. Thank god you didn’t see my doughy visage in that jumpsuit. You’d have to play the Halloween scene through a tuba.”

As for the other shot?

“You’ll have to guess,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s Self Application of FX Prosthetic & Makeup
Left to right: Key Makeup Effects Artist Kevin Wasner & Nelson as The Shape on the set of Halloween (2018)

With David Gordon Green’s Halloween proving itself a box office hit upon its opening on October 19, 2018, Nelson recalled of the success, “It was a great feeling, because we all kind of became a family, and we learned how we worked and got to know each other. And then to be hired onto Halloween Kills was amazing! It’s even better than the first one. I didn’t think it could be, but it is.”

Of Halloween Kills, scheduled for release from Universal Pictures on October 16, 2020, “We all came in with really strong ideas, and a lot of excitement,” stated Nelson of the production’s approach. “We came in knowing we had to up the ante. I think there was even more pressure on Halloween Kills, because we’ve kind of set a precedent with Halloween (2018), and I just was thrilled to be asked back. When I first heard rumblings that they were going to do another one, I didn’t assume that I would be chosen. And when David called to formally ask me if I would do Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, I was just so flattered. It really is a dream come true! I’m living it, and I approach it with respect, enthusiasm and love.”

Check out more photos below.

Coming soon, part three of our three-part series, in which Nelson discusses the twists and turns of Halloween Kills.

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Allen masks The Shape actor Nick Castle on the set of Halloween (2018)
Left to right: actor Nick Castle as The Shape & Christopher Allen Nelson on the set of Halloween (2018)
Left to right: Christopher Allen Nelson & The Shape actor James Jude Courtney on the set of Halloween (2018)
Left to right: James Jude Courtney & Christopher Allen Nelson during re-shoots of Halloween (2018)
Nelson & Castle on the set of Halloween (2018) / Nelson holds the slate from Halloween (1978)
Left to right: Nelson, James Jude Courtney, David Gordon Green on the set of Halloween (2018)

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Writer’s note: this interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Excl: Halloween FX Artist Christopher Nelson Talks His Early Career

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“I spent a lot of time by myself watching loads of genre-based programming,” Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills special make-up FX designer and department head Christopher Allen Nelson told us of his formative years when we recently sat down with him to discuss his prolific career, as well as his storied and interesting path to the Halloween film franchise. “Growing up in the late 1970s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, movies and television were my parents and my church, for lack of a better description, and I was fascinated by Boris Karloff in Frankenstein, Lon Chaney in Phantom of the Opera, and the 1958 film Fiend Without a Face, among others, so I started dabbling in makeup at a very young age.”

Christopher Allen Nelson

“Back then it really wasn’t popular to like that kind of stuff among most kids,” continued the Oscar and Emmy award-winning Nelson of his early obsessions. “It was very underground, and you were considered a misfit if you liked things like that, but I was just fascinated and loved it so. Being in Pittsburgh, the work of George Romero was also a huge influence on me. I can recall that Chiller Theater and (WIIC/WPXI, Channel 11 horror host) Bill ‘Chilly Billy’ Cardille would show Night of the Living Dead every summer, and it was a highlight of my childhood existence. That and Dick Smith’s Monster Make-up and Tom Savini’s book Grande Illusions, which showed me that you could do make up for a living. That’s really what got me into it, and it just kept going from there.”

Christopher Allen Nelson

Of Halloween, and the series Nelson would many years be involved in (both as an FX artist and as an actor, having also portrayed “Officer Francis” in David Gordon Green’s 2018 direct sequel), he recalls of his introduction at an early age to Carpenter’s classic, “Halloween has always been a constant in my life. I saw it when it first came out in 1978. I was ten years old. I had walked to the movie theater to see it, and had a buddy whose older brother was a senior in high school and who also worked at the theater, so he let me in. I went in and I saw it by myself, and it scared the bejesus out of me, and it changed me forever. I remember that when the film was over, that I had to walk the two miles back home alone in the dark, and it was just horrifying. I saw Michael Myers behind every tree and every house and every bush.”

“It really for me was one of the scariest moments ever, and it made such an impression on me, that particular combination of Carpenter’s direction and Cundey’s cinematography and the mystery of it all: that character of Michael Myers,” Nelson reflected. “Growing up in a small town, I just related to it on so many levels. It didn’t come across to me as a slasher film. To me it was more of a psychological thriller, and that’s the way that I took it. So, it really made a huge, huge impression on me, to the point that afterwards I bought the Halloween novelization and did a book report on it, much to my schoolteacher’s chagrin.”

As for the pivotal point at which Nelson decided to take the plunge into professional FX work, “While I lived in Pittsburgh with my father, my mother lived in Los Angeles, so I would go there to visit every summer for a couple of months,” he said. “Visiting Universal Studios Hollywood and being surrounded by (recreations) of Dracula and the Mummy, and seeing Rick Baker win the very first Academy Award in 1982 on television for his makeup work on An American Werewolf in London made me realize that it was something that you can do. That you can work in the movies, and that you can actually have a career and make money, and that it was a real, tangible thing. So, at the very young age of fifteen, I knew that’s what I was going to do. There was no other option. I think it was all of those elements combined which solidified my fate.”

Vincent Price & Kim Hunter Present the Oscar to Rick Baker for An American Werewolf in London

As for Nelson’s early entrance into the colorful world of the Hollywood FX industry, it began with continued visits to special makeup effects supply shop Burman Industries, where he began to rub elbows with some of those responsible for the fantastical cinematic creations which had influenced him as a boy.

“While working odd jobs supporting myself, I spent most of my time practicing and learning from books and whatever tools and information I could get my hands on,” said Nelson of his early days in Los Angeles. “I realized I had found a community of movie, monster and make-up people just like me, and it was wonderful. I’d found my tribe so to speak. I did everything I could to meet and talk to artists working within the industry, and I networked and quickly made friends with people that I’m proud to say that I am still friends with to this day.”

Of those relationships, “Many of them started by going to Burman Industries in Van Nuys,” recalled the artist. “That was the place that had all the materials one would need to do what we do. There, I met so many people that introduced me to others. We hung out in each other’s garages and apartments, watched movies, sculpted, painted and had a blast.”

Working out of his own one-bedroom apartment sculpting, Nelson remembered, “I got Roma clay all over the carpet, and baked foam latex in the kitchen’s oven and stunk up the entire complex. Needless to say, I lost my renter’s deposit. But during that time, I had put together a decent portfolio, and I started hounding FX shops for interviews.”

“One of those shops was Tom Burman,” he offered. “Tom gave me my first shop gig, and I learned so much there working on commercials and test makeups, and for briefly on the ‘Superboy’ series.”

Following, Nelson worked at Optic Nerve (the shop founded by John Vulich and Everett Burrel, responsible for the makeup effects on display in the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) before interviewing at Rick Baker’s own Cinnovation Design Studio, where he worked for a short time.

“He gave me great advice,” recalled Nelson of the An American in Werewolf in London Oscar winner.

With his professional world expanding, Nelson recalled then meeting and making acquaintances with FX artist Bill Corso, who at the time was working at Steve Johnson’s XFX Inc.

FX artist Steve Johnson circa 1994

“Steve liked my portfolio, and he asked if I was willing to work for circus tickets in lieu of pay,” laughed Nelson. “Literally tickets to the circus. I said that I would. He then exploded laughing and said that he couldn’t believe that someone would work for circus tickets. Of course, he was joking, and he hired me. I ended up there for quite some time, bouncing back and forth a little between his shop and Rick Baker’s and learning as much as I could from so many great artists, like Bill Corso, Dave Dupuis, Joel Harlow, Norman Cabrera, Bill Bryan, and so many more.”

“I’m leaving so much out because it was a long time ago and quite a blur,” said Nelson. “Those were different times. Great times that will never return.”

With Nelson’s first credited feature coming in 1993 as a special makeup effects artist on Warlock: The Armageddon, and the early 90s proving itself to be a practical FX tour de force of splatter (just prior to the proliferation of computer generated imagery), we decided to take a trip down memory lane, and gave him some film feature titles on which he’d worked, querying, “What’s the first thing that first comes to mind?”

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The Return of the Living Dead III (1993)

“I watched that just the other night!” laughed Nelson. “That film was a huge, momentous break for me. I was working at a company called Alchemy Effects, which was run by Mike Deak, and we were predominantly doing Charlie Band movies at the time. I think I was working on Dollman vs. Demonic Toys, and I’d met effects coordinator Tom Rainone, who sadly has since passed away. He was serving at the time as an effects coordinator for director Brian Yuzna on a project called Return of the Living Dead III, and he was often in our shop. Tom was kind of looking for young talent who could work cheap and under pressure and who were hungry, and he took a liking to me. So, I went and met with Brian and put in a bid for the job and ended up getting a portion of that movie and building it myself, which was just huge to me. I mean, I was a big fan of the original Return of the Living Dead film, so to be able to work on Part III was simply amazing!”

“So, that’s how that came about, and they took a chance on me, and it was great fun,” Nelson further expounded. “Fully practical movies were coming to the end of an era at the time, and that movie had so many effects that the production employed four different makeup shops, and all of the artists had their own unique take on the material. So, there was both at once a sense of community and of healthy competition, with everyone coming to set to show off the cool shit we’d made. And filming with Yuzna, who was a legend, was so great. Like many independent films, we were still challenged by a tiny budget and a short shooting schedule, but it was a wonderful project to be involved in.”

As for what portion Return of the Living Dead III’s cinematic mayhem Nelson was responsible for, he offered, “I did the first zombie in the film! You know the very tall and thin zombie (actor Clarence Epperson) which they wheel into the lab? That was mine, and the entire opening sequence. (Hellraiser III) director Anthony Hickcox actually cameos in that scene, and I’d also designed the gags where his fingers are bitten off and his brains are bashed out. So those were my main contributions to the film, with a few more little things sprinkled throughout.”

Left-to-right: Tom Rainone (FX Coordinator), Charles Rivera, Clarence Epperson, Chris Nelson, and Earl Ellis.

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Night of the Demons 2 (1994)

“I was working for Steve Johnson at the time,” recalled Nelson of his contributions to the Brian Trenchard-Smith film, which serves as a direct sequel to Kevin Tenney’s 1988 classic originator Night of the Demons. “I’d worked for Steve on and off and then had a steady gig with him for about six or seven years, and that was one of the movies that we did, and I was able to help build some really cool effects in there with a bunch of great guys: Johnson, Bill Corso, Dave Dupuis, Eric Fiedler, Bill Brian, Joel Harlow. We also did The Stand and The Shinning TV films with Mick Garris around that time. There were a lot of legendary artists there, all working under the tutelage of Johnson, and we were encouraged to be free and open and to think outside the box as far as the effects, and Steve’s was a great place for that. We did some cool gags in that film, I think. Angela’s evolution into the snake demon and the decapitated head dribbling scene come to mind!”

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Bordello of Blood (1996)

“Oh god!” Nelson exclaimed at the mention of the generally poorly regarded Gilbert Adler-directed, Corey Feldman-starring vampire film, which served as a follow-up to the 1995 cult hit Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. “Bordello of Blood is one I don’t talk about much. That was a hellish, nightmarish shoot. We shot that in Vancouver. Again, no money and it was just plagued with problems. It was just hard to do, and we were working out of Canada. The talent pool in Vancouver was very small at the time, and we couldn’t get certain supplies, and we couldn’t get enough people to do what we needed to do, so it was really a tough shoot pulling all of that together. I look back on it now and I can laugh, but at the time it was quite stressful and taxing, and not some of my best work. For myriad reasons. But I guess it’s got its own cult following now, this many years later.”

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With the 90s nearing a close and a string of films now under his belt (including the werewolf flick Bad Moon, Berry Levinson’s Sphere and the horror/sci film Species II, among others), Nelson’s first professional confluence with the world of Halloween, although indirectly, would come in 1999 on the set of the feature film Virus, starring none other than the grande dame of scream queens herself, Jamie Lee Curtis.

Left-to-right: Chris Nelson & Scott Patton on Bad Moon

“I was again working with Steve Johnson, who masterminded all of the amazing creations in that film,” recalled Nelson of the John Bruno horror-sci fi thriller, which revolves around the discovery of an abandoned Russian research vessel, and the alien life form within. “We really pushed the envelope at the time of technology with those giant, bio-mech robots in that film.”

“I remember it being really a peak of a creative time, especially with Steve Johnson,” reflected Nelson of the decade. “Unfortunately a lot of those movies that we did at Steve’s, they were so subversive and strange, and the effects were so monumental and weird that I think they didn’t go over well, and only over time did they find an audience that appreciates that stuff.”

“But Virus was absolutely the film where I first met Jamie, during some reshoots on the Paramount lot,” he recalled. “It was in the big water tank, I believe, and she was fun and lovely and of course so nice. I didn’t have a whole lot of involvement with her at the time, but that changed later with Halloween and Halloween Kills, and every time she sees me now, she goes, ‘Virus!’ And I say, ‘I know!’”

Coming soon, part two of our three-part series, in which Nelson discusses his attachment to Halloween (2018) and the development process behind Myers’ mask and approach to the film’s practical effects, as well as his experience in playing “Officer Francis.” And in part three: Halloween Kills.

Chris Nelson & Jamie Lee Curtis on the set of Halloween (2018)

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Writer’s note: this interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

For the Shelf: Michael’s Stabby Snow Globe

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In 1998 The Shape stalked not only the big screen in Steve Miner’s box office success Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, but also the shelves of now defunct retailers Sam Goody, Blockbuster Video and Wherehouse Music stores (among others) in the form of a now highly sought after collectible: Anchor Bay’s 20th Anniversary Snow Globe Set VHS re-release of Halloween.

In addition to the 1978 classic film, presented in widescreen format and with the theatrical trailer included (in a clam shell VHS tape case, which seems utterly nostalgic today), was a limited-edition commemorative snow globe depicting Myers’ third act living room attack on Laurie Strode. At the time the only Halloween collectible which depicted the film’s final girl, the globe’s gimmick was simple: shake it up and it “snowed” with glitter blood. Individually numbered and licensed by Compass International Pictures, Inc., the set originally retailed for $29.99, although it now fetches prices many times that in collector circles.

Do you have one? We’d love to see how you display it!