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