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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.

Sam Loomis’ Psychiatric Evaluation of Michael Myers Revealed

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Following the arrival of detectives Fitz and Matt to Marion Crane’s ransacked office in Steve Miner’s 1998 hit Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later, the subsequent opening credit montage features shots of the items which adorn its walls: newspaper clippings, sketches of escaped murderer Michael Myers, and a psychiatric evaluation of the same, written by deceased Dr. Samuel Loomis. But what was in that medical report?

According to the fine print in the screen-sued evaluation, Loomis had initially requested shock treatment for his young ward in the Warren County Sanitarium document, in addition to lamenting that, “It is extremely unfortunate that this boy was not given treatment in infancy. It would be regarded highly unlikely that any such treatment would be of minor significance.”

Check it out below.

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.

John Tate’s Permission Slip from Halloween H20 Revealed

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Josh Hartnett & Michelle William’s in Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later

In director Steve Miner’s 1998 film Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later, Keri “Laurie Strode” Tate initially expressed great trepidation in signing her son John’s fall field trip permission slip for Hillcrest Academy’s student body outing to Yosemite National Park. Was it due to her, as John puts it, “overprotection and paranoia (which was) inhibiting (his) growth process,” or something more malevolent?

According to the fine print seen in the screen-used permission slip pictured below (currently in the hands of a private collector), it apparently stemmed from the fact that in signing it she would not only be shelling out $1,200.00 for the trip, but would also be voluntarily waiving the “school’s liability for the students if they were attacked by bears, mountain lions, snakes, or psychopathic killers with knives and/or are carried off by bald eagles.”

It seems that the film’s art department had a bit of a sense of humor!

What screen-used Halloween props do you own? Sound off in the comments below.

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.

Halloween Kills Donates N95 Masks, and How You Can Help

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As we come together as a society to combat the spread of COVID-19, we’ve asked ourselves here at HalloweenMovies.com, “In what other small ways can we help?” Social distancing and self-quarantine are both givens, of which we’ve been adhering. Some on our staff are delivering needed prescriptions and groceries to the elderly. And others are doing their best to assist the medical community who are on the frontlines; those who are putting their very lives at daily risk in order to deliver the aid to those who desperately need it.

With the current nationwide shortage of N95 masks which are desperately needed by first responders and medical practitioners still a concern, Trancas International Films, along with Blumhouse Productions, Miramax and Universal Pictures recently donated their unused reserve of N95 masks stemming from the production of Halloween Kills to Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. Other productions have done things similar, including the television series “The Resident” (FOX) and “The Good Doctor” (ABC), among others, who’ve donated medical supplies to organizations assisting in treating those impacted by the pandemic.

As for you, the Halloween fan, a member of a long-standing and close-knit community which has consistently proven itself to be passionate, resilient, creative and caring, we’d like to know what you’ve been doing to assist in this time of crisis. Please tell us your own personal stories below, and provide us with any suggestions on what you think we as a community may do to further assist.

We’ll get through this together.

Be kind to yourselves, and please stay safe.

A Message from the Editor

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Horror cinema has long and for many, provided a needed release valve for social anxieties; from the Universal classics of the 1930s during America’s Great Depression (Frankenstein, Dracula) through the ‘big bug’ flicks (Godzilla, Them) which were so popular during the Cold War of the 50s. The horrific narratives of many of these films served to not only provide audiences a definable face to our shared societal fears (the antagonists were often a metaphorical representation of them) but also (and often therapeutically) a definitive resolution.

With the onscreen threat generally defeated in the film’s finale, those filmgoers clustered together in darkened theaters experiencing them were therefore not only able to breath a collective sigh of relief, but were whisked away through pure escapism from their shared worries for often the duration of the flick’s running time. The side benefit: a sense of community, of surviving together the (safe) threat which flickered on the screen before them, was born.

Composing this from my home in Los Angeles, quarantined under the ‘safer at home’ mandate and inundated by news headlines and updates revolving around the very real threat of the international Coronavirus outbreak (something impacting us all), that escapism, and its beneficial aspects come to mind.

While discussions are under way internally regarding how we may as a horror community may come together in some small way to aid in this unprecedented crisis, we also feel that the importance of keeping that release valve open remains, and with theaters now largely shuttered, we hope to provide a bit of that here at HalloweenMovies.com, however we may.

Whether that be merely a bit of news on the Halloween series, a silly meme, or a piece of trivia, we hope to, for at least minute or two, provide you with a moment of that needed escapism, and a brief respite from the collective worries we are all feeling.

As a community, we’ll get through this together.

Be kind to yourselves, and please stay safe.

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!

Excl. Interview & BTS Photos: Dan Roebuck Talks Halloween – Part 2

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From his debut turn as a teenaged murderer in Tim Hunter’s 1986 cult drama River’s Edge to his role of “Arnold Walker” in the television sci-fi series “The Man in the High Castle,” prolific actor Dan Roebuck has over the span of his thirty-five year career demonstrated an impressive diversity working within multiple genres. But with over two hundred roles under his belt, the often-maligned category of horror remains to this day his personal favorite.

Dan Roebuck in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II

A monster fan from an early age and a lifetime collector of genre ephemera (his assemblage of oddities range from life-sized Frankenstein props and Famous Monsters of Filmland magazines to vintage 70s wax museum pennant banners and Don Post Studios masks, and most everything in between), Roebuck would also go on to further explore his love of horror through the arts via several genre roles, including but not limited to turns in Final Destination (2000), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) and Larry Blamire’s 2009 cult indie The Lost Skeleton Returns Again (among others), as well as his own creation of his horror persona “Dr. Shocker,” host of Dr. Shocker’s Vault of Horror.

It’s his appearance though as “Lou Martini” in both Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II which genre fans may most recognize him for, and of which we dug into recently while chatting with the affable actor and filmmaker in his Los Angeles home cum-museum.

“For (2007’s) Halloween, I auditioned,” recalled Roebuck, who at the time had already worked with filmmaker Zombie on The Devil’s Rejects in 2005 (in which he appears as “Morris Green,” a role he’d reprise some years later in 2019’s 3 From Hell). “I’m not precious when it comes to that. Even though I had worked for Rob before I had to prove myself again. This is what I do. I’m an actor, so I don’t mind.”

Of the audition Roebuck remembers, “I actually was coming from a read for something else, and I had glued on a moustache and a beard, because the character I was reading for (in Halloween) was Chester Chesterfield, this groundskeeper that Michael Myers kills at a cemetery.”

“That role ended up going to Sid Haig,” continued Roebuck, “so I didn’t get that part, but Rob said, ‘Do you want to play the part of the strip club owner instead?’ So, that’s how I was cast in Halloween. And I remember I acted opposite Gary Grossman, who was the nerdy guy in (the 1984 film) Bachelor Party, and I was so excited, because I love that film. Gary was the other guy at the bar, and we shot a day or two.”

(left-to-right) Dan Roebuck & Gary Grossman in a scene deleted from Rob Zombie’s Halloween

Reminiscing on principal photography of Halloween, Roebuck offered, “It was in Valencia, California, at The Rabbit in Red set which they had built there. And while there is a shot of me in the movie, one brief glimpse, I think it turned out to my benefit that I got cut out of the film. Because of that, there was no definitive end to my character, which allowed Lou to come back in Halloween II. And that was more of a meal certainly than the role as it was written in the first film. In the first one I had one or two scenes, one of which was a nice one with Sheri (Moon Zombie). But the second film, the role was a much larger one, and it had a great death scene for my character, which we ended up shooting twice, because the first time we shot it, when Michael killed me, he wasn’t wearing the mask.”

As for Roebuck’s return in Halloween II, the actor recalled, “Because I had been in Halloween, it was assumed I suppose that I would be in Halloween II if the character were to return. So, three or four weeks before they were to shoot Halloween II, Rob calls me up and says, ‘Dan, we were just thinking, this guy in the script who’s this Frankenstein guy, I thought maybe it should be Lou Martini. What are you doing this weekend?’ I said, ‘I’ll be wherever you need me to be, Mr. Zombie.’ So, I flew right to Atlanta (Georgia) to the film’s production offices.”

With over two decades having passed in narrative since the introduction of his character in Rob Zombie’s Halloween, the character of Martini was not only required to look older in Zombie’s follow-up, but also at times to sport the previously mentioned Frankenstein’s Monster getup as the script necessitated.

(left-to-right) Dan Roebuck & Wayne Toth (Photo Copyright: Dan Roebuck)

“So, it was (makeup department head) Douglas Noe who handled the age makeup and the sideburns, and (special effects makeup designer) Wayne Toth who created the second Frankenstein look,” remembered Roebuck. “So, I went down there, and I was like a kid in a candy store! Wayne is a great makeup man, and on top of that I had friends in the Atlanta area, fellow monster collectors, and they got to come to set and to meet Rob, while the makeup department established the looks.” (Writer’s note: additional never-before-seen photos at the end of this article).

“And I’ll tell you what my favorite part of it was,” expounded Roebuck. “I was in the wardrobe trailer waiting on something, the pants I was going to wear or whatever, and there were some Don Post masks in there. I said, ‘Oh, are you using these in the film?’ And they said, ‘No, we can’t get permission (from Don Post Studios) to use them.’ So, I called Don Post Jr., and he answered the phone, and I said to him, ‘Don, I’m on the set of this new Halloween movie that Rob Zombie’s doing, and do you know this mask? And this mask? Can they use them in the movie? And Don said, ‘Yeah.’ So, I said to production, ‘OK, you now have permission to use these masks in the film!’ So somewhere in the background of Halloween II are those Don Post masks! What are the odds?”

As for Roebuck’s death scene as originally shot in Halloween II, the actor stated, “The first time, you know, it wasn’t much of a death. Tyler kind of just threw me into a locker, and that was that. He had already stomped Jeff Daniel Phillips, and I don’t remember what he did to Sylvia Jefferies’ character. But the deaths were much quicker. And then, when we went to re-shoot with Tyler wearing the mask, we shot all that totally inappropriate stuff. You know, the, ‘You want to bang Frankenstein’s monster?’ stuff.”

(left-to-right) Sylvia Jefferies & Dan Roebuck in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II

Of that, Roebuck recalled, “So, my wife called during filming and asked, ‘How’s it going? What are you up to?’ And I said, ‘Oh, it’s a hard day, you know, I’m up here with this naked actress.’ My wife said, ‘What? She’s naked? How naked?’ And I said, ‘Well, naked.’ You know, you can’t for the life of you convince someone who you’re married to that spending a day with a gorgeous naked lady is work. So, don’t even try.”

Regarding his death scene redux, “I’m sure that I have brain damage from it, to this day,” he laughed. “When we were shooting the scene in the (strip club’s) hall, and I’m trying to think of how the shots are configured, but I think I was running away from (Michael Myers actor) Tyler Mane, and the camera was behind him and he yelled, ‘Dan!’ And I turned around to see that he was running at me in huge steps, and he probably covered thirty-five feet of hallway in just five of them, and I was like, ‘Ahhh!’ Because he was Michael Myers, and I hadn’t seen him in the mask up until that point. And that was quite simply total immersion: the immersion of your child self into your adult self, and from the kid to the artist. None of that was lost on me. From the boy who was inspired by movie monsters to act and to create to the adult who later was working with movie monsters, it was full circle. It was a gift.”

As for Roebuck’s personal relationship with the 6’ 8” Mane, “He’s just quite simply a really nice man. You know, my daughter has always called him ‘Buttercup,’ because as a little kid she gave all of my friends nicknames. So, she told him, ‘I’m going to call you Buttercup.’ And he just smiled and said, ‘OK.’”

For more, check out part 1 of our interview with Roebuck here, and for those interested in Roebuck’s latest endeavors, you can visit achannelofpeace.org for more.

(left-to-right) Gary Grossman, Dan Roebuck, Ken Foree & Rob Zombie (Photo Copyright: Dan Roebuck)

(left-to-right) Dan Roebuck, Tyler Mane & Sylvia Jefferies (Photo Copyright: Dan Roebuck)

(left-to-right) Douglas Noe & Dan Roebuck (Photo Credit: Dan Roebuck)

(left-to-right) Dan Roebuck & Rob Zombie (Photo Credit: Dan Roebuck)

Between takes on the set of Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (Photo Copyright: Dan Roebuck)

 

 

Fright-Rags’ Latest Halloween Tee Goes International

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Shipping the week of March 20th, 2020, pre-orders are currently available for one of Fright-Rags’ latest Officially Licensed Halloween tees, this one featuring artwork by Kyle Crawford.

Bearing a celebratory collage of international marketing from John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween, the long sleeve tee is made of 100% pre-shrunk ringspun cotton.

To grab yours, head on over to Fright Rags here, and follow them on their Instagram account @FrightRags for more Myers related apparel.