Hey everyone,
I have been a huge fan of the Halloween series for years and always wondered about the origins of Michael Myers’ mask. We know it’s a simple, eerie expression but does anyone have any interesting theories on why it looks the way it does? Is there something deeper behind its design ??
I have heard some people say it was chosen simply because it was cheap and easy to find but I wonder if there’s more to it. Does it symbolize something: ?? Maybe Michael’s lost humanity or is it more of a random horror choice that’s stuck over time: ??
Also, with all the different versions of the mask across the Halloween movies;;, do you think there’s any significance in how it changes or is it just a film-making decision: ??
I have also read this thread https://forum.michael-myers.net/t/history-of-michael-myers-mask-sac-analytics-cloud but still want to know more about this. Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts and theories. It’s always cool to dive deeper into the Halloween universe !!
Thanks in advance !!
With RegardS,
Daniel Jose
I recall reading an interview w/ John Carpenter back in the 80s-90s where he stated wanting a “face on a face” look or something of that nature, inspired by Leatherface noting how creepy that concept was. However, I have never heard him repeat that, so I’m not sure if it was a spur of the moment comment or his actual original intention.
Carpenter also mentioned being inspired by the film “Eyes Without a Face” in which a character is depicted wearing a white mask. You can clearly see the similarities between the two masks.
Overall, the look of the mask pretty much matches the description of Michael’s actual face… black eyes, blank expression, emotionless, pale, etc. As for why they chose the Kirk, it was probably the best option to match the description of the mask in the script.
The ever changing look of the masks throughout the franchise is a definite head-scratcher for me. They are all terrible in comparison to the original Kirk used in the first two films. The only exception would be the masks used in the Blumhouse trilogy, mainly because of their close similarities to the original.
I recall fans theorizing that the changing appearance had to do with copyright issues related to the Kirk mask but I am unsure whether this is true or not. I think it was just a case of lazy filmmaking. Unlike fans of the series, the filmmakers did not have an eye for detail when it came to this. As long as the mask was similar in appearance it was considered acceptable. It wasn’t until the Zombie remakes that we noticed an improvement in the mask, probably because Rob was a fan. It improved even more with the Blumhouse films but still not an exact replica of the Kirk. This leads me to believe there just may be copyright issues at play.
Regardless, they should have tried a little harder to match the original look. Even Jason maintained a level of mask continuity throughout the franchise, and when there were changes (Final Chapter to Jason Lives) it wasn’t as jarring.