When it comes to the best Halloween horror movie of all time, there can be only one choice: Halloween itself, John Carpenter’s original low-budget slasher flick which set the template for the entire genre. Michael Myers, the film’s mysterious antagonist credited as “The Shape”, is described as being inhumanly patient… the living embodiment of pure, remorseless evil. So with that in mind, the true face of Halloween evil is… Star Trek’s Captain Kirk?!
This has nothing to do with the original 1960s Star Trek TV series Halloween episode “Catspaw”, or that time when Kirk battled the body-hopping energy-spirit of Jack the Ripper in “Wolf in the Fold”. Instead, it’s one of the most wonderful pieces of Halloween horror film lore over the years: Michael Myers’ infamous mask from the original Halloween film was one of Captain Kirk.
How Michael Myers’ Mask Became a $1.98 Captain Kirk Mask
The unlikely-but-true story goes that when the Halloween filmmakers needed a mask but had no money for a custom one, Tommy Lee Wallace – Halloween’s art and production designer – bought a couple of cheap masks from a local store. The cost of Captain Kirk? $1.98. In choosing between a clown mask and one of the legendary captain of the USS Enterprise, and wanting a blank, humorless mask that looked spooky for Michael Myers, the choice became clear. Ironically, both the Kirk mask and the Emmett Kelly clown mask it beat out were Don Post Studios products. A Mr. Spock mask and a Richard Nixon mask were reportedly also considered.
As John Carpenter has said, “It [the mask] was supposed to be Captain Kirk.” It looked nothing like Shatner or anybody else, he explained, and that strangeness was perfect for the film. To complete the look, the eye holes were widened, the hairline changed, and the mask was spray-painted a shade of blue/white. The end result was impressive. According to the legendary filmmaker, it truly was spooky looking, and he can only imagine the result if they hadn’t painted the mask white: “Children would be checking their closet for William Shatner…”
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Did the Michael Myers Mask Really Come From Star Trek? Rick Sternbach Confirmed It
Not every fan knew this though, and over the years the story became an urban legend. However, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager illustrator/designer Rick Sternbach confirmed it. And he should know too, because he also worked on Halloween 2. Sternbach said the crew had one mask left from the original film and no idea where to get any others for the sequel. He noticed some wording and a model number molded into the neck area, so he made a call and read it off, and the word came back: “It’s our Captain Kirk mask!” Don Post Studios even offered the production a box of them, as long as the film gave them credit.
Can You Still Buy the Captain Kirk Mask? Shatner’s Own Trick-or-Treat Twist
In a knowing nod to the bizarre nature of the story, years later William Shatner would actually go trick-or-treating with his daughters wearing the Michael Myers/Captain Kirk Halloween mask himself. Over the years, the original Michael Myers mask has been replaced with updated versions, many of them being available for fans to buy. But incredibly, replicas of the 1975 Captain Kirk mask have also been made for collectors. The Kirk masks are usually advertised with the additional detail of “Michael Myers” in the description, just for those in the know who are intent on modifying them for a more personal, authentic feel.
How a $1.98 Captain Kirk Mask Helped Build the Halloween Franchise
1978’s Halloween (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) was made on a tight budget of approximately $300,000 but made roughly $70 million worldwide. It created an entire film franchise, and practically wrote the rulebook for slasher horror films… and in large part, it’s all down to the face of Captain Kirk, cost price less than $2 at the time. It’s a lesson to all budding filmmakers out there, proving that you don’t need multi-million-dollar budgets for effects, props and costumes; you just need creativity.
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Where to Watch Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978) is currently streaming in the US on AMC+, Shudder, Fubo and Philo, free with ads on Xumo Play and Plex, and available to rent or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
