Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, more commonly known as Halloween H20, spun the franchise in a very different direction. While this installment did get quite a few things right, it is widely regarded as one of the worst films in the franchise for a lot of reasons. Most notably, Michael Myers' mask was downright awful.
The original mask in Halloween was conceptualized from a mask of Captain Kirk from Star Trek, which bore the likeness of William Shatner. A darkening of the hair color, painting the face a stark white, and slightly widened eye holes allowed the simple costume piece to become essentially a blank slate, which was the goal set by director John Carpenter. Originally known as 'The Shape', the character of Michael Myers was intended to be a mortal man with an unnatural bloodlust who stalked his victims from the shadows, took his time, and struck with lethal precision.
The cold countenance of his iconic mask was meant to reflect the hollow personality that actors Nick Castle and Tony Moran brought to the role in the 1978 film. Though many aspects of the Halloween franchise could be considered iconic, Michael Myers' mask lies within the center of all of it and arguably remains the most recognizable feature of the films. Yet many aspects of the franchise, including Myers' mask, took a nose dive in Halloween: H20.
Halloween: 20 Years Later
Halloween H20 was an initial draw for many fans because it was the first film since Halloween II to bring back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. In Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, her character was killed off in a car accident, leaving behind her now-orphaned daughter, Jamie Lloyd. For some reason, the producers decided to retcon the last three films, picking up twenty years from where Halloween II left off, with Michael Myers missing after an explosion at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. Laurie, who has faked her own death and lives under a false name, is now a headmistress at a private boarding school and has a son, John (Josh Hartnett).
In many ways, H20 always felt like it was meant to be a final installment in the franchise, with one last showdown between Michael and Laurie. However, many elements that tried to capitalize on the '90s self-aware horror films and countless prominent slasher tropes weren't enough to save this installment, despite Curtis delivering another stunning performance in one of her most iconic roles.
Halloween H20's Mask Is Goofy, Not Scary
Though there have been some questionable changes made to the mask Michael Myers wears in the Halloween franchise over the years, H20's mask stands out a cut above the rest - and not in a good way. In H20, there were four different masks used in various scenes and stages of production. This is different from all the other films in the franchise, which used one primary design. Because of this, there was no real sense of continuity and the changes from one shot to the next took audiences out of the film, effectively limiting the terrifying visage of the antagonist.
Since the mask is such a big part of what makes Michael Myers scary in the first place, continuity is key to a seamless feel and his striking silhouette. Coupled with wider eye holes than usual, which allowed for more of the actor's eyes to be shown instead of the usual black void, a pushed back forehead, and a strange, blue-ish coloration in some shots, the mask design made 'The Shape' look more goofy than scary.