Costuming thrillers
Oh the Horror…
Photo by Alexander S. on Unsplash
Horror Costume Design
October…the month we’ve all been waiting for. The thrills & chills of the season. Haunted houses & spooky hay rides. Crisp apple cider & candy treats. Cooler weather & shorter days.
But most of all…
The COSTUMES.
We’re not talking Halloween costumes. We’re talking costumes from the most celebrated horror films of our time. Some of the scariest figures in movie history are terrifying because of what they look like and what they wear. Charismatic vampires, teeth nashing werewolves, powerful witches, demented serial killers, supernatural monsters…they all have been designed to give you the goosebumps, the frights, and the chills.
Join us all month long as we look into the costumes of the horror genre (and some of the
not-so-scary Halloween themed costumes). We’ll be posting all throughout October on our social media pages. Be sure to follow us so you don’t miss!
Have a look at our “Fright Pack” of horror films below to learn about their costume design and vote for your favorite Pennywise the Clown!
Click the button below to see our Pinterest page dedicated to horror costumes. Share your favorites and be sure to view our other boards for more costume tricks, tips, and ideas!
Freddy Krueger
Costume Design by Dana Lyman
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) had audiences afraid to fall asleep once Dana Lyman’s design for Freddy Krueger appeared on screen. Krueger’s dirty red and green striped sweater, worn out fedora, and his homemade glove of knives made his scarred face all the more spine-chilling as he killed his victims one by one in their dreams. Krueger’s signature look continued thru a successful franchise of movies including one where he faces off against another teen slasher – Jason Vorhees.
Jason Voorhees
Costume Design by...
While Jason Voorhees is the “face” of the Friday the 13th franchise, his signature hockey mask and bloodied coveralls didn’t appear until Part III. A collaboration between the art department, the special effects department, and the 3-D effects department led to an old Red Wings hockey mask to be morphed into Jason’s horrifying look. As the franchise grew, Jason’s look has been morphed into different styles.
Michael Myers
Costume Design By Tommy Lee Wallace
Halloween (1978) was first called “The Babysitter Murders” before John Carpenter changed it to Halloween and set the scene on Halloween night. Art Director Tommy Lee Wallace fashioned the infamous “Michael” mask out of a William Shanter face mask (modeled after his role as Captain Kirk on Star Trek). He painted it white, widened the eyes, and changed the hair to make one of the most terrifying villains of all time come to life.
One of the scariest characters to ever reach the screen is Stephen King’s creepy dancing clown Pennywise from his best selling novel IT. First came Tim Curry’s portrayal of the killer clown in the 1990 tv mini-series, and most recently is Bill Skarsgard’s interpretation of the menacing evil entity in recent features (2017, 2019).
Recently, Tim Curry has admitted that his role as Pennywise the Clown has been challenged.
The challenger, Bill Skarsgard, has taken the role to a whole new level.
We want to know – who do you think played the role better, and who do you think “wore it better?”
Vote below!
- Tim Curry (1990 tv mini-series IT) 67%, 2 votes2 votes 67%2 votes - 67% of all votes
- Bill Skarsgard (2017 feature IT) 33%, 1 vote1 vote 33%1 vote - 33% of all votes
- Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise (designed by Janie Bryant) 67%, 2 votes2 votes 67%2 votes - 67% of all votes
- Tim Curry's Pennywise (designed by Monique Prudhomme) 33%, 1 vote1 vote 33%1 vote - 33% of all votes