Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
This entry of the Halloween saga introduces Jamie Lloyd as Michael Myers’ niece, and new target, ten years after the original film. With her mother Laurie, dead, the story follows an adopted Jamie Lloyd and her sister, Rachel as Michael relentlessly pursues his niece. The film calls into question the age-old debate of nature vs. nurture.
This is a movie that both haunted and intrigued me as a kid. I wanted to make a poster that was very different from the ones I had seen surrounding the film, while highlighting the creepy atmosphere of the story. Jamie’s Halloween costume has a classic, iconic, and vintage vibe that, to me, harkens back to the unintentionally unnerving Halloween costumes seen in 19th and 20th century photos.
The Process
The Mood Board
The direction of this project is highly influenced by hidden mother photography, a Victorian era practice where the mother would hold their child still through the long exposure times in the early days of photography, but also remain obscured in the background by wearing some sort of fabric. Learning about this creepy concept reminded me of the scene in the original Halloween film (1978) where Michael wears a sheet as a disguise to claim one of his victims.
Thumbnails
Color Studies
The underpainting and final uncropped image
I decided to crop Michael out further to make Jamie a more obvious focal point.
With only a single hand to signify Michael’s proximity, his presence is more subtle, and yet, more ominous.