SlashersNo. 5296 · The 2026 edition
Halloween Kills
How did 'Halloween Kills' resurrect a late star without CGI?
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at cracked.com.
The film 'Halloween Kills' brought a deceased actor back to the screen using traditional methods rather than modern digital effects, relying on practical techniques to honor the character's legacy.
About this
This article discusses how the 2021 film Halloween Kills brought back the character Dr. Samuel Loomis, originally played by Donald Pleasence who died in 1995. Instead of using CGI, the filmmakers used makeup effects by Christopher Nelson, applying prosthetics to the production's construction foreman to create a convincing lookalike. The piece also touches on the film's opening flashback to 1978 and the recreation of the original Michael Myers mask.
Facts from the original
- Halloween Kills is the newest film in the Michael Myers franchise and has divided fans.
- Some viewers are amused by a scene where a Haddonfield resident attempts to iron Michael Myers to death.
- The opening scene is a flashback to Halloween night in 1978, showing Michael Myers' arrest, similar to the start of the 2018 Halloween.
- Dr. Samuel Loomis, played by Donald Pleasence who died in 1995, appears at the end of the prologue.
- Dr. Loomis is described as the worst mental health professional of all time.
- Viewers might assume CGI was used to bring back Loomis, but the filmmakers used makeup effects instead.
- Recent films like Doctor Sleep have used practical methods (lookalikes) instead of CGI to bring back dead actors.
- Makeup effects designer Christopher Nelson applied prosthetics to the production's construction foreman to create the Loomis look.
- The result is compared to CGI but considered less creepy and more impressive.
- Nelson also recreated the original 1970s Michael Myers mask.
- The article jokes that the real mask became a tobacco-stained scrap of garbage.
