We Talk The Shape, Halloween & a 4k release of the original w/ Nick Castle!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Forty years ago, there was a horror villain that paved the way for some of the most terrifying boogeymen to ever haunt the silver screen. It was HALLOWEEN night, the night HE came home. And with the upcoming 4K restoration hitting Blu-Ray today, on September 25th, fans will get to see Michael Myers in brilliant detail in the 1978 horror classic. And considering this is the HALLOWEEN's 40th anniversary, it seems quite perfect that not only do we have Nick Castle as “The Shape” in the original, but this talented actor/director is also back as Michael Myers in the upcoming sequel.

With the latest sequel, or perhaps continuation would be more appropriate, we find out what happened had HALLOWEEN 2 not taken place – or any other sequel in the franchise. Recently, we spoke with Mr. Castle about the new film and just how big of a part he plays in bringing Michael back, the 4K release and about working on the seminal holiday horror hit. He opened up about his experiences on the set of the classic thriller, as well, he talked extensively about his involvement in the new film. And of course, he gave his thoughts on today’s 4K release. Terror has come back to the little town of Haddonfield, and I for one cannot wait.

Well, so here we are, 40 years later. Are you at all surprised that people are still talking about not only the film but your performance? Obviously, this is especially true with the upcoming feature?

Of course. It's absolutely crazy. It so happens that about half a dozen years ago, I did get pulled into these horror conventions and Comic Cons and things like that for this very reason. I now have the experience of talking to the folks, like yourself, that  had quite an experience with this movie and enjoy it, wanna meet the guy that scared the shit out of them when they were 8 years old and all that.

It's something I'm coming to grips with but it's something that I've gone out and enjoyed for the last so many years. It's just a blast. I love talking to the fans. I'm so happy that they get so much joy out of this franchise and especially the first one, which they regarded… Most of them regarded as the one that really made a stamp on their lives.

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For sure.

It's just been great.

You know it's funny, I remembered seeing pictures, especially recently, the past couple of decades, we've seen some of the great outtakes. The picture of Jamie Lee Curtis and you kissing in the full costume. It really tells a different tale, what it must've been like on set.

Oh, yeah. The set was a lot of… First of all, it was kind of like graduating from film school but still there and taking a masters class or something like that. It had the same feel of everyone doing everything on the set. It was really kind of the labor of love you always hear about.

Your pal is doing his third movie and it's like, how great! Hopefully he'll get another one after this. It was fun. The work was simple, the set was a happy one, and you know, absolutely no characters on the show that you cringed when you had to come on set. It was wonderful.

One thing I love, the story of how you basically just showed up on set to watch and they threw the mask on you, but I have to ask. Was there ever… Cause nowadays, when people play villains like Jason, Freddy, whatever, there's almost always reference to you, The Shape. Was there ever reference at any point during the film to say, Anthony Perkins as Norman or Gunner Hanson as Leatherface?

No. Nothing.

Wow.

Nothing, nothing. You put on that mask and you become that character I guess, from people looking at you. Even at conventions when people are walking around with a mask on, there's something disconcerting about the idea of it and the way it… Just the simplicity of it. It really takes on the magic of the character, especially the one Tommy Lee Wallace created. I think the new one too is gonna have that- Chris Nelson did a remarkable at makeup on the new movie.

I don't really recall ever seeing this kind of story in genre. We're talking same character, same actor 40 years later. It's something I think, why haven't we done that before now?

Yeah. Well, I guess. Didn't Star Wars just do that? In a set with the original characters in it, that had to be 40 years later, but you're right. It's very rarely done. Maybe, and this of course was done from a pitch that David came up with, David and his writers group, about how to reestablish the franchise in a way to honor the first movie and et cetera.

One of my movies, 'The Last Starfighter,' a few years ago, I had it up and running, about ready to shoot, and that was gonna be like a 35 years later kind of movie. I just think, people love the original characters sometimes and you wanna see where they were, what happened to them.

The complete on this, of course I'm sure you know, is after the first one, they pretend like the rest of the sequels didn't happen. We find Michael in an insane asylum and back in the insane asylum and now whoops! He got out again.

I think it's a great premise. I think most of the fans, at least, are gonna buy into the way that they approach this and I think we'll have a great time.

Well, I love the aging. I love seeing where Jamie Lee Curtis is now. I love seeing the relationship between you two, not as sister and brother, but as something different. It's almost like a battle to the death I guess.

That's my other plan. What I like about it too, they're not gonna tell you a lot about why this and when this and what is his motivation and why is he after… It's like, let the audience, as we did in the first one, kinda fill in the psychology of Michael. In some ways, the mystery of it all adds to the mystique of the character and to the enjoyment of the film I think.

How has this changed for you, stepping into the character again? Obviously, it was a very different situation from the first time. This time there's a lot more excitement and press beforehand. Was there a different approach for your end?

No. My approach on the first one was to show up on the set and put the mask on. It was the same at this one. It's pretty simple. In fact… Hopefully people are starting to read some of the more specific stuff that I'm putting out there as the movie gets closer to release. I'm in the movie in a cameo, so the work is really done in this movie by a great actor, by James Courtney. 

He does a wonderful job, we became good friends on the set. He said he channeled me for this movie. He'll be a great interview I'm sure, down the line.

Yeah.

For me, it was just so much fun. David did the movie in South Carolina where he lives. First time in that state for me, that was fun. Believe me, this new crew reminded me of the original one. Young people having a ball, enjoying it.

With the one exception that, they're dealing with this crazy franchise that they really are honoring in the course of their work.

How did you react when they approached you with it? What was your thought?

I was approached by my agent who does the work for these horror conventions, Sean Clark. Great guy. He represents some of the other people that did it in the various sequels and they called him up for ideas. I guess the production company can't come up with ideas for the new shape and he said, "It's 40 years later, why don't you use Nick Castle?" He said, "Well, would he do it?" Then he said, "I'll ask him!"

So, he called me and said, "Nick, I got a weird request." I said, "What?" He said, "Would you be interested in doing The Shape? The new movie." I went, "What?" He went, "Yeah. It's 40 years later." I said, "Okay. Yeah. Let me talk to him."

By this time, I'd been doing, I don't know, six years of going to these horror conventions once or twice a year and having a lot of fun with the fans. I thought, well this could be fun. They'd get a kick out of this. I talked to David and he asked what I really would be willing to do and able to do. Frankly, I'm 70 years old now. We talked about it and we wound up doing a cameo.

First time Laurie sees The Shape, it's me. Basically, it's a movie where, like I say, I hand the torch to Mr. Courtney. He does a wonderful job, by the way.

Is that kind of weird though? Actually saying okay, I'm stepping in but you do the grunt work, you do the hard stuff.

Not just the hard stuff, he does everything.

I see.

It wasn't at all hard to do. There was a practical side and I just didn't have the time to be up in the middle of the night for six weeks or whatever the shoot was. Who wants an 18 year old throwing chairs at you for six or seven takes when you're not a tough man? You give them that background too, which is great. You know how to deal with that.

I had such a wonderful time on the set. People were so sweet in terms of just the fact that I was there. They were all thrilled. They love my other films. It was a wonderful time.

What can we expect for the 4K? This is one of those rare movies that I have about five copies of and absolutely I'm gonna pick this up. What's new? Have you been involved in the release of this?

No, I have not. Only in this regard, just to help promote it. I talked to John about it a couple days ago, we had lunch. I said, "What's going on?" He said a meeting with the cinematographer, watched it and approved it and stuff like that. His full on response was, it is very sharp. It's really sharp. You can really see everything in it. He said that in a good way, by the way.

How many times have you actually sat down and watched Halloween and have you seen the 4K cut yet?

No, I have not seen it. I'd love to see it, maybe I will soon. Of course, now everyone has to get a 4K TV. 

Yes.

Wait a minute, maybe that's a head to Lionsgate. Shouldn't Nick Castle have a 4K TV? Oh wait, sorry.

I think you should! I do.

You can't hear me but I'm giggling.

I haven't seen it. In fact, in the last few weeks, I promised myself, I gotta just sit down and see the movie again, let alone the 4K release or a 3K release or whatever. I haven't seen the movie in a while.

People ask me questions about it and I vaguely remember a scene or something like that. I just have to be more upfront for the fans and then maybe I'll actually remember some of the questions that they're asking. It was 40 years ago.

Make sure you pick up your copy of HALLOWEEN Ultra 4K on Blu Ray here!