If nothing else, fan films like The Shape prove that the music of White Zombie will outlive us all.
SOB.
Michael Myers is dead . . . but his mask sure isn’t! And so, the skull-faced leader (and sole member) of a Satanic cult performs a ritual in front of a Michael Myers shrine. Now, whoever dons the iconic mask is forced to embark on a bloodbath across Arcadia, CA. The new boogeyman is a burglar who breaks into the cult leader’s apartment and steals the mask. Cue White Zombie’s “I’m Your Boogie Man” plus a couple of adorable offscreen murders. Meanwhile, a detective is on the case. His jet-black hair is slicked back. He wears a trench coat, and familiar music cues by Angelo Badalamenti provide his back-up during the investigation. His name is Detective Cooper.
To answer your question: Yes, The Shape is the first—and only—fan film mash-up of Halloween and Twin Peaks in existence.
Originally a trilogy of shorts that were shot on Hi8 video from 1991-96 by Patrick Jacobs and Ron Perez, The Shape was re-edited into a 60-minute feature in 2004 by Jacobs. Sometime after that, he released the movie on DVD and then uploaded it to YouTube. Sadly, it has since been removed. But not before we ripped it for posterity, just like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Fan Film Recreation.
How wonderful is it that we live in a timeline with an unpredictable, divisive, and endlessly watchable film franchise like Halloween? And how wild is it that this same franchise has inspired miniature art projects like The Shape, which predicted plot points from Halloween Ends decades before it was released? The Shape isn’t like Halloween: The Truth Behind the Mask—a death wish for viewers that fixates on bros slam-dunking basketballs instead of Michael Myers. It’s also a different beast than Friday the 13th: Halloween Night, in which Michael Myers battles Jason Voorhees for goofs ‘n’ spoofs. The beauty of The Shape lies elsewhere.
You can’t judge a fan film like this against the standards of a “real” movie. It’s not fair. You might fall asleep fifteen times while watching—just like me! But the road to enjoyment is paved with acceptance. That’s the only mindset that can unlock the magic. The Shape is personal, charming, and more smile-inducing than watching a video of a raccoon drinking grape juice out of a juicebox. Like a local TV commercial for Rum Runner of Oyster Bay, the movie serves as a document of a blip in time that will never exist again. A framed photo of the Star Trek cast in someone’s living room. Ethereal shots of empty strip mall parking lots at midnight. A piece of notebook paper tacked to a wall with the word “SAMHEIN [sic]” written in blood. Real-life footage of trick-or-treaters, pumpkin patches, and jabornis wearing leopard-print Zubaz pants. The script and White Zombie music might fail us, but these things never will.
Diane, it’s 10:19 p.m. I have just completed my first observation of The Shape, and I feel completely revitalized and struck again by the realization that every one of us on this big beautiful planet only lives at a fraction of our potential.
