John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), set in the fictional Illinois town of Haddonfield (somewhere between Pontiac and Dwight in Livingston County), introduced horror audiences to the menacing Michael Myers, or “The Shape” as he was referenced in the film’s closing credits.

The iconic (and seemingly immortal) horror villain is well known for the snow white mask he wears. What you might not be aware of is that his mask started out as a Star Trek Captain Kirk Halloween mask before being eerily transformed by the movie crew. What led them to use this mask? According to the producers, the mask had a blank, emotionless look they liked and costing only $1.98 at the time, it was much cheaper than creating a face from scratch.

To date, there have been nine films in the franchise to feature Myers, including two installments of a recent reboot. Michael doesn’t appear to be finished just yet either. In April 2014, The Weinstein Company announced that another new film is currently in development.

Learn more:
More information on the Halloween series
Frequently asked questions about the original Halloween film