Westerns are Awesome, and I put a LOT of thought into Halloween makeup special FX

[thehefner]

As many of you know, I have time and again bitched and whined about my utter frustration with FIREFLY/SERENITY fans who claim to hate or have no interests in westerns. If you are one of these people, or are just generally apathetic or resistant to the quintessential American genre, The Onion's A.V. Club has the article for you, and frankly, for me too:

Dark Side of the West: 17 Truly Grim Westerns.

Hell, I haven't even seen half of these, but I've already added several to my Netflix queue. I just wish THE TALL T were available on DVD, because that one particularly sounds great.

With the Christian Bale/Russell Crowe 3:10 TO YUMA and the upcoming Brad Pitt/Casey Affleck THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, this is shaping up to be a good year for no-frills old-school hardcore westerns.

So yeah, don't be one of those squares left in the dust. Be the coolest kid on your block. Watch a western today.*



In other news...

Behind the cut, I contemplate costumes, makeup special FX, and custom contact lenses, gory prosthetics, photoshopped Joaquin Phoenix and Johnny Depp, and yes, more Two-Face stuff. I beg those who are familiar with the second part to offer their advice in this matter.



Well, I can't help it. The Halloween superstores have already started popping up, advertising "back to ghoul" sales. The big question, obviously, is... uh... as whom am I gonna... er... go?

Well, my top two choices right now are Bub the Zombie and, surprise surprise, Two-Face. I'm leaning toward Harvey, just because I haven't tried my hand at a Two-Face costume since I was thirteen, and I really should do it while I still have enough hair.

(Even with Rogaine, I know I'm fighting a losing battle here. Mom keeps looking into hair transplants, but in the meantime, I'm just keeping an eye out for tribbles collecting in my room)

The problem with either of these costumes, but especially with Harvey, is that they live or die on the make-up. And really, Two-Face has to look awesome (in that it has to look horrifying, rather than cheap and cartoony... Tommy Lee Jones, I'm looking at you).

Unfortunately, I am not Tom Savini, and don't know what the hell I'm doing.

I mean, there's a really awesome cosplay group that does professional quality Batman costumes with their models, and their Two-Face is pretty great, but... well... he just looks like a zombie. An exceedingly well dressed zombie, but a zombie. And while I suppose real life acid scarring would look more like that, I don't find that version of Two-Face to really be all that awesome or scary.

No, when I think Two-Face, my mind goes right to one thing: DARKMAN, baby.

So with that in mind, I went ahead and purchased a couple gorey prosthetics. (DON'T click if you're a sensitive soul)

The first I bought after I saw it employed in a pretty sweet photoshopped image of Joaquin Phoenix as Two-Face.

(Incidentally, the Johnny Depp as Two-Face from the same site is also a pretty good example of what I'm shooting for here)

I also just put in an order for these, which I figure I can strategically employ around the big one. That could be a good start.

I'm also trying to think about faking some exposed teeth, maybe gluing some thin foam teeth from a "skull" makeup kid onto my lips, painting them so they look good and blackening the gums, and covering the seams with fake skin. But I'd need to paint them really well, and I'm not sure I'm up for that. Anyone good at painting teeth?

And then there's the eyeball. I don't think there's any way to do the bulging evil eye, especially since something like this just looks... fake and stupid, really.

So to that end, I'm now thinking about contact lenses. From the special effects pre-made lenses out there, I'm currently thinking about Sunburst, on the theory that, as my eyes are naturally blue, the yellow could be the evil side "bursting" through. But I'm also seriously considering Black Wolf, which might be scarier (or it could be too over the top).

As for the costume... well, the costume itself isn't nearly as important, but as I can't go naked, I really should give this some thought. No split-suits. That's a firm rule. When I met an up-and-coming writer and fellow Two-Face fanatic by the name of Greg Rucka at the Wizard World Chicago convention in 2000, he was firmly of the opinion that Two-Face's "good-evil" split costumes should be abolished. When he actually wrote an issue of BATMAN later where Harvey wore just a smart brown suit and trench coat, I was converted. No more cheesy bad outfits for Harv.

So what to wear? Well, I suppose this could be a great excuse to buy a snazzy pinstripe suit.



Really, if I can get all this together, the only thing I'll be missing is a party. Dare I throw down the gauntlet and declare a big-ass Halloween party at my place this year?

Man. I miss having a girlfriend with whom I can partner up for Halloween fun. Hmm... I wonder if I can talk any girls I know into being my Typhoid Mary? I just met a pretty awesome hippie chick who works at the Black Cat, a girl with hair the color of a tequila sunrise who's been known to dress up as Brian from the Dresden Dolls on Halloween. Hmm. Mayhaps, with time...?

We'll see. Obviously, the most important thing is getting the makeup to look good in the first place.

Otherwise... well, I could always be Johnny Go. Give me a few martinis, I won't even need to be at a party!



*YOUNG GUNS doesn't count. Nor does AN AMERICAN TAIL: FIEVEL GOES WEST. Nor BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III.

Comments

[holli.livejournal.com]

Okay, Fievel Goes West does SO count.

And please do have a Halloween party! I would dearly love an excuse to go all-out with my costume.

[skalja.livejournal.com]

Why, fancy meeting you here!

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

Silence! "Fievel Goes West" is totally a hardcore Western! There are tumbleweeds and everything!
I'm really excited for "3:10 to Yuma". I can't really explain why.

You do not need an excuse to buy a snazzy pinstripe suit. But your commitment to your Halloween costume is admirable. Contact lenses are pretty intense. Allow practice time. I'm probably just gonna end up being Betty Boop, which will require very little effort (and very little skirt).

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Are you sure the cast doesn't have anything to do with it? That seems to be what's getting the attention of most. I'm all the more hopeful that it's a hardcore classic style no-postmodern-deconstruction bullcrap western, so that the people who go in all like, "ew, I don't like westerns, but Christian Bale is teh sexay!!!" and will come out, "Dude, dust makes me so HOT now."

In addition to the pinstripe suit, I'm also thinking about maybe, if I can get my upper body in better shape, just going in suspenders and a white wifebeater with the pinstripe pants, and maybe a shoulder holster. Total "hot steamy Tennessee-Williams-in-Gotham night." But yeah, that all depends on losing ye olde gut. Mayhaps I now have a goal?

Practice time will be a must, aye. I wish I'd practiced more than once with last year's Joker makeup, as I have all new ideas I wanna try out.

Betty Boop? But your head is too tiny! In either case, I will require pictures.

[skalja.livejournal.com]

Fievel Goes West ALWAYS counts.

Oh, AWESOME. Last year I lived in the land of Halloween, and the year before that was a bit disastrous (impromptu Wesley Dodd Sandman costume + ill-fitting gasmask = um, pain ... and then once I took the gas mask off I'm just a chick in very generic drag, whatever), so I may have to go all out this year. Top the Death of Rats outfit, perhaps.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's the saddest story involving a Wes Dodds Sandman costume I've ever heard. Wait, it's the only one I've ever heard.

[thirdbase.livejournal.com]

Need to find me a witch dress this year. I have the hat.

Thank you for qualifying those "westerns." Having grown up on the Sons of Katie Elder, the War Wagon, Big Jake, The Magnificent Seven, , The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, Hang 'Em High, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Great Train Robbery, High Plains Drifter, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and the ultimate of westerns, Blazing Saddles (yes, my dad and grandfather saw I was raised right), I must compliment you on your attempt to exclude those silly movies from the genre. I am amazed that they even occurred to you.

Did you see? 3:10 to Yuma is being remade!!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I forgot SHANGHAI NOON, as much as I enjoy it. It earns points for the Lee Van Cleef reference, but there's no substitute for the real Angel Eyes.

See, indignant as I am about the lack of love for westerns, I have only seen about four of those films you mentioned! Bad me. My Netflix queue shall become even more bloated and awesome.

Indeed I did see that 3:10 TO YUMA is being remade! I even mentoned it above! I dunno if I should see the original first, or if I'm better off seeing it second.

[thirdbase.livejournal.com]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/comics/king_hi_lois.html?name=Hi_and_Lois - read Sept 4th...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Jesus, but there's truth in that.

I cannot tell you how many times people have told me that their mother threw out all their old comics. I cannot believe it! It's appalling! I just wanted to go back in time and ask all these mothers what they heck they're thinking!

[ortugatay.livejournal.com]

D'aww, but I so loved me some Fievel!

I am, however, seeing The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for the first time sometime in the near future, since that's one of the things I got for Boothe for his birthday. I've always been curious about westerns, and never got around to them. I'll let you know what I think, though.

I don't think the black wolf contact would be over the top if it works well with your general makeup scheme. Once you test that out and really decide on a look, then you'll have a good idea which contact is going to go the best with it. Either one has potential, anyhow.

And as for costumes, Boothe and I are going to try and do a Golden Age comics style Clark Kent and Lois Lane, so that should be fun. (And won't hurt my low low budget, most likely. Yay!) (And I'm hoping Mikey and Kevin will throw a party again...theirs was fun last year!)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, awesome! TGTB&TU is one of my all-time favorites! Be prepared, though: it's very, very, very slow. It's a story told through deliberate cinematography and ass-kicking music, not dialogue. Just be patient, relax, and also try not to get distracted from the badly dubbed Italian actors.

Ooh, Golden Age Clark and Lois! Eee!

We-ell, what if *I* throw that party this year? Selfishly, I'd like to avoid having to drive an hour and a half between parties of my different social groups!

[disc-sophist.livejournal.com]

3:10 to Yuuuuuuuuuma! SO Giddy over here. Only three more days, though I'm hoping there'll be a midnight show at Muvico or somewhere. The original is so very cerebral, I hope it keeps the "excellent film that just happens to be set in the old west" feel. Together with all forms, moods, shapes of a Western, that can denote it truly...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Should I see the original before or after I see the remake? There are arguments for both.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

YOUNG GUNS doesn't count. Nor does AN AMERICAN TAIL: FIEVEL GOES WEST. Nor BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III.

What about YOUNG GUNS II? No, seriously, intending to see 3:10 TO YUMA, and possibly also the other one. Westerns! :D

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Heck, YGII counts even less, as it lacks Jack Palance!

[heleneotroy.livejournal.com]

You want makeup help, that's kinda-sorta my thing. I don't have a lot of time, what with Faire, but I can help you plan and do a test-run before the big day.
I don't have too much experience with prosthetics, but I'm good with wax.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Help with a test run would be awesome, yes please. Come on over in late October, and I shall mix you up a cocktail or two of your choice.

Meantime, I shall procure several possible makeup things with which we can play.

[fishymcb.livejournal.com]

By all means, throw a Halloween party. Just plan it early, so I can either plan one around yours or just forgo hosting my own party altogether. I like to know things in advance.

Oh, and don't forget that I'll need to borrow your smoking jacket for my costume. Thanks :)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I'll check with Mom, see if she's cool with it. Because yeah, I'd like to avoid the trek between your house and Jaki's. Or maybe I'll just be lazy.

Oh you do? I forget, you going as Hugh, or someone else?

[heleneotroy.livejournal.com]

Also, if you do throw a party I will probably be forced to come as the Universe's Sexiest Time Lord again, since I lack inspiration this year.

It's that or Eva Peron.

[shadowlongknife.livejournal.com]

Young Guns DOES SO COUNT.

And how dare you not mention Pale Rider.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Because I haven't seen PALE RIDER! Calm down, though, I've already added it to my Netflix queue.

Just because I love and defend westerns doesn't mean I'm an expert! ... yet.

As for YOUNG GUNS... well, mayhaps I'll allow it. But just because it has Jack Palance and lacks Bon Jovi music. ;p

[droidboy010101.livejournal.com]

So MUCH of sci-fi was lifted from westerns... dare we forget the Sean Connery greatness that was Outland?

I went as the unibomber one year (fsm that was ten years ago!!!) and a bondage burger king last year. If it weren't a logistical nightmare, going as a dalek would be cool. At least you'd always have a seat, and could talk over everyone (though in monotone.)

I think you'll dig Pale Rider... Outlaw Josey Wales was a fav as well (an ex was a huge Eastwood fan.)

[spacechild.livejournal.com]

Wow.. those cosplayers have some awesome costumes. I actually think that the Two-Face guy has it dead on! He even has a split suit that is forgivable because it's quite good. It's a very subtle change in the suit. Nice.

The girl playing Harley is perfect, too. Damn.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I maintain, though, dude... he looks good, but zombie-ish. When I think Two-Face, I think Darkman, more Phantom of the Opera-like, know what I mean? That's far more horrifying and evocative, in my opinion.

I agree, the suit is subtle and super-classy. Which is why I've gonna go in a decidely different angle with my outfit.