Tommy Lee Wallace is a writer and director who has worked in film since the 1970s. He was instrumental in creating the iconic Michael Myers mask for Halloween, co-wrote and directed Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and directed and co-wrote the TV adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, It. Recently Wallace was a guest at Creature Feature Weekend, and took a break from meeting fans to talk with Scoop about some of his biggest projects in horror.

Scoop: Good morning, Tommy. How are you doing?
Tommy Lee Wallace (TLW): Doing fine. We’re having a good time over here.

Scoop: How did you get your start in film?
TLW: Well, it really started when I went to Ohio University and was majoring in graphic design and then started taking some film courses. So after that, I migrated to Southern California, went to USC film school. I was following my friend John Carpenter, he had been there about three years. He did undergraduate work in the film department, so the tales he was telling about the West Coast, and walking Sunset Boulevard, and looking in the Whisky a Go Go and seeing Buffalo Springfield and The Doors. Oh man, it sounded so good. So, when it was time to decide between New York and the world of design, and California and the world of film, I decided to go where I already had a buddy. And never looked back.

Scoop: Speaking of Carpenter, you were involved in Halloween, including creating the iconic Michael Myers mask. How did you create it?
TLW: Well, the mask was a Captain Kirk mask from Star Trek, and I modified it to basically make it our own. Also we were a little nervous about copyright stuff, we needed to modify it in certain ways. The tearing off the sideburns was the biggest change and painting it the fish belly white. Those were the big strokes that really made it eerie, it just suddenly took on a savage, strange, visceral quality that we couldn’t have anticipated. We knew we had a horror movie as soon as we took a good close look at the thing in action and sort of auditioned it, if you will. That just the mask only, as you can see 40 odd years later, has a scary quality about it before you even add music or any of the rest. It’s scary on its own.

Scoop: You wrote and directed Halloween III: Season of the Witch. What was it like bringing something you wrote to life on screen?
TLW: Well, I want to make sure everyone understands that that credit is kind of bogus. Three people wrote Halloween III. The original writer was Nigel Knealel, who had made his fame in British television in the ‘50s. We were really happy with the basic idea that he had, a fiendish idea that endures in the movie now. You know, crazy strange toymaker who may be a warlock wreaking havoc on the children at Halloween by way of these masks, which have these electronic discs in them that contain some sort of magical power that calls forth all sorts of horrible, horrible things. But it lacked a little bit of consciousness about its audience, which was a modern audience, which was 1982 American young people. He just seemed a little bit tone deaf about that part of it. So, John [Carpenter] rewrote him, but took no credit. I rewrote John, and Nigel didn’t like the fact that somebody was going to interfere with his masterpiece, and so he took his name off of it. Which left me, so that you see is pretty inaccurate credit for a movie, so I will say I co-wrote Halloween III.

My first time as a director, but I was by then pretty much a veteran, more than ready to direct the movie. I had fantastic support from Deborah Hill, the producer, and a crew that I was already friends with and familiar with, and I could feel them rooting for me. It was a great gig. It was fun. It was hard. Like every movie and that it was low budget, so there’s always not enough time or not enough money, but it’s a fantastic first experience for me.

Scoop: What’s your reaction to Halloween III becoming a cult favorite within the Halloween franchise?
TLW: Oh it’s very gratifying. It was not particularly well received. Due partially to the fact I think that we failed in the way we rolled it out there. We did not set the table properly for the beginning of the anthology. We would have been fine if it was the second release, but it wasn’t. It was the third release with a Roman numeral 3 on it. So naturally, the audience thought it would be a sequel with more Michael Myers and the knife and Jamie Lee Curtis and all the rest. And based on that expectation, they were disappointed. I sum all this up in my book, I recommend to everyone. It’s the best book ever written in the history of the planet called Halloween 3 – Where the Hell is Michael Myers? and it tells the whole story.

Scoop: What was it like directing the TV adaptation of Stephen King’s It?
TLW: Another good production that was well produced, had good support, and I did a lot of work on the second night script-wise, but the first night was just one of the best scripts I’d ever written. Seven characters, seven acts. That’s all attributable to the clever writing of Larry Cohen.

Scoop: What were the constraints on It since it was an adaptation on TV versus film?
TLW:  Well, think about it, it was a two-hour movie doubled, but is still not four hours. It’s shorter than that because of all the commercials. It was an adaptation of a 1,000-page novel, so a lot of things were left on the writing room floor, if you will. But I think it’s almost like we did the Reader's Digest version, very condensed, just the high points. But I think all in all, I’m very proud of the result. I think we got the story told in a very simplified version.

Scoop: What are some of the projects you directed that are that are closest to your heart?
TLW: Well, certainly It was one of those. Halloween III has a special place for me because it was not all that well received to begin with, and after 40 odd years it has just boomed. It’s just become an industry of its own, huge fan base, lot of enthusiasm. I think one of two reasons that that’s the case, it was always a good movie, but it needed to get sort of discovered by fans who were a little bit hostile to it at the beginning. That was number one. Aside from that, it is actually about Halloween. Unlike the original Halloween, which is about babysitter murders, and is conveniently set on Halloween night. But Halloween III is really about Halloween in a big way, so as a result, people take it on as part of their yearly ritual of the season. That Halloween has become such a big holiday for people, even if it’s not an actual holiday, people just really get into the spirit of it. So I think that would account for some of its newfound popularity. I’m very happy. What would you say? Redemption is sweet recognition. Thanks to all these cons, I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for the movie and the love the fans have shown. That really feels good.

Scoop: What do you like about doing horror conventions?
TLW: There is a point back there somewhere and I covered this in my book. But there was a point back there where I felt like I’d pretty much failed as a filmmaker. To come to these cons and, man, to encounter fans who love my work and who are very complementary and enthusiastic, was a real shot in the arm. Just feels so good to me. I don’t deny that it’s an ego boost as well as just reassuring, encouraging. I’m not out of the game entirely, even though I’m getting on. Therefore, it’s encouragement to keep going.

Scoop: It was great talking to you. Thank you for the interview.
TLW: Appreciate it. You guys enjoy.

Wallace’s book Halloween 3 – Where the Hell is Michael Myers? is available on Amazon.