Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS
...was the film that started my love of the movies, special effects, magic, and perhaps even 'wit' itself. I remember watching this film as a young boy, falling in and out of sleep, and riding along the journey with Kevin, as if it were all really happening. I made my family call me 'Kevin' for months after...
Well, now I'm all grown up. My love has over the years turned to another of the film's heros- David Warner as the Evil Genius.
Here is the costume I made for Halloween 2012:
Well, now I'm all grown up. My love has over the years turned to another of the film's heros- David Warner as the Evil Genius.
Here is the costume I made for Halloween 2012:
How I made it...
Chest Plate:
I cut the 'Scorpion-like' chest plate from flexible binders from a 'dollar store.' I highlighted the edges of each piece with silver spray paint- and then once attached together - I spattered some silver drips across the whole thing.
Head Piece:
Shoulders/ Cape
The bulk of the costume... ready for it... is a set of IKEA curtains I got for $17 in the discount section.
I created a small cardboard shoulder structure (like football gear) and stapled it to a black button down shirt. I cut most of the shirt away- so it was like 6" short with the arms, collar, and top two buttons. I draped, then stapled and spray glued the curtains in a way that they created the whole cape, and billowing sleeves.
Then I 'scribbled' the shoulder area with red/ brown gel fabric paint (covering the staples) and added glitter.
-I took an artistic diversion from the original bone looking shoulders, and made a boney 'talon-like' situation with wire hangers, poked through, then sculpted over with more 'Model Magic,' and then painted.
I wore Burgundy 'Harem' pants (EBAY!) and borrowed boots and spats from a pirate costume.
I also wore burgundy socks (Dollar Store!) over my forearms, cut so half my hand poked through.
I'll also mention here- I got a 'ribbed' aluminum insulated wire from Home Depot, and painted it black/silver -which I poked through the headpiece and tucked down my back, through the 'cape.'
NAILS:
Finally...
Here's another completed shot. In this pic, I am wearing a pair of light blue 'vampire' contacts, however, I ended up liking the costume better without them. David Warner as Evil was more of a 'real guy' in a crazy get-up... the lenses sort of made it a little too 'creature-like.'
I walked the streets of NYC on Halloween weekend, asking strangers to give me the 'Map' and shouting on and on about 'Slugs!"...
Mostly, no one recognized who I was, but that's OK... I didn't make the costume for them to enjoy.
Some asked, "Who are you supposed to be?"
To which I would reply:
"Never talk to me like that again! No one created me. I am Evil. Evil existed long before good. I created myself."
xo
Michael 2012
I walked the streets of NYC on Halloween weekend, asking strangers to give me the 'Map' and shouting on and on about 'Slugs!"...
Mostly, no one recognized who I was, but that's OK... I didn't make the costume for them to enjoy.
Some asked, "Who are you supposed to be?"
To which I would reply:
"Never talk to me like that again! No one created me. I am Evil. Evil existed long before good. I created myself."
xo
Michael 2012
Michael Carbonaro is an actor and magician who lives in Los Angeles: www.MICHAELCARBONARO.com