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Flashback Weekend Chicago to Display Original Station Wagon Driven by Michael Myers in ‘Halloween’
After escaping from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium in John Carpenter‘s original Halloween, Michael Myers (Nick Castle) cruises around Haddonfield in a station wagon, creeping on the children and making a stop at a hardware store for supplies.
The original station wagon has recently been discovered and will be transported to Chicago for Flashback Weekend from the barn where it sat for the last several decades!
As the press release notes, fans will have the opportunity to take photos with the iconic station wagon, and even sit inside this piece of cinema history in the very seat in which Nick Castle (as Michael Myers) sat back in 1978! In fact, there will be photo ops with Castle as a limited number of “Halloween Wagon Private Access VIP” passes will be available.
This 1978 Ford LTD station wagon was rented from a car rental agency for two weeks of filming. After filming was completed, the wagon was returned to the rental agency and auctioned off for private use. It then sat in a barn for decades before being sold to its current caretaker. The Wagon has received a thorough and complete exterior and interior frame on restoration. The Illinois State Logo and Prisoner Cage have been once again added to the Wagon.
The Halloween Wagon will be part of Flashback Weekend’s Horror Auto Museum, a collection of the iconic cinematic vehicles from legendary horror films. Also showcased will be the Christine Movie Car (John Carpenter’s Christine 1983), the Green Goblin Head from Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive (1986), and also making its convention premiere will be the 1971 Phantasm II Hemi Cuda Tribute Car.
The 19th annual Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Con will feature celebrity guests Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith (the Saw series), Nick Castle and Sandy Johnson (John Carpenter’s Halloween), Alex Winter (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure), William Sadler (The Grim Reaper from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, VFW, Demon Knight), Kane Hodder (Jason 7-10), Mark Rolston & Jenette Goldstein (Aliens), Quinn Lord (Trick ‘r Treat) and more.
Flashback Weekend Chicago takes place from July 31 – August 2, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago in Rosemont, IL.
All of us here at Bloody Disgusting are deeply sad to learn that The Blob director Chuck Russell has passed away at 74 years old.
Russell’s career began with his directorial debut, 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
The multihyphenate film director, screenwriter, and producer is best known for helming 1994 comedy The Mask starring Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner Eraser, and adventure spinoff The Scorpion King. The latter served as the first leading role for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The filmmaker left an indelible mark on horror with his ANOES sequel, 1988’s The Blob, and 2000’s Bless the Child.
Russell’s final film credit is 2024’s Witchboard remake starring Madison Iseman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), and Jamie Campbell Bower (“Stranger Things”).
It marked Russell’s return to horror after a lengthy hiatus, and he shared sequel hopes to Bloody Disgusting in an interview ahead of the remake’s release: “I got to design the board with real mystical symbols and things that I know represent good and evil, and where that board takes us if the audiences respond to the film, and I hope they will; I know it’s out there for you guys, but the sequel is a world we’ll get to go a little further. That’s sure the intention.”
He also recently expressed interest in returning to the franchise that began his career.
TMZ notes that Russell passed away at his San Diego-area home.
We send our deepest condolences to Chuck Russell’s family, friends, and fans.
Director, Co-Writer & Producer Chuck Russell behind the scenes of the horror film, WITCHBOARD. Photo courtesy of The Avenue and Atlas Distribution
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