![Halloween is almost here! Become a Universal Monster [Mizumaru Kawahara's CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.12]](https://cinemore.jp/images/0881aace645798444a47285e47622bd2168401ff43b13efc5907df3099eb03e5.png)
Halloween is almost here! Become a Universal Monster [Mizumaru Kawahara's CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.12]
A lover's face with scales
This year, Guillermo del Toro's `` The Shape of Water '' won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and many people are likely to choose this movie as their Halloween theme. Therefore, I would like to pay attention to the source of its inspiration, `` The Great Amazon Merman ''. Gilman, a green half-mermaid, is an iconic character that has permeated pop culture in the same way that Frankenstein's Monster or Dracula have.
It's a lot more costumed than The Invisible Man or The Monster's Bride, but it's a monster that I wanted to play in a year that was so exciting with The Shape of Water. Since he is a familiar character, there are probably commercially available masks and costumes, but if you have the time, it would be fun to try making your own. The actual suit used in the movie seems to have had some of the ventilation and visibility issues that such costumes tend to have, but the underwater scenes are smooth and beautiful. The creatures in The Shape of Water were designed to be appealing to women in order to make the cross-species romance more convincing, and the Gilman also has an air of eeriness and sensuality. I think the fact that he is a living monster without any clothes on makes it easy to accept him as a character. It has a stronger pop image than a monster in a ball gown, and the lack of a specific costume also means that it doesn't have a specific sense of the era, so it doesn't get old even with the passage of time. This is clear from the fact that it was recreated by Guillermo del Toro and once again captivated audiences.
The charming Gilman head was designed by Millicent Patrick, an actress, illustrator, and Disney's first female animator. The body suit was created by Jack Keevan, and Millicent's name was kept hidden for a long time, as only the make-up artist's name was credited. Although it's just the head, that face became synonymous with half-mermen, and it was inherited by the face of the mysterious lover of the descendant, ``The Shape of Water''. Gilman's love doesn't come true, but the new creature becomes attracted to the heroine, played by Sally Hawkins. I don't know if they thought of Gilman's face with the possibility of Millicent falling in love with him, but the half-mermaid face with thick lips is not only creepy and grotesque, but also has a certain charm to it. think.
Universal Monsters has had a huge influence on today's monsters and creatures. Classic characters have an unchanging, universal image and power, making them unique. Why not spend Halloween night this year in their costume?
Illustrations and text: Mizumaru Kawahara
Born in 1991. Illustrator. In addition to illustrations and covers for magazines and books, there are also illustration columns for movies and books. New movie reviews are currently being serialized in "SPUR" (Shueisha).
Follow official SNS
