Even forEdgar Wright, a visually acute and idiosyncratic filmmaker, his 2017 heist caper,Baby Driver, is a supremely ingenious film. The film’s direction and style are commanding on the screen. It is the kind of film that reminds general audiences of the power of the director.Baby Driveris filled to the brim withinnovative cinematic flourishes and radiant influencesthat inspire budding filmmakers. Despite how shrewd and skillful Wright’s vision was, it couldn’t account for unfortunate twists such as rights refusals from the proprietors of a classic horror icon. However,Wright’s denied permission to use the mask of Michael MyersfromHalloweenled to a hilarious joke in an already sharply humorous film.
Baby Driver
Baby, a talented and music-obsessed getaway driver, works for a ruthless crime boss, using his incredible driving skills to execute flawless heists. Dreaming of a normal life, he falls for a charming waitress and decides to escape his criminal past. But his plans are jeopardized when a heist goes wrong, forcing him to fight for his freedom and the future he desires.
Edgar Wright’s Strong Sense of Humor Is Prevalent in ‘Baby Driver’
A director of cult status, who previouslymade the spiritual Cornetto TrilogywithSimon Pegg, and an ahead-of-its-timeadaptation of the graphic novel series,Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Edgar Wright stepped into a more commercial realm withBaby Driver. While maintaining his distinct style, associated with fast-cutting, creative transitions, tongue-in-cheek humor, genre sampling, and an eclectic soundtrack,Wright created a wholly satisfying action-thriller–one that paid tribute to American and British heist films of the past while pushing the genre forward.Baby Driverfollows the titular young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort), who is coerced into working for a crime boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey), as his professional life dangerously collides with his personal life, particularly his relationship with his newfound girlfriend, Debora (Lily James).
Throughout the film, Baby is assigned to multiple heists, each with a different combination of players. In a bank heist with Bats (Jamie Foxx), Eddie (Flea), and JD (Lanny Joon), the team inadvertently decides to get quite creative with their choice of facewear. Bats is shocked to see the mask that JD hands him, which is modeledafter the face of renowned comic actor,Mike Myers. Amounting to a comedy of errors, JD was confused by Doc’s orders, as he did not distinguish between the writer-actor ofWayne’s WorldandAustin Powersfame and the slasher antagonist from theJohn Carpenter-created horror franchise. “It should be theHalloweenmask!” Bats proclaims. “This is a Halloween mask!” JD responds in a bumbling misinterpretation. Nonetheless, the crew executes the job while sporting a mask that would bring laughs to potential hostages.
Every Edgar Wright Movie Ranked: From Sex Bob-Omb to a Fried Slice of Gold
If you’re thinking of complaining about the order………don’t.
BeforeBaby Driver, every Edgar Wright film could be classified as acomedy mixed with elements of horror, action, and science fiction.While categorically less of a comedy than his previous outings,Baby Driverwould be incomplete withoutWright’s sharp sense of humorthat is embedded into thrilling car chase sequences and intense sequences of violence. Even if Wright was determined to make his depictions of violence far grittier and more poignant, he would verify the laughs would resonate just as strongly. Along with the director’s affinity for visual gags, Baby, despite being a reticent mute throughout the film, provides humor through his innate observations.
WhileEdgar Wright is an effortlessly creative mind, he could not have conjured up the behind-the-scenes mix-up that occurred regarding the licensing of a Michael Myers mask. Bats was shocked that he was handed a Mike Myers mask, and so was Edgar Wright.Greg Nicotero, the effects artist forBaby Driver,posted on Instagram a Michael Myers maskhe created from scratch. The facewear was created for a deleted scene in the film where two characters wore the mask of the slasher villain while another wore anAustin Powersmask. Unfortunately, this humorous sequence had to be cut after thefilmmakers were denied permission to useHalloweeniconography.
“Because of the upcomingHalloweenreboot,the rights holders didn’t want to let us use the Michael Myers mask,“Wright added on Twitter.The writer-director swiftly called an audible in the script. Instead of one mask of the Canadian actor and comedian, he had all three characters wear Myers masks. Coming full circle,Myers gave Wright andBaby Driverhis blessing to use his face.Wright further explained that the studio behind theHalloweenfranchise at the time, Trancas International Films, had a history of refusing to license its famous property to other movies and TV shows. At the very least, the decision was not personal or driven out of contempt for the depiction of the mask inBaby Driver. A year after the release of Wright’s film, the first ofDavid Gordon Green’sHalloweenreboot trilogywas releasedwith favorable reviews and commercial success.
Mike Myers Approved of the Michael Myers Gag in ‘Baby Driver’
Mike Myers, fond of random and peculiar humor, was unsurprisingly amused by the revised joke inBaby Driver. “I’m equally proud of my work as the killer inHalloweenas I am for my work inAustin Powers,“Myers toldThe Hollywood Reporter.The Michael Myers-Mike Myers gag resonated with the public to a degree that exceeded the rest of the film’s runtime. In the Halloween season of 2017, months afterBaby Drivergrossed $226 million worldwide at the box office,Austin Powersmasks began flying off the shelves. Various online retailers sold out masks inspired by the Shagadelic spy. One site contactedTHRin frustration over their negligence to satisfy consumer demand. Wright was thrilled by the boom in Myers-related Halloween masks. The director,whoseShaun of the Deadinspired Halloween costumes, had an inkling thatAustin Powersmasks might be a hot item during the spooky season and evencontacted Warner Bros (who distributed thePowersfilms under New Line Cinema) to expect a surge in sales.
It’s no secret that making a film requires good fortune. There are fortuitous instances that cannot be premeditated, as evident with theMichael Myers/Mike Myers mask gaginBaby Driver. At first, this joke was nearly derailed by a failure to receive licensing from the proprietors ofHalloween. Instead of accepting defeat, Edgar Wrightconceived of a new scenario on the flyand executed an even funnier and more memorable exchange on the screen. In many ways, Jamie Foxx’s Bats character served as an avatar for Wright, with Bats' indignant reaction to wearing a Mike Myers mask rather than sporting the face of the slasher villain presumably matching the filmmaker’s response. Considering the widespread acclaim and monetary bump that transpired in the wake of this licensing issue, it’s fair to say that it all worked out in the end.
Baby Driveris available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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