‘V/H/S/Halloween’ – The Halloween Nostalgia and Blood-Soaked Monster Fun of ‘Home Haunt’ [Set Visit]

In June 2025, as Los Angeles baked under ninety-degree heat and summer preoccupations filled the city, Bloody Disgusting stepped into a very different season. Inside a Burbank soundstage, October had already arrived on the set of the newest entry in the long-running found-footage anthology franchise V/H/S Halloween: an autumnal world of nostalgia and gore crafted in part by powerhouse married duo Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman.

Filming their segment Home Haunt for V/H/S Halloween—the eighth entry in the hit franchise (created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting and now streaming on Shudder), the Normans welcomed BD with ease and good humor. Even with the looming deadline and their departments buzzing, they carried themselves with aplomb.

Asked during the production’s lunch break at the time of our arrival how they first became attached to V/H/S Halloween, Micheline Pitt-Norman—dressed in black jeans and a Suspiria tee that left no doubt about her horror bona fides—recalled, ‘We met (producer) Josh Goldbloom casually through other filmmaker friends, and he mentioned the new V/H/S would be Halloween-themed, and since Halloween is my special interest, I just started vomiting ideas out of excitement.’

A multi-disciplinary artist celebrated as a fashion designer, illustrator, and animator (and named one of Allure Magazine’s Top 10 Gothic Beauty Icons), Pitt-Norman added, “So, we pitched four concepts—two of them very dark and scary, and the others more fantastical. Home Haunt, the wildest of them all, was ultimately chosen by the producers (Goldbloom, Miska and James Harris) and Shudder.”

R.H. Norman, dressed similarly in his signature black jeans and tee, expanded on their inspiration: “Home Haunt came directly from (Academy Award-winning FX legend) Rick Baker, who stages a Halloween event in Los Angeles every year. He puts his entire family in elaborate makeups, builds massive sets, and hands out candy to trick-or-treaters. The script idea grew from that.”

[Related] How Rick Baker Inspired the ‘V/H/S/Halloween’ Segment ‘Home Haunt’ 

Photo Credit: Charlotte Townsend

Pitt-Norman explained the concept they pitched to producer Goldbloom—who has shepherded four previous V/H/S installments along with the 2022 spin-off Kids vs. Aliens: “The segment follows the Mortis family, whose Halloween tradition of building a home haunt—which was once a source of joy and bonding—has turned into a source of shame for the son. So, determined to salvage one last Halloween together, the father makes a mistake by unknowingly introducing a cursed record into the maze, and then all hell breaks loose.”

Norman—whose solo credits include the Afghanistan war drama Hajji and the short film Gusano, made under Werner Herzog’s supervision in Cuba—teased of the resulting scripted chaos with a grin, ‘Shall we take a walk around the set then?’”

As we headed to the first stage, producer Goldbloom remarked on the Normans’ approach to Home Haunt as he passed by, “They are punching above their weight class—that’s the V/H/S standard.” Touring the facility with the directing duo, it was immediately clear just how true that sentiment was.

The opening stage featured a fully realized mortuary; another, an immersive forested cemetery backed by a towering mausoleum; a third housed a spellbinding—and genuinely eerie—witch’s hut looming over a damp, shadowed bog. Even without the constraints of a modest budget, the set design would stand out as remarkably impressive.

This came as no surprise, given that Bloody Disgusting had previously visited the set of The Normans’ 2021 dark fantasy Grummy, starring Violet McGraw (The Haunting of Hill House)—a short film that itself boasted studio-quality set builds and art direction.

Of the set design, Pitt-Norman stated, “Doing a V/H/S segment requires ambition and the ability to stretch every dollar. With Home Haunt, we aimed for the impossible—building multiple worlds and set pieces—and I think it’s working thanks to our incredible production designer Calder Greenwood and all our department heads. Clear communication and a strong vision were key to making the impossible happen.”

Photo Credit: Charlotte Townsend

This clarity of vision was equally crucial for bringing the film’s extensive creature makeups to life (and there are many). As Pitt-Norman explained, “I created a mood board for every monster in the film, and hand drew the designs so that everyone knew what we were trying to accomplish. We have a gauntlet of monsters, and the only way to actually have them stay in the script was to kit bash the makeups. Usually in films you get custom make-up and creatures, but those are extremely expensive, and with our limited budget, it was just not possible. So, I went to our exceedingly talented makeup designer Carliegh Herbert and discussed how we could pull this off, and we chose to work with RBFX (Prosthetics and Specialty Costumes).”

“We RBFX and knew that, by carefully mixing colors, tones, hair, and costumes, we could create custom-looking monster makeups,” she continued. “Our goal was for them to stand alongside studio feature film effects, making a $3,000 makeup look indistinguishable from a $30,000 one—and thanks to Carliegh and her talented team, I think we are achieving it. We were also lucky PPI loaned their new teeth before launching their Film Bites line, giving our monsters the look of high-end custom teeth at a fraction of the cost.”

She paused, reflecting.

“No matter what your budget, you must problem-solve, know where your money matters, and use it wisely.”

Photo Credit: Charlotte Townsend

As if to emphasize the success of their approach, as we passed the makeup room, actress Lize Johnston was completing her transformation into a truly nightmarish version of The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, courtesy of Herbert and her team. It was entirely impressive.

As for the 1980s period Halloween vibe of Home Haunt—with the standing sets’ art direction perfectly capturing the nostalgic spirit of the decade, from Ben Cooper to Beistle, Pitt-Norman explained, “I used a ton of my own collectibles, clothing, and props! I would say 80% of what you see in Home Haunt is my own personal stuff. I tried my very best to be as authentic as possible to the period as I could with what I had.”

Her work extended to costuming as well.

“I’ve selected every costume and clothing item,” she offered, “sourcing what I could from rental houses and shopping for the rest. Our amazing costume assistant, Christy, did a beautiful job aging and distressing the pieces, even handcrafting our custom executioner hood. Being so involved as a director was a lot of work, but Christy saved the day—she’s incredibly talented, and I hope to have someone as gifted as her on all my sets moving forward.”

“But the true MVP is VFX Supervisor Justin Martinez, whose work is indispensable,” Pitt-Norman effused. “No V/H/S segment could shine without him. I’m blown away by his skill and dedication, and I’m so grateful for his contributions to Home Haunt.”

Photo Credit: Charlotte Townsend

With lunch finished, we settled in on Stage 2 as cameras rolled on a scene featuring Home Haunt’s beleaguered Mortis family—father Keith (Jeff Harms), wife Nancy (Sarah Nicklin), and son Zack (Noah Diamond)—as they made their way through the now all-too-real haunted cemetery. Close behind, married couple Rich (Rick Baker) and Judy (Silimith MacLean), along with a terrified trick-or-treating ballerina (Hallie Ruth Jacobs), followed.

The Normans guided the cast with deft precision through the tense, bloody scene—of which we won’t spoil a thing—but it’s safe to say that when the red stuff started flowing, it did so in gallons.

With the scene wrapped, we caught up with cast member Nicklin—costumed as The Bride of Frankenstein and fresh off her 2025 features Pretty Boy and Garden of Eden—to hear her thoughts on portraying Nancy, a mother fiercely fighting to protect her family.

“I had a ‘this is it, this is the dream’ moment today,” she beamed, “working on this epic, surreal set with directors I deeply respect, playing a layered character who’s strong, fierce, and nurturing. I’ve got to use physicality battling a practical creature nearly every day, all within a world steeped in Halloween nostalgia across decades, with hair and costumes to match! What more could you ask for?”

As for Nicklin’s casting in Home Haunt, Pitt-Norman stated, “Sarah’s a longtime friend, and V/H/S gave us the perfect chance to work together. It’s exciting to see her in a type of role she’s never done before, and acting alongside such other talented people lets everyone truly shine.”

Photo Credit: Charlotte Townsend

As R.H. Norman was called away to block actors and Micheline Pitt-Norman shifted focus to setting up the next shot, the duo demonstrated just how seamlessly they divide and conquer. Juggling V/H/S Halloween with prep on their upcoming feature Cosmetic at Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, we asked them what they hoped audiences would take away from Home Haunt—their unmistakable love letter to the Halloween season.

“Most of our film projects tend to be bleak and focus on darker, more serious subject matter, so we really wanted to challenge ourselves to make something fun and bombastic,” said Norman with a mischievous smile. “Home Haunt is basically gateway horror, but for adults.”

“I just hope people laugh, cheer and feel the Halloween spirit when they watch our segment,” concluded Pitt-Norman.

“It’s equal parts childhood Halloween nostalgia and blood-soaked monster fun.”

Photo Credit: Charlotte Townsend