And Johnny Depp got his start on the first Nightmare on Elm St. |
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What is the best aspect of horror movies? The suspense filled plots, the intense moments of action, the characters filled with trepidation and turmoil? No no no. If there is one thing I want from every horror movie, its gore. And lots of it. You don't go see a Romantic Comedy for philosophy, you don't see a kung-fu flick for deep conversation, and you don't see a horror movie for "light" entertainment. I want blood and guts in my horror! And one man has made it his mission to create the best gore he can, Tom Savini.
Savini was born on November 3, 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Also the home of horror director great, George A. Romero. He grew up to become one of the most revered and respected make-up professionals in the business. Savini and Romero worked together for the first time in the film MARTIN, where Savini did some wrist-slashing effects.
Tom was in the Vietnam war as a combat photographer. All the gore and death he had witness (and documented) seem to have permeated through into his work. He did an interview with Bizarre magazine about a particular silly story that happened to him while there:
In 1970, on guard duty, a flare was triggered in the jungle area he was watching over. Against protocol, which stated that he should inform a superior before taking action, Savini began to fire into the bush. Other soldiers and bunkers joined in until a duck wandered out of the undergrowth completely unharmed. Due to his failure to follow orders, Savini was taken off guard duty the following evening. The bunker he had been in was 
"But horror is such a...its the weirdness of it. We all love a freakshow." |
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attacked that night and several soldiers were killed. Savini earned the nickname "Duck Slayer" and to this day will not eat duck
Savini was a make-up artist in the original FRIDAY THE 13TH film. He apparently made little to nothing for it, but did it to try to get his name out.
You know I took a super low fee to do the first Friday the 13th movie, not knowing that Jason was gonna become a horror icon. That first movie we shot for something like three hundred and fifty thousand dollars and it made like seventy two million. I made pennies on that show.
Romero and Savini worked together again, on DAWN and DAY OF THE DEAD. These films threw Tom into horror film history, with fans and critics alike, heralding him as groundbreaking and a master of his craft.
Savini has now since "retired" from special effects, and has been directing, producing and just generally creating films on his own, or with others. His latest production is the first part of a series called CHILL FACTOR. He is also in pre-production with a film called THE FOREST.
Savini now teaches at Douglas Education Center on make-up, special effects and other aspects of his expertise. He works with one of his idols, Dick Smith who has worked on THE EXORCIST and the GODFATHER.
So remember, horror is supposed to be not only weird and creepy, but realistic! So if you notice that the gore is lame, and the blood is purple, Savini had nothing to do with it. Tom Savini creates masterpieces damn it, no matter if it's zombies, open torsos or brains, it's always top quality.
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| The Lair of the Mad |
Every other Tuesday
'The Lair' discusses the many aspects and qualities of the horror genre. From actors, to make-up, to music, James Shafie explores everything the "cult" genre spews up.
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| James Shafie |
James Shafie is an avid watcher of movies of all sorts, but the horror genre is closest to his heart. He loves to read and is addicted to music, mostly metal and it’s thousands of sub-genres. He was once fired by Blockbuster, which we see as a strong character trait.
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