Geek of the Week: Tom Savini

Tom Savini (found here)

Chances are, if you've watched a horror film in the last 30 years, you've seen Tom Savini's work.  Called "The Godfather of Gore" and "The Sultan of Splatter" by admiring fans, Savini has done special effects on classic, influential horror films, including Friday the 13th, The Prowler, From Dusk Till Dawn, and several of George Romero's Dead films.


As a kid, Savini was fascinated by Lon Chaney and aspired to be a makeup effects artist/actor.  He spent his pocket money on makeup and practiced on his friends, much to the horror of their parents.  As an adult, he fought in Vietnam, serving as a combat photographer.  He would later use the carnage he saw during the war to create more realistic special effects on film.

He got his start working with Romero on the 1977 film Martin.  Soon other filmmakers (Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, etc.) came calling and Savini became the go-to guy for gore. 

While he still does behind-the-scenes work and often appears in small roles onscreen, Savini spends most of his time running the Special Make-Up Effects Program at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, PA.

I would kill to go here . . .