Tom Savini
The Sultan of Splatter who sculpted the gore of Crystal Lake.
via Wikipedia: Tom Savini · see source
Tom Savini is an American prosthetic makeup artist best known for his groundbreaking special effects work on cult films such as Friday the 13th (Parts I and IV). His practical gore effects brought vivid realism to the slasher genre, setting a new standard for on-screen violence. Savini also created the special effects and makeup for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), where he killed his creation Jason Voorhees. His signature style of severed limbs and bite-marks, first developed in George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, became a hallmark of the franchise's aesthetic.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Thomas Vincent Savini
- Born
- 3 November 1946
- Birthplace
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actor
- prosthetic makeup artist
- film director
- stunt performer
- Years active
- 1974–Present
- Children
- 3
Lore & Background
Savini's involvement with the Friday the 13th franchise began with the original 1980 film, where he expanded his repertoire of blood and gore. He continued to perfect those techniques in 1980's Maniac and 1981's The Burning and The Prowler. In 1984, he agreed to work on Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, where he killed his creation Jason Voorhees. Savini earned the nickname "The Sultan of Splatter" for his groundbreaking work in prosthetic makeup.
Reader's Guide
In the 1980 film Savini expanded his repertoire of blood and gore. In 1984's Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Savini not only created the effects but also killed his creation Jason Voorhees on screen.
Did You Know?
- Savini served as a combat photographer during the Vietnam War, which influenced his realistic gore effects.
- He won the 1985 Saturn Award for Best Makeup Effects for his work on George A. Romero's Day of the Dead.
- Savini's first breakthrough in film was creating a convincing wrist-slashing effect in George A. Romero's Martin (1977).
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