Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American actor, stunt man, director and award-winning special effects and makeup artist.^[1] He is known for his work on the Living Dead films directed by George A. Romero, as well as Friday the 13th, Creepshow and Maniac. He directed the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead. Though officially retired from special effects, he has continued to direct, produce and star in several movies. Savini has been known to refer movie make-up effects projects to graduates of his school. November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges, P-Burgh, The Burgh Motto: Benigno Numine Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded 1758 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area    - City 151. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor or actress is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television (such as jumping out of a building, jumping from vehicle to vehicle, or other similar actions), and for other sophisticated stunts (especially fight scenes). ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ... Cosmetology is the treatment of skin, hair and nails and includes, but is not limited to, manicures, pedicures, application of artificial nails, special occasion hairstyling, shampooing hair, cosmetic application, body hair removal, chemical hair relaxers or straighteners, permanent waves, coloring and highlighting of hair, and hair extensions or wig treatments. ... George Romero at the 2006 DragonCon George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) is an American director, writer, editor and actor. ... Friday the 13th is a 1980 slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller, admittedly made to cash in on the success of Halloween, the films theme was to take mom and apple pie and turn it on its head. ... Stephen Kings Creepshow is a 1982 anthology horror movie directed by George A. Romero (of Night of the Living Dead & Dawn of the Dead fame), and written by Stephen King (The Shining, Misery, The Stand). ... Maniac is an American slasher film, about a disturbed and traumatized serial killer who scalps his victims. ... Night of the Living Dead is the 1990 remake of George A. Romeros 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead, and was directed by Tom Savini. ... Thomas Antonio Savini (born November 3, 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an award-winning actor, stunt man, director and special effects and makeup artist. ...

Biography

Early life

Savini was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Carnegie-Mellon University and was raised in the Catholic religion.^[2] Savini served in Vietnam as a combat photographer. A popular misconception holds that Savini's wartime experiences spurred his move into makeup effects, but this is untrue; he was actually inspired during his childhood by the James Cagney film Man of a Thousand Faces, the cinematic biography of Lon Chaney, Sr. Savini continued to practice makeup in Vietnam, often frightening the Vietnamese natives by appearing to suddenly transform into a "monster."^[3] Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges, P-Burgh, The Burgh Motto: Benigno Numine Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded 1758 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area    - City 151. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... James Francis Cagney, Jr. ... Man of a Thousand Faces film poster Man of a Thousand Faces is a movie detailing the life of silent movie actor Lon Chaney Sr. ... Lon Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930), nicknamed The Man of a Thousand Faces, was an American actor during the age of silent films. ...

In 1970 while Savini was on guard duty, a flare was triggered in the jungle area he was watching. Against military protocol, Savini fired into the bush without informing his superiors. Other soldiers likewise started firing until a duck wandered from the bush completely unharmed. Due to his failure to follow orders, Savini was taken off guard duty from his bunker the following evening. The bunker was attacked that very night and several soldiers were killed. Savini earned the nickname "Duck Slayer" and to this day will not eat duck.^[4] A World War I-era parachute flare dropped from aircraft for illumination. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. ...

Career

Savini is primarily known for his groundbreaking work in the field of special makeup effects. He got his breakthrough working with Pittsburgh filmmaker George A. Romero, providing a typical if rudimentary wrist slashing effect in the opening scenes of Martin (1977). The following year, working with an expanded budget on Dawn of the Dead, Savini created his signature palate of severed limbs and bite-marks. The gore effects in Dawn have been widely imitated but never bettered for sheer visceral impact, with the possible exception of Savini's own work in the (otherwise less successful) Day of the Dead (1985). George Romero at the 2006 DragonCon George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) is an American director, writer, editor and actor. ... Martin is a 1977 horror film written and directed by George A. Romero. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Day of the Dead (1985) is a horror film by director George A. Romero, and the third of four movies beginning with Night of the Living Dead, continued in Dawn of the Dead and completed in Land of the Dead. ...

Savini has also worked on films by Dario Argento and Tobe Hooper. His signature realism livens otherwise plodding genre films such as Maniac (1980), which incidentally contains the infamous "shotgun" scene. Perhaps Savini's most noteworthy special effects occurred in the first installment of Friday the 13th. Savini has noted that most of the characters he has played are bikers. Dario Argento (born September 7, 1940) is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Tobe Hooper Tobe Hooper (born January 25, 1943) is an American television and film director best known for his work in the horror film genre. ... Maniac is an American slasher film, about a disturbed and traumatized serial killer who scalps his victims. ... DVD cover for Friday the 13th (1980) Friday the 13th is a popular series of American slasher films. ...

He did play a relatively straight, innocuous character in Martin (1977), but played menacing biker 'Blades' in Dawn of the Dead (1978), a role he reprised with a cameo appearance in the 2005 continuation of the series, Land of the Dead. He also had a cameo as a sheriff in the 2004 remake of Dawn (In which the original "Dawn" series creator George A. Romero had no part.) Savini did have a much more prominent role as biker/Renaissance fair participant Morgan in George Romero's Knightriders(1981), and had a small role as a biker in The Boy Who Loved Trolls in (1984). He also played the whip-wielding, vampire-fighting biker 'Sex Machine' in the 1996 Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez film From Dusk Till Dawn. Martin is a 1977 horror film written and directed by George A. Romero. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Martin Scorsese appears briefly in an uncredited role in this scene from his feature film Taxi Driver. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Dawn of the Dead is a loose, reimagined remake of George A. Romeros 1978 horror film of the same name. ... George Romero at the 2006 DragonCon George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) is an American director, writer, editor and actor. ... This article is actively undergoing a major edit. ... Movie based on the play by John Wheatcroft, 12 year old Paul would like nothing more than for the magical trolls and mermaids he reads about in his favorate story to be real. ... Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, actor, and Oscar-winning screenwriter. ... Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) is a Mexican-American writer and film director who is known for making profitable, crowd-pleasing independent and studio films with fairly low budgets and fast schedules by Hollywood standards. ... From Dusk Till Dawn is a 1996 action / horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez, and written by Quentin Tarantino. ...

In 2006, Savini essayed the role of Prester John, the mythical villain in the dreamlike Sea of Dust. 2006 also saw the release of Johannes Roberts' Demonic (a.k.a. Forest of the Damned), in which Savini played a mad hermit surrounded by angels cast from heaven. In 2007, Savini took on the role in Planet Terror, one of two stories in the film Grind House. "Planet Terror" is directed by Robert Rodriguez, the other story is directed by Quentin Tarantino. He plays Sheriff Tolo, who tries to save his town from an infestation of zombies. Preste enthroned on a map of East Africa in an atlas prepared for Queen Mary, 1558. ... Sea of Dust may refer to: Sea of Dust, a horror film starring Ingrid Pitt. ... Grind House is a 2007 film that consists of two segments, of which both are feature-length attractions. ... Grind House is a 2007 film that consists of two segments, of which both are feature-length attractions. ... Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) is a Mexican-American writer and film director who is known for making profitable, crowd-pleasing independent and studio films with fairly low budgets and fast schedules by Hollywood standards. ... This article is about the undead. ...

He also voiced himself on an episode of The Simpsons. He was making an appearance at Android's Dungeon where he performed his "Gutbuster" gag in which he covered the crowd in "blood and guts".

Tom Savini runs the Special Effects Make-Up Program at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, Pennsylvania. Savini is an associate of Dick Smith, who incorporates an advanced professional make-up seminar into the last semester of the program. Smith is best known for his groundbreaking work in The Exorcist. Monessen is a city located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. ... The Exorcist is a horror novel written by William Peter Blatty first published in 1971. ...

Footnotes

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Bizarre is a sister publication to Fortean Times. ...

External links

• Official website
• Tom Savini at the Internet Movie Database