Savini has worked on some exceptionally gruesome films including ‘Dawn’ and ‘Day of the Dead’, ‘Maniac’, ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’, ‘The Burning’, ‘Friday the 13th Part IV’ and ‘Deranged’. In this piece I have attempted to pick his five greatest effects…do you have your favourites?
‘The Exploding Head’ (Dawn of the Dead - 1978) – click here for full review of the film
In a film that’s full of superb special effects, including the biker buffet, machete in the head, zombified Stephen and the helicopter head slice, that exploding head is a fine example of how to recycle an effect! The moment itself is blink and you miss it yet it has maximum impact, coming pretty much out of nowhere at the very beginning of the film it lays down a challenge to audiences…it’s Romero and Savini’s way of let you know what you’re in for, if they can do that in the opening minutes then prepare yourself for the next 140!
The irony is that this effect was intended to play out in the final scenes and is a head cast of female lead Galen Ross. Her character was supposed to check out at the end of the film in the rotary blades of the chopper during a bleak and downbeat ending that also saw Peter shoot himself. So, rather than waste a perfectly good special effect when you can apply make-up, new hair and a beard and have Woolley blow his brains out. It’s a remarkable shot and may well be the first graphically rendered exploding head in cinema history.
‘Major Cooper’ (Day of the Dead - 1985)
Sticking with the zombie theme, ‘Day of the Dead’ is littered with Savini’s finest work and the pulling apart of Rhodes in particular is extraordinarily graphic, reflecting Jo Pilato’s enjoyably nasty portrayal as the crackpot captain. However it’s the off screen death of one of his military mates, or at least his fate, that most impressed me. It is quite obvious that it’s a real man on that trolley playing Major Cooper, you can tell be the arm movement, but one question always baffled me…where the hell is his head?
Savini manages the incredible trick of perfectly blending the actor with the practical effect of a brain on the end of his spinal cord wired up to an electrolysis machine. As with all of the other effects in this movie it is utterly believable (when Private Miller is bitten you can even see his thyroid, such is the anatomical accuracy of his effects), the way the oesophagus moves as if breathing and swallowing and, of course, the human element of the arms reacting to the stimulus.
What the effect also does is propel the plot. We find out more about Logan and his unstable nature, he’s perhaps not the cuddly, eccentric scientist that he appears to be and perhaps even a murderer. It also becomes the fuel for Rhodes’ rage when he finds out Cooper and the rest of his men are being experimented upon after death. It perfectly showcases the special relationship Savini and Romero shared and how they utilised each other’s strengths to come up with something utterly incredible.
‘Scoop of Brain, Spoon of Eye’ (Deranged - 1974)
An unusual film that was notable for two things. First of all it was a more literal telling of ‘The Wisconsin Ghoul’, Ed Gein, which had been very loosely referenced before in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’. Here his name has been changed to ‘Ezra Cobb’ and comes across as a quasi-documentary. Also, it was the second film to feature the effects of Tom Savini, some of which were too gruesome for the censors who removed some of the more graphic moments for audiences yet to become accustomed to onscreen gore.
When Gein removes the eyes of one of the corpses with a spoon before cutting off the top of her head with a hacksaw, removing her brain and peeling off her face to hold it up as a mask in front his face, it’s safe to say that it’s pretty shocking even now. It’s all done in VERY graphic close up, broad daylight and it is a quite astonishing sequence, lasting a full two minutes. We had seen graphic gore before courtesy of H.G Lewis, but with its oversized and clearly prosthetic limbs, bright red blood and hammy style, this was something else entirely.
Sadly most of the scene was removed by censors and lost for almost 15 years (along with the film which was also largely forgotten) until it was resurrected as a curiosity and the scene was restored in all its gory glory. Talk about announcing yourself to the horror fraternity in explicit fashion, it’s a wonderfully grim and gritty treat of a scene in a film that really is a must see for anyone interested in 70s grindhouse horror.
‘The Crate Monster’ (Creepshow - 1982) – click here for full review
Tom Savini has gone on record as saying that Romero’s portmanteau movie was his most challenging as it is effectively five different movies in one. The most difficult part was undoubtedly the monster in ‘The Crate’ segment as most, if not all of his effects prior to this had been make up or gore effects, never animatronics. It was another string to his bow and once again, it didn’t disappoint.
I found ‘The Crate’ to be the weak link in ‘Creepshow’, it’s a little slow and for me it holds up the movie. It’s also the least fun, lacking the wit and charm of the other instalments BUT the monster is the best part of the entire film, wonderfully realised and executed. Savini obviously took great pride in the effect, nicknaming it ‘Fluffy’ and there is reportedly an additional 20 minutes of footage not used in the film featuring the monster. My only gripe is that it doesn’t feature in the film enough! That it gobbles up the disgustingly obnoxious Wilma (Adrienne Barbeau clearly having a blast in the role!) just adds to the creature’s charm.
I think Savini had something of a new found appreciation for animatronics with masks and moving creatures a part of Tommy’s character in ‘Friday the 13th: Part 4’…featuring more of his memorable effects.
‘Killing Jason’ (Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter - 1984)
I was very tempted to go for Savini blowing his own head apart in ‘Maniac’ but, having already picked an exploding head, I went for his complete destruction of the character he helped to create.
Of course Savini provided the exceptional make-up for Jason in that infamous jump scare at the end of the original movie (no small achievement considering it was applied and then placed underwater) and it’s understood that he only agreed to do this film knowing that he was about to kill off the character he gave to the world. The original script called for Tommy (the character name was an homage to Savini in acknowledgment of his contribution to the success of the franchise) to split Jason’s head with a machete but Savini wanted more!
What we eventually got was Trish delivering the initial blow to knock off the hockey mask revealing Jason’s twisted face. Tommy then plants the machete into Jason’s head who then falls head first onto the blade and slowly slides down the blade which continues to work its way into Mr Vorhees’ head. There is an alternate take that features gushes of blood during this scene! With Jason still twitching, Tommy then goes berserk, violently slashing away at Jason’s body, the off screen effects achieved by Tommy hacking away at a box of apples covered with a wet blanket!
It’s a fitting way to see off Jason, hacked to death by one of his would-be victims but of course, history tells us that you can’t keep a good Vorhees down and many more, inferior (though I did thoroughly enjoy Part 6!) sequels followed, largely thanks to the money made from this instalment.
What now?
I hope this didn’t come across as too gushing but it’s hard to put into words just how much of an important figure in horror history Tom Savini is and a huge part of my formative years. Alongside Ray Harryhausen, he’s one of the few non-directing, behind the scenes names that could sell a film and is a mark of quality on pretty much any film he lends his talents to. Of course it’s not just effects work, he’s also been a stuntman, director, actor, cinematographer and producer but it’s the effects for which he will forever be associated and, thanks to his ‘Special Make-Up Effects Program’, he has a legacy too.
So, what films would you pick as Savini’s ‘Five of the Best’…I want to hear your views!
Related Reviews
‘Dawn of the Dead’ – Click here
‘Creepshow’ – Click here
‘The Burning’ – Click here
‘Friday the 13th’ – Click here
Five of the Best: Dario Argento Movies – Click here
Five of the Best: Horror movie soundtracks – Click here
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