Written By: Jase Marsiglia
In 1979, publishers Kerry O’Quinn and Norman Jacobs conceived a sort of “sister” magazine to be published alongside their popular sci-fi publication "Starlog". The original intent was to cover the rising interest in the fantasy genre, with films like "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad", "Wizards", "The Land That Time Forgot", and to sprinkle in some crossover content along the lines of "Star Wars" and "Planet of the Apes". Originally titled "Fantastica", it was quickly changed to "Fangoria" under pressure from a lawsuit by the team behind "Fantastic Films", a competitor on the same racks, due to the title being too similar.
"Fangoria" was not a hit out of the gate, however. People were confused by a title that conjured darker imagery than the content being reported, especially with both “fang” and “gore” in the name. But letters began rolling in about a column detailing the burgeoning career of a young makeup effects artist named Tom Savini, and the gruesome “splatter” he was orchestrating in the wildly popular George A. Romero sequel to "Night of the Living Dead", "Dawn of the Dead". Kids could not get enough of this Savini guy and wanted more. Thanks to Savini and the interest the column generated, "Fangoria" shifted its focus to horror and makeup effects, and the rest, as they say, is history.
"Fangoria" was now leaping off the racks, and Savini, who would go on to become “The Sultan of Splatter” with gory hits like "Friday the 13th", "Maniac", "The Burning", "The Prowler", and "Creepshow" in a very short period, had become the first true rock star of horror makeup effects. As the world of home video exploded, particularly in the horror market, it came as no surprise that "Fangoria" would briefly jump on board with a docu-series extension of the magazine, focusing on Tom Savini. Let’s go back 40 years to an idea that was both celebrated by horror enthusiasts and aspiring makeup artists, and frustratingly short-lived. Pack up your tackle box of Karo syrup, food coloring, sponges, and foam rubber, and take some notes. They called this 1986 VHS curio…
Scream Greats Volume I: Tom Savini (1986)
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In the early 80s, Tom Savini and his hyper realistic horror effects made him both a household name and a target for critics. He had not yet fully graduated to monster making like contemporaries Rob Bottin, Rick Baker, or Dick Smith, but when he did with 1982’s "Creepshow", he officially became a jack of all trades. Unlike his peers, Savini was also an accomplished actor and stuntman, and with his smiling eyes, trademark mustache, and infectious enthusiasm, he quickly became the go-to guy if you wanted nasty, blood-spurting wounds, axes to the face, or one of his specialties, an entire head blown off with a shotgun in real time. Since the dawn of cinema, audiences pined for the glitz and glamor of being an actor or actress, a director, or a writer, but the craft of creating monsters and spraying gore was an aspect of movie magic that, while appreciated by horror crowds, was not a career goal for many people until "Fangoria" and Tom Savini’s articles hit the shelves.
Now people were taking a closer, more analytical look at the work Dick Smith put into the terrifying visage of Linda Blair’s possessed face in "The Exorcist". People wanted to know the mechanics behind Rick Baker’s “Change O” werewolf head from "An American Werewolf in London", a series of effects that made him the very first recipient of the Academy Award’s newly created category for Best Makeup. And everyone wanted to know the secret behind Savini’s gruesome kills in "Friday the 13th". These were no longer just grisly shocks and monsters. These were magic tricks, and these artists were magicians. There had to be a way to learn this trade. And because Dick Smith was kind enough to pass his wisdom down to aspiring makeup effects artists like Savini, Savini, in turn, shared that knowledge with fans who sent piles of letters to both him and "Fangoria", asking for these secrets.
But "Fangoria" played it smart. "Scream Greats Volume 1: Tom Savini" could have easily been an hour-long how-to feature, with Savini pulling back the curtain on his many effects. Instead, it focuses on the man himself. Where he grew up, his experiences as a combat photographer in Vietnam, his rise from theater to effects work, and his close collaborations with George Romero. Savini walks the streets of Pittsburgh, talking about shining shoes for money and the theaters he frequented to catch the latest matinees. Like so many people, he was enamored with the magic of cinema, and watching the 1957 biopic "Man of a Thousand Faces", in which James Cagney portrayed the life and career of stuntman and makeup effects artist Lon Chaney, flipped that same inspirational switch that sparks creativity in all of us.
WATCH A CLIP FROM "SCREAM GREATS VOL 1: TOM SAVINI" BELOW
By the time "Scream Greats Volume 1" hit rental stores, Savini was already well established. He had appeared on talk shows surrounded by tables of gruesome props, severed limbs, and trick weaponry, and by 1986 was featured in "Fangoria" nearly every issue, as the magazine documented his runaway career. Giving Savini the room to explain himself and reflect revealed the most crucial point of all: Savini is just a regular guy. He was a regular kid, like the rest of us, dazzled into pursuing art. The fact that he shared his tricks so willingly in interviews and in his "Grande Illusions" books from 1983 and 1994 is a testament to his confidence in the field. He is not guarding secrets. He offers insight and encouragement, reminding us that there is room for new artists if you have enough gumption and tenacity. While the success of protégés like a very young Greg Nicotero, and collaborators such as Taso Stavrakis and George A. Romero certainly proves this point, nothing illustrates Savini’s generosity better than a backyard sequence where he invites neighborhood kids over to witness a demonstration of his gunshot effects. Using his then wife Nancy as a volunteer, he rigs her with electrically triggered squibs, in this case condoms filled with fake blood, and detonates them remotely into a gory explosion against his garage wall, much to the delight of kids who undoubtedly went home wondering what magic they too could create with everyday household items.
Littered with behind-the-scenes footage, a tour of his workshop, and looks at his nastier effects and props, "Scream Greats Volume 1: Tom Savini" is a fun and inspiring artifact of its era. It truly should have been the first in a massive VHS collection showcasing different filmmakers, techniques, and retrospectives within the genre, perfectly complementing the magazine horror fans eagerly awaited each month. Looking at your shelves of Blu-rays, DVDs, and even LaserDiscs, we are lucky to have so many in-depth documentaries and featurettes today. In the 80s, releases like this were rare, and "Scream Greats" attempted to fill that gap. It remains a small but pivotal home video rarity that still surfaces from time to time.
Time: 53 minutes. USA. Not Rated. Paramount Pictures.
HOME VIDEO
Released on this day in 1986 on both VHS and LaserDisc, "Scream Greats Volume 1: Tom Savini" remained exclusive to those formats, with occasional YouTube uploads being the only way fans could see it without hunting down copies on eBay. Thankfully, that changed in the summer of 2016 when Synapse Films released a Blu-ray Special Edition of "Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow", a feature-length documentary edited, produced, and directed by Michael Felsher. Originally included as a bonus feature on the UK "Creepshow" 25th Anniversary DVD, this standalone release came packed with supplements including extended interviews, commentaries, Savini’s home movies from the set, and finally "Scream Greats Volume 1: Tom Savini" presented digitally with a retrospective commentary by Savini himself. An absolute must-have for fans of this long-abandoned VHS release, and fans of both "Creepshow" and Savini alike.
BITS ‘N’ PIECES
Followed by "Scream Greats Volume 2: Satanism and Witchcraft", the second and final entry shifted away from filmmaking to examine the rise of Satanism, cults, and the satanic panic that was driving fearful Christians into churches at the time. A timely topic that ultimately marked the end of this all too brief series.
Traum A Meter: 1 out of 4.
While the documentary features plenty of clips from Savini’s goriest films, everything is presented in a hands-on, behind-the-scenes manner meant to inform rather than scare.
Today’s Jam: Billy Ocean was reminding us that “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” the week this tape hit shelves, and considering Savini’s dedication and on-set problem-solving, it feels especially fitting.
THIS EPISODE’S MORAL:
Chase your fucking dreams, kids!
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