No reader of Backwoods Horror should be unfamiliar with Tom Savini’s work. Garnering at one time the Godfather of Gore, the King of Splatter, his special makeup effects work spans a great deal of the horror films we grew up with. FRIDAY THE 13th, FRIDAY THE 13th PART IV, DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD, MARTIN, MANIAC, THE PROWLER, the list goes on and on. Something of a renaissance man of the film industry, though he’s known for his effects work, he’s also an accomplished stunt man, director, and actor. You name it, he’s done it. And now, finally, a documentary has been made about this incredible man.

Having succeeded with raising a few bucks with their kickstarter campaign, Jason Baker and MIJO Films present SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE STORY OF TOM SAVINI, a film that delves into his early life, career, and legacy by not only interviewing the man himself, but everyone he’s worked with throughout the years, featuring interviews with Academy Award winning special effects make-up artists Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger of KNB EFX, Video Watchdog founder and film critic Tim Lucas, The Misfits’ Jerry Only, and legendary filmmaker George A. Romero among others…people who have considered him a lifelong friend. For those of you lucky enough to be at the Montreal Comic Con Horrorfest, Baker will be debuting the film on Saturday, September 15th, at 10:15pm with Tom, the man himself, in attendance. I am so incredibly excited that someone has finally made a documentary about a man whose artistry has changed the course of horror films forever and I can’t wait to see it.

I was lucky enough to meet Tom Savini in Asheville, NC at a small lecture he was giving about his career in makeup and special effects to a theater class at UNCA. I wasn’t a part of the class and so was not allowed to attend as there were only 12 or 13 seats, but he came walking out of the room before the lecture and saw me standing there with my EVIL DEAD t-shirt on and began talking to me about what an awesome film it was. Then he introduced himself, as did I while also telling him I knew exactly who he was and what a fan I was of him and his work but wasn’t allowed to attend the lecture. Not only did he get me in, and right at the front row, but he signed my copies of his Grande Illusions books, A rare DAWN OF THE DEAD poster book, and was nice enough to take a photo with me. He’s an incredible man who has done some incredible work both behind and in front of the camera, and this documentary has been a long time coming.