The self-narrated life story of a respected horror effects master. Savini certainly has the credentials: he led the gore teams behind Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow and two early Friday the 13th entries, parlaying that cult stardom into a healthy fringe acting career later in life. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are both longtime fans of his work, which led to small (but memorable) roles in From Dusk till Dawn, Django Unchained, both Machete movies and the like.
Savini seems like a genuinely nice guy, if a bit wacky and intense, but his story doesn't translate into an interesting biography. He's too polite to delve deep into the murkier aspects of his background - several rocky marriages, action in Vietnam and a difficult directing turn in 1990's Night of the Living Dead remake amount to nothing more than footnotes - which leaves very little dramatic meat on the bone. That void could've been filled with a more in-depth look at his special effects work, maybe a revealing glimpse into his creative process or running commentary on a few favorite scenes, but even that headline material is simply skirted and disregarded.
I'm not really sure how this chewed up ninety minutes. All the best bits are simple, regurgitated highlights from his filmography with no additional context or insight.
Savini seems like a genuinely nice guy, if a bit wacky and intense, but his story doesn't translate into an interesting biography. He's too polite to delve deep into the murkier aspects of his background - several rocky marriages, action in Vietnam and a difficult directing turn in 1990's Night of the Living Dead remake amount to nothing more than footnotes - which leaves very little dramatic meat on the bone. That void could've been filled with a more in-depth look at his special effects work, maybe a revealing glimpse into his creative process or running commentary on a few favorite scenes, but even that headline material is simply skirted and disregarded.
I'm not really sure how this chewed up ninety minutes. All the best bits are simple, regurgitated highlights from his filmography with no additional context or insight.