FILM REVIEW – SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE STORY OF TOM SAVINI

22/10/2021

If for some reason you’re looking for a salacious warts-and-all account that exposes the seedy side of a horror legend, you’ll be disappointed. Smoke and Mirrors isn’t a hard-hitting exposé or even an especially groundbreaking film; it’s a love letter to a man whose passion for gruesome fun has inspired thousands and touched millions.

Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini
A film review by Sam Kurd

Filmmaker Jason Baker examines the life and career of Tom Savini -- one of Hollywood's premier makeup and special effects artists.

Director: Jason Baker
Producer: Jason Baker
Cinematography: Mitch Cleaver

Even if you’ve never somehow heard the name Tom Savini before, if you’ve seen horror movies then I can guarantee you’ve seen his work. He’s one of the best special effects maestros in the business, whose gory effects and ghoulish creatures lit up the screen in classics like Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th and Creepshow. He’s a genuine living legend, and this documentary aims to give you a peek under his hood.

Through a mixture of archive footage, old photographs and interviews with horror luminaries and the man himself, we’re treated to an overview of his life story from birth to the present day. And when I say luminaries, I mean it: interviewees include Greg Nicotero, Robert Rodriguez, Tony Todd, Bill Moseley, George Romero, Sid Haig and Alice frickin’ Cooper.

We learn about the unique mix of early influences that creates a mind like Savini’s. Growing up poor helped make him resourceful, but being surrounded by older siblings (the youngest was 15 years older than him!) meant a constant and loving support network in which he could grow. Fed on steady diet of monster movies, it wasn’t until he saw Man of a Thousand Faces that he had that lightning bolt realisation that changed horror cinema: someone makes these monsters,,, and if they could do it, so could he! Armed with a steady supply of makeup, issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and his own natural charm and irreverence, from then on there was no stopping him.

It’s fascinating to realise the difference in horror effects before Tom Savini came along. A lot of the 70s splatter flicks have blood and gore effects that haven’t ages especially well, with blood that looks like paint and other shortcomings. Savini raised the bar, and with that came a level of realism previously unknown and an era of gory films & creature features that stand the test of time.

It wasn’t an easy road from that poor kid with store-bought makeup to running his own effects academy, but it certainly makes for an interesting story! I’ve never read up on Tom Savini, so I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you how fresh and original it may be. It’s all new to me, and I enjoyed learning about where he came from and what makes him tick. I like that he considers himself a magician, because he’s in the business of creating illusions. All film-makers are in that business, and makeup departments are the ones who take it most literally!

One interesting and fun technique that director Jason Baker uses to keep things visually interesting is throwing in the occasional animated sequence to reflect the anecdote being recounted. My favourite of these was the terrifying experience Savini had during his time in the Vietnam War, which is capped off by a hilarious reveal that just perfectly sums up how absurd war can be. Well, that and the animated storyboard sequence that runs as Savini describes the original ending for his Night of the Living Dead – I wish he’d been able to run with that one, as it sounds much more striking and satisfying!

Baker is not an experienced documentarian, coming instead from a background in WWE art direction and, naturally, makeup effects. He treats his subject with reverence, which is pretty understandable as he’s Savini’s assistant and Savini seems like a really awesome boss to work for. By all accounts Tom Savini is a pussycat and a genuinely lovely man. He’s always came across that way, and that’s the overwhelming impression from all the interviewees: they praise his passion and creativity, but they’re most keen to impress on you that he’s just an all-round great dude.

If for some reason you’re looking for a salacious warts-and-all account that exposes the seedy side of a horror legend, you’ll be disappointed. Smoke and Mirrors isn’t a hard-hitting exposé or even an especially groundbreaking film; it’s a love letter to a man whose passion for gruesome fun has inspired thousands and touched millions.

It’d make a great double-bill with 2011’s Nightmare Factory!