{The Blue Banner} I hursday, April 17, 200B Arts. Etc Pages muni f #... Column by Heather Thompson Horror special ejfects artist Tom Savini visits UNCA Contributing Writer Meredi Wagner-Hoehn Staff Writer [email protected] Dark Days 2000 Fatience create.s true terror, Director: Marc Singer accordinj; to acclaimed horror movie actor, director and special In Dark Days, Docuraentarian Marc Singer goes effects artist Tom .Savini. underground for this hilarious and astounding docu­ "Anybody can jump up and mentary about the dozens of homeless people living go, that scare lasts like under the street by the Amtrak rails near Penn Sta­ two seconds. The best scares tion. They enter their homes through a man-sized come from suspense, when you hole covered by a rug in an alley. They live in fairly show the threat and then the hero, sturdy one-room shacks, or hou.ses. Some have elec­ which is usually a woman if it is a tricity and they use water from a leaking pipe to take horror movie," Savini said. "That showers. Most of them are former or current drug is the beginning of the scare that abusers, and through the course of the film the viewer learns about lasts all the way until the culmi­ their lives, how they got down there, how they get income and if they nation -she either escapes or the plan to leave at any time. I love this documentary, not only because of thing grabs her, or you fathom Photos Contributed by Don Diefenbach it’s subject, but because Singer was not a filmmaker. He used his own money to make this film to create a source of income for the people nothing's there behind the door Tom Savini, renowned horror .spe­ he lived with in the tunnels so that they could eventually get out. The and then the thing is behind her. cial effects artist, spoke at UNC soundtrack is all original music by DJ Shadow. There are some tough That can last a long time. Hut Asheville last Thursday in the Hu­ scenes to watch, but there are also several hilarious scenes. My favor­ you have to be careful because if manities Lecture Hall, which was you wait t<K) long, the audience packed with students. Savini, left, ite part is when one of the guys explains how awesome his past pets doesn’t care anymore." walks to dinner with Hen Horn, were. The DVD has some of the best extras I’ve seen on a DVD, as Savini is best known for his center, and Brett Albers. Fluffy, well as a follow up on the individuals who are spotlighted, so we get to find out what happened to them after the film. work in Ni^ht of the Living Dead. above, is one of Savini’s creatures Friday the Uth. Creepshow. The from the movie Creepshow. Huniinf<, The I’rowler and Ma­ Pan’s Labyrinth niac. 2006 Savini also created the Tom Director: Guillermo del Toro Hut, the Hollywood horror Savini’s Special Make-Up Ef­ expert told an audience at UNC fects Program in Pennsylvania, Pan’s Labyrinth was directed by creator of night­ Asheville last Thursday that he which is a 16-month strenuous mares, Guillermo del Toro (no relation to Benecio). was actually initially drawn to degree program. Del Toro studied makeup effects under the great Dick comedy. “They learn animatronics. Smith (The Exorcist) before becoming a director. The "1 loved the Marx Hrothers They learn hair work - most film takes place in Spain in 1944 and follows the expe­ and the Stooges. Horror was just make-up artists don’t know any­ riences of a young girl who is forced to live with her more serious and had more of an thing about hair work. Gradu­ mother and step-father (a captain of the Spanish army). effect on me when I was a kid. I ate from my school and you can In order to survive these times, she delves into a fantas­ believed that /• rankeii.stein. Ihe weave a toupee,” Savini said. tical world where she is believed to be the princess of the underworld, Wolf Man and The Mummy were Students can work not only in lost to her parents long ago. OK, it sounds like a lot it could be a bor­ real," Savini said, referencing the the film industry, but in prosthetic ing epic, but I assure you it is not. I saw this in theaters at a 4:10 p.m. ‘40s lilms from directors James labs, museums and toy compa­ showing and couldn’t get it out of my head and had to go back the same and say, ‘Sex Machine, how did Whale, George Waggner and Karl ond that you can do lots of things nies with this degree, according evening at 9:10 p.m. and see it again. The visual stimulation that one Treund respectively. “Laughing you get the bullets into the gun?’ well." to Savini. receives from viewing Pan’s Labyrinth cannot compare to anything was great, but being .scared - it I’m looking at this person and Anne Slatton. who teaches F'or a man who knows all the else I’ve seen. Yes, it’s subtitled, but if you have a problem with that did something that 1 watited to do I’m saying, ‘You know, it’s only a film genres and film criticism secrets and makes a living of cre­ then you’re already missing out on a majority of the world’s films. to people." movie,’" Savini said, referencing clas.ses at UNCA, said trying dif­ ating fear in other people, he still They can’t all cater to Americans. Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, is The packed Humanities lec­ characters from his films Friday ferent fields makes a professional has his nightmares. fantastic. Mercedes, maid of the captain, is played by Maribel Verdu the 13th, Halloween and From ture Hall st(K)d as evidence of stronger. Savini was a combat photogra­ of Y tu Mama, Tambien, is one of the toughest female characters I’ve Savini's extensive fan base here Dusk Till Dawn. "If you believe "It’s a natural progression as pher in the Vietnam War. seen in a long, long time and Sergi Lopez (who plays the much hated Jason is a real character walking at UNCA. an artist to try new things, espe­ "I find safety behind the cam­ captain) will send chills up your spine and not just because he gets fish "One E)f the great things ahtTut around, you’re being trained to be cially if you’re in the business era," he said. “To be there and see hooked with a knife. If you haven’t seen this...'WHY NOT? stupid." Tom (Savini) is the timeless na­ for a long time," .Slatton said. that, you have to be able to turn ture of his appeal," said mass Savini created the Jason and “Either to try to have more con­ your emotions off” Annie Hall Michael Myers characters as a communication associate profes­ trol if you’re an actor ~ you work Despite claiming reality scares 1977 sor Don Diefenbach. "In the late make-up and special effects artist; with a lot of directors and learn him the most, he lists The Exor­ Director: Woody Allen he acted as the character Sex Ma­ ‘70s and the early ‘80s, when he a lot of stuff and then you want cist, Aliens and the 1959 origi­ chine, who had a pistol strapped Annie Hall is not my favorite Woody Allen film, (it’s was really blowing the industry to try it out yourself, or you want nal of House on Haunted Hill to his groin. ^ Love and Death) but it is one of his more popular films right open, consuming it at the to take your personal experience as movies that frightened him I and it is very, very fiinny. Staring Diane Keaton as An­ time I was thinking, ‘Oh, well Savini’s resume for special and translate it into a different art most. nie Hall, and Woody Allen as Alvy Singer, a neurotic (to this is great now and then there'll effects includes 22 films; for act­ form." He labels The Passion of the say the least) comedian who falls in love with her, TTie be something later.' Jason and ing, 16 films; for directing, one Through his various positions, Christ as the horror film of the story is about the ups and downs of the relationships that zombies, I don’t know what it feature film and three television the horror Jack-of-all-trades has century. Alvy has had in the past and present. Carol Kane {Taxi, is, but just like Frankenstein and shows. learned an infinite number of ter­ Though many people write off A Dog Day Afternoon) is one of my favorite past wives Dracula, going back to the ‘30s, "My father could do any­ rifying tricks that help in the in­ the fantastical fear in horror films of Alvy as .Allison. Everyone’s favorite, Christopher Walken, plays his work from the ‘70s and ‘80s thing. He did many things. He dustry. as silly or unnecessary, Diefen­ Annie s brother and is undoubtedly one of the best characters in the is the .second wave of classic hor­ was a carpenter, a bricklayer, a "If you can make people be­ bach sees validity to zombies and film. I’ve seen this movie at least 15-20 times and it’s funnier every ror.’‘ plumber, an electrician, an artist, lieve there’s a bone structure vampires.