Robert Kurtzman (born November 25, 1964) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and special effects makeup artist.

Career

Kurtzman began his career in 1984 when he moved from his hometown of

Crestline, Ohio Crestline is a village in Crawford and Richland Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. Crestline's population was 4,630 at the 2010 census. It is the third largest municipality in Crawford County. The Crawford County portion of Crestline is part ...

, to

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, to pursue his interest in prosthetic makeup, better known as special makeup effects. In 1988, along with Gregory Nicotero and Howard Berger, he formed

K.N.B. EFX Group KNB EFX Group is an American special effects company that specializes in prosthetic makeup, animatronics, and other practical effects. It was founded in 1988 by Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger, though Kurtzman left in 2003. Af ...

, a special makeup effects studio which has gone on to work on over 400 film and television projects. K.N.B. has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award in 2001 for their work on the 2000

Sci Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...

miniseries ''

Frank Herbert's Dune ''Frank Herbert's Dune'' is a three-part science fiction television miniseries based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert. It was written and directed by John Harrison. The cast includes Alec Newman as Paul Atreides, William Hurt as Duke Leto At ...

''. They were awarded an Academy Award in 2006 for achievement in makeup for '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe''. After establishing himself in the special effects arena, Kurtzman turned to directing and producing. His first project was '' From Dusk till Dawn'', for which he wrote the original story, served as co-producer, and created the special effects. '' The Demolitionist'' marked Kurtzman's directorial debut. He went on to direct '' Wishmaster'', in which he had an uncredited cameo as "piano wire guy". In 2002, Kurtzman left K.N.B. EFX Group. Kurtzman moved his family to Crestline, Ohio, and started his own production company, Precinct 13 Entertainment. Founded in 2003, Precinct 13 is described as a Film/Television and Radio Commercial/Visual Effects production facility. '' The Rage'' was the first in-house, fully financed, independent feature film. Kurtzman and P13 have, also, co-produced the supernatural film ''

The Dead Matter ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', featuring Andrew Divoff,

Tom Savini Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and film director. He is known for his makeup and special effects work on many films directed by George A. Romero, including ''Martin' ...

, and

Jim O'Rear Jim O'Rear is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Career O’Rear began his professional career working on stage with magicians including David Copperfield and Harry Blackstone, Jr. He then trained as an actor at The American A ...

. Kurtzman also directed the action-thriller film ''

Deadly Impact ''Deadly Impact'' ( also known by the working titles ''Angelmaker'' and ''To Live and Die'') is a 2009 American crime thriller film written by Alexander Vesha and directed by Robert Kurtzman. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery, Joe Pantoliano, Ca ...

'', which was written by Alexander Vesha. In 2017, Kurtzman took on the Makeup/ MUFX Co-Department Head position for the series ''

The Haunting of Hill House ''The Haunting of Hill House'' is a 1959 gothic horror novel by American author Shirley Jackson. A finalist for the National Book Award and considered one of the best literary ghost stories published during the 20th century, it has been mad ...

'' directed by Mike Flanagan. Kurtzman moved his studio to Atlanta and formed Robert Kurtzman MUFX, LLC. His new company has worked on films such as

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot'' is a 2019 American satirical buddy stoner comedy film written, directed, edited by, and starring Kevin Smith. Referring to his 2001 comedy ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', Smith has described the film as a rema ...

, Ma and Doctor Sleep.

Awards

Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival The Sitges Film Festival ( ca, Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, links=no) is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Spain, specialized in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost in ...

– 2002 Winner for Best Makeup for ''

Cabin Fever Cabin fever is the distressing claustrophobic irritability or restlessness experienced when a person, or group, is stuck at an isolated location or in confined quarters for an extended time. A person may be referred to as stir-crazy, derived from ...

''. Shared with Howard Berger and Gregory Nicotero. *

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organization established in 1972 dedicated to the advancement of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Academy is headquarter ...

– 1999 Saturn Award winner for Best Makeup for '' Vampires''. Shared with Howard Berger and Gregory Nicotero. * Sitges – Catalan International Film Festival – 1997 nominee for Best Film for '' Wishmaster''. *

CableACE Award The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Am ...

s – 1995 nominee for Makeup for ''State of Emergency'' (1994) (TV). Shared with Howard Berger, Gregory Nicotero, Ashlee Petersen, and Heidi Seeholzer. * CableACE Awards – 1994 nominee for Makeup for '' Body Bags'' (1993). Shared with Rick Baker, Greg LaCava, Gregory Nicotero, and Howard Berger.

Filmography

1980s

* * '' From Beyond'' (1986) - Effects Technician * ''

Night of the Creeps ''Night of the Creeps'' is a 1986 American science fiction horror comedy film written and directed by Fred Dekker in his feature directorial debut, starring Jason Lively, Jill Whitlow, and Tom Atkins. The film is an earnest attempt at a B movi ...

'' (1986) – Special makeup effects * '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'' (1987) – Freddy's creature forms * ''

Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

'' (1987) – Creature effects crew * ''

Evil Dead II ''Evil Dead II'' (also known in publicity materials as ''Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn'') is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi. It is considered both a remake and sequel (or "re-quel") to the 1981 film ''The Evil Dead'', and wa ...

'' (1987) – Special makeup effects unit crew * ''

Phantasm II ''Phantasm II'' is a 1988 American science fantasy action-horror film and the sequel to '' Phantasm'' (1979). It was written and directed by Don Coscarelli and stars Angus Scrimm, James LeGros and Reggie Bannister. The first film's protagonist, Mi ...

'' (1988) – Special makeup effects constructor * * '' 976-EVIL'' (1988) - on-set makeup applicator: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc. * '' Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers'' (1989) – Special effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group * '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child'' (1989) – Supervisor: Freddy's head de-merge effects, special makeup effects artist * ''

The Horror Show ''The Horror Show'' (also known as ''House III: The Horror Show'') is a 1989 American slasher film directed by James Isaac, from a script co-written by Allyn Warner and Leslie Bohem. Produced by Sean S. Cunningham, it serves as the third install ...

'' (1989) – Special effects * '' DeepStar Six'' (1989) – Creature guy * ''Night Angel'' (1989) – Additional makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group * ''Nightwish'' (1989) – Special effects * * ''Intruder'' (1989) – Special makeup effects artist

1990s

* ''

Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel '' Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the ...

'' (1990) – Buffalo effects supervisor * '' Bride of Re-Animator'' (1990) – Special makeup effects and bride effects creator: K.N.B. EFX Group, special makeup effects artist * '' Tremors'' (1990) – Creature effects: art crew * * ''

The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel ''Legion'' (1983), and the f ...

'' (1990) - Demon effects makeup * '' Darkman'' (1990) - Special effects makeup artist * '' Misery'' (1990) – Special makeup effects artist * ''Sibling Rivalry'' (1990) – Special makeup effects * '' Tales from the Darkside: The Movie'' (1990) – Special makeup effects supervisor * '' Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III'' (1990) – Makeup artist * * * ''

The People Under the Stairs ''The People Under the Stairs'' is a 1991 American horror comedy film written and directed by Wes Craven and starring Brandon Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, and A. J. Langer. The plot follows a young boy and two adult robbers who become ...

'' (1991) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''

Dr. Giggles ''Dr. Giggles'' is a 1992 American slasher film directed by Manny Coto, starring Larry Drake as Evan Rendell Jr., the eponymous Dr. Giggles, and Holly Marie Combs as Jennifer Campbell. The film co-stars Cliff DeYoung and Glenn Quinn. It was re ...

'' (1992) – Special makeup effects supervisor * '' Army of Darkness'' (1992) – Special makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group * ''

The Nutt House ''The Nutt House'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for five episodes on NBC from September 20 to October 25, 1989. Overview ''The Nutt House'' was the creation of executive producers Mel Brooks and Alan Spencer and was a broad ...

'' (1992) – Special makeup effects * * '' Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday'' (1993) – Effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group, special makeup effects artist: K.N.B. EFX Group * '' Body Bags'' (1993) (TV) – Special makeup effects * '' Doppelganger'' (1993) – Special makeup effects * ''

Maniac Cop 3 ''Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence'' is a 1992 American Action film, action slasher film written by Larry Cohen and directed by William Lustig. It is the third and final installment in the ''Maniac Cop'' film series. ''Maniac Cop III: Badge of Sil ...

: Badge of Silence'' (1993) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''Ed and His Dead Mother'' (1993) – Special makeup effects * * * ''

Wes Craven's New Nightmare ''Wes Craven's New Nightmare'' (also known simply as ''New Nightmare'') is a 1994 American meta slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven, creator of 1984's ''A Nightmare on Elm Street''. A standalone film and the seventh installment in ...

'' (1994) – Special makeup effects * '' Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings'' (1994) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness'' (1994) – Special makeup effects * '' The Demolitionist'' (1995) – Director, screenwriter * ''

Lord of Illusions ''Lord of Illusions'' is a 1995 American neo-noir supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based on his own short story "The Last Illusion" published in 1985 in the anthology '' Books of Blood'' Volume 6. The same story introd ...

'' (1995) – Special makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group * ''Skinner'' (1995) – Special makeup effects artist, special effects supervisor * * ''Wes Craven's

Vampire in Brooklyn ''Vampire in Brooklyn'' is a 1995 American dark comedy horror film directed by Wes Craven. It stars Eddie Murphy, who produced and wrote with his brothers Vernon Lynch and Charles Q. Murphy. The film co-stars Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, Kadeem ...

'' (1995) – On-set special makeup effects application, special makeup effects: puppeteer * ''Galaxis'' (1995) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''

Scream Scream may refer to: *Screaming, a loud vocalization Amusement rides * Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany * Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England * Scream! (roller coaster), at ...

'' (1996) – Special makeup effects supervisor * '' From Dusk till Dawn'' (1996) – Co-producer, story, makeup effects supervisor * '' The Night Flier'' (1997) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''Double Tap'' (1997) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''

Spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: ...

'' (1997) – Animatronic creature effects, special makeup effects * '' Wishmaster'' (1997) – Director, special makeup effects * * ''

The Faculty ''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, B ...

'' (1998) – Special makeup and creature effects * '' A Simple Plan'' (1998) – Special makeup effects supervisor/puppeteer * ''John Carpenter's Vampires'' (1998) – Special makeup effects * '' Dean Koontz's Phantoms'' (1998) – Makeup effects supervisor: KNB EFX Group * ''

House On Haunted Hill ''House on Haunted Hill'' is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle, written by Robb White and starring Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig and Elisha Cook Jr. Price plays an ...

'' (1999) - Special makeup effects

2000s

* '' The Crow: Salvation'' (2000) - Special makeup effects artist * ''

'' (2000) – Animatronic creature effects supervisor/puppeteer * ''

Little Nicky ''Little Nicky'' is a 2000 American fantasy comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Brill, Adam Sandler, and Tim Herlihy, and starring Sandler in the title role, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., ...

'' (2000) – Special makeup and creature effects supervisor * ''Spiders'' (2000) – Special makeup and creature effects supervisor * '' My First Mister'' (2001) – Co-executive producer, special makeup effects artist * '' Vanilla Sky'' (2001) – Special makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group Inc. * '' Thir13en Ghosts'' (2001) – Special makeup effects artist, special makeup effects supervisor * ''John Carpenter's

Ghosts of Mars ''Ghosts of Mars'' (titled onscreen as ''John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars'') is a 2001 American science fiction action horror film written, directed and scored by John Carpenter. It was produced by Screen Gems and distributed by Sony Pictures Re ...

'' (2001) – Special makeup effects artist * '' Soulkeeper'' (2001) – Special makeup and creature effects * ''

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

'' (2001) – Creature effects * ''John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos'' (2002) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''

Bubba Ho-tep ''Bubba Ho-Tep'' is a 2002 American comedy horror film written, co-produced and directed by Don Coscarelli. It stars Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley—now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who c ...

'' (2002) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''

Ghost Ship A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a ship, vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the ''Flying Dutchman'', or a physical Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict, derelict found adrift with its cre ...

'' (2002) - Additional prosthetic special makeup effects supervisor artist/hairstylist * ''

Bad Boys II ''Bad Boys II'' is a 2003 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. The sequel to the 1995 film '' Bad Boys'' and the second film in the ''Bad Bo ...

'' (2003) - Special makeup effects artist (uncredited) * '' Identity'' (2003) – Special makeup effects supervisor * '' Tremors 4: The Legend Begins'' (2004) – Special effects supervisor * '' Cursed'' (2005) - Special makeup effects * '' Hostel'' (2005) – Visual effects supervisor * ''Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter's Cove'' (2005) – Visual effects supervisor * '' 2001 Maniacs'' (2005) – Visual effects supervisor * ''

The Devil's Rejects ''The Devil's Rejects'' is a 2005 black comedy horror film written, produced and directed by Rob Zombie, and is the second film in the ''Firefly'' film series, serving as a sequel to his 2003 film ''House of 1000 Corpses''. The film is centere ...

'' (2005) – Visual effects supervisor * '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning'' (2006) - Special effects makeup * '' The Rage'' (2007) – Producer, director, writer, cinematographer, visual effects producer, special makeup effects producer * ''

Buried Alive Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally on the mistaken assumption that they are dead, or intentionally as a form of t ...

'' (2007) – Director, visual effects producer, special makeup effects producer, special effects director * ''Wanted: Undead or Alive'' (2007 – filming) – Special Makeup FX Producer/Visual effects producer * ''The Living Hell'' (2007) – Visual effects producer, special makeup effects producer * ''

'' (2009) - Director, special makeup producer, visual effects producer, actor (character: Homeowner)

2010s

* ''The Dead Matter'' (2010) – Producer * '' Jug Face'' (2013) – Special makeup effects producer * ''

Tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...

'' (2014) – Special effects makeup * '' Lake Eerie'' (2016) – Special makeup effects artist, special effects supervisor * '' The Funhouse Massacre'' (2016) – Special makeup effects producer * ''The Neighbor'' (2016) – Special makeup effects supervisor * ''

The Bye Bye Man ''The Bye Bye Man'' is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Stacy Title (in her final directed film before her death) and written by Jonathan Penner, based on the chapter "The Bridge to Body Island" in Robert Damon Schneck's book ...

'' (2017) – Special makeup effects producer *

The Haunting of Hill House (TV series) ''The Haunting of Hill House'' is an American supernatural horror drama streaming television miniseries created and directed by Mike Flanagan, produced by Amblin Television and Paramount Television, for Netflix, and serves as the first en ...

- Co-Makeup/Makeup Effects Department Head *Stephen King's

Gerald's Game (film) ''Gerald's Game'' is a 2017 American psychological horror thriller film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan, and screenplay written by Flanagan with Jeff Howard. It is based on Stephen King's 1992 novel of the same title, long thought to be u ...

- Makeup Effects Department Head *

Doctor Sleep (2019 film) ''Doctor Sleep'' is a 2019 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Mike Flanagan. It is based on the 2013 Stephen King novel of the same name, and is a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's '' The Shining'' (1980). Set several decades ...

- Makeup Effects Department Head

2020s

* ''Rise of The Living Dead'' (2021) – Special makeup effects artist *

Cherry (2021 film) ''Cherry'' is a 2021 American crime drama film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Nico Walker. It stars Tom Holland as the titular char ...

- Makeup/Makeup Effects Department Head * ''The Underground Railroad'' (2021) TV series – makeup artist (1 episode) * '' Black Friday'' (2021) – Makeup and Special Effects Department Head * Fear Street Part Two: 1978 - Makeup Effects Artist * First Kill (TV series) - Makeup Effects Department Head * Secret Headquarters - Makeup Effects Department Head *

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey ''The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'' is an American drama streaming television limited series created by Walter Mosley for Apple TV+. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Mosley, the series stars Samuel L. Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Cynthi ...

- Makeup Effects Department Head * '' KillRoy Was Here'' (2022) – Special makeup effects artist

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kurtzman, Robert 1964 births American male screenwriters American make-up artists Horror film directors Living people People from Crestline, Ohio Special effects people Animatronic engineers Screenwriters from Ohio Film producers from Ohio