Robert Kurtzman
Robert Kurtzman is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and Makeup / Special Effects Makeup artist.
Career
Kurtzman began his career in 1984 when he moved from his hometown of Crestline, Ohio, to Hollywood, California, 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, 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 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune. They were awarded an Academy Award in 2006 for achievement in makeup for .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, featuring Andrew Divoff, Tom Savini, and Jim O'Rear. Kurtzman also directed the action-thriller film Deadly Impact, 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 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, Ma and Doctor Sleep.
Awards
- Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival – 2002 Winner for Best Makeup for Cabin Fever. Shared with Howard Berger and Gregory Nicotero.
- Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films – 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 Awards – 1995 nominee for Makeup for State of Emergency . Shared with Howard Berger, Gregory Nicotero, Ashlee Petersen, and Heidi Seeholzer.
- CableACE Awards – 1994 nominee for Makeup for Body Bags. Shared with Rick Baker, Greg LaCava, Gregory Nicotero, and Howard Berger.
Filmography
1980s
- Night of the Creeps – Special makeup effects
- ' – Freddy's creature forms
- Predator – Creature effects crew
- Evil Dead II – Special makeup effects unit crew
- Phantasm II – Special makeup effects constructor
- ' – Special effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group
- – Supervisor: Freddy's head de-merge effects, special makeup effects artist
- The Horror Show – Special effects
- DeepStar Six – Creature guy
- Night Angel – Additional makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group
- Nightwish – Special effects
- Intruder – Special makeup effects artist
1990s
- Dances with Wolves – Buffalo effects supervisor
- Bride of Re-Animator – Special makeup effects and bride effects creator: K.N.B. EFX Group, special makeup effects artist
- Tremors – Creature effects: art crew
- Misery – Special makeup effects artist
- Sibling Rivalry – Special makeup effects
- ' – Special makeup effects supervisor
- ' – Makeup artist
- The People Under the Stairs – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Dr. Giggles – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Army of Darkness – Special makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group
- The Nutt House – Special makeup effects
- ' – Effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group, special makeup effects artist: K.N.B. EFX Group
- Body Bags – Special makeup effects
- Doppelganger – Special makeup effects
- Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Ed and His Dead Mother – Special makeup effects
- Wes Craven's New Nightmare – Special makeup effects
- ' – Special makeup effects supervisor
- The Demolitionist – Director, screenwriter
- Lord of Illusions – Special makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group
- Skinner – Special makeup effects artist, special effects supervisor
- John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness – Special makeup effects
- Wes Craven's Vampire in Brooklyn – On-set special makeup effects application, special makeup effects: puppeteer
- Galaxis – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Scream – Special makeup effects supervisor
- From Dusk till Dawn – Co-producer, story, makeup effects supervisor
- The Night Flier – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Boogie Nights – Makeup effects supervisor
- Double Tap – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Spawn – Animatronic creature effects, special makeup effects
- DNA – Special makeup supervisor
- Wishmaster – Director, special makeup effects
- The Faculty – Special makeup and creature effects
- A Simple Plan – Special makeup effects supervisor/puppeteer
- John Carpenter's Vampires – Special makeup effects
- Dean Koontz's Phantoms – Makeup effects supervisor: KNB EFX Group
- House on Haunted Hill – Special makeup effects
- – Special makeup effects
2000s
- ' – Special makeup effects
- Frank Herbert's Dune – Animatronic creature effects supervisor/puppeteer
- Little Nicky – Special makeup and creature effects supervisor
- Spiders – Special makeup and creature effects supervisor
- My First Mister – Co-executive producer, special makeup effects artist
- Vanilla Sky – Special makeup effects supervisor: K.N.B. EFX Group Inc.
- Thir13en Ghosts – Special makeup effects artist, special makeup effects supervisor
- John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars – Special makeup effects artist
- Rat Race – Special makeup and animatronic effects supervisor
- The Animal – Special makeup effects artist
- Spy Kids – Special makeup and creature effects
- Soulkeeper – Special makeup and creature effects
- Evolution – Creature effects
- John Carpenter's – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Austin Powers in Goldmember – Character prosthetics supervisor, special makeup effects artist
- Bubba Ho-tep – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Cabin Fever – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Hulk – Animatronic effects supervisor/puppeteer
- Once Upon a Time in Mexico – Special makeup effects supervisor
- Bad Boys II – Special makeup effects artist
- Identity – Special makeup effects supervisor
- ' – Special effects supervisor
- Hostel – Visual effects supervisor
- Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter's Cove – Visual effects supervisor
- 2001 Maniacs – Visual effects supervisor
- The Devil's Rejects – Visual effects supervisor
- The Rage – Producer, director, writer, cinematographer, visual effects producer, special makeup effects producer
- Buried Alive – Director, visual effects producer, special makeup effects producer, special effects director
- Death Walks the Streets – Visual effects supervisor, special makeup effects producer
- Roney's Point – Visual effects supervisor
- Wanted: Undead or Alive – Visual effects producer
- The Living Hell – Visual effects producer, special makeup effects producer
2010s
- The Dead Matter – Producer
- Hisss – Special effects supervisor
- Jug Face – Special makeup effects producer
- Tusk – Special effects makeup
- Lake Eerie – Special Makeup Effects Artist, Special Effects Supervisor
- The Funhouse Massacre – Special Makeup Effects Producer
- The Neighbor – Special Makeup Effects supervisor
- The Bye Bye Man – Special Makeup Effects Producer
2020s
- Killroy Was Here – Special Makeup Effects