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Biography: Howard Berger is one of the famous trio that make up the KNB Efx company - along with Robert Kurtzman and Greg Nicotero. KNB has been around for over 10 years, focusing on practical effects and make-up. Berger laments about the frequency of CGI replacing real-life effects in movies these days.
'It's like when were kids, I would look at Famous Monsters and Fangoria and look at photos of John Chambers mixing up foam. I'd look through with my magnifying glass and look at what was on his table and go, 'I guess I need all that stuff to do this'. Nowadays you just don't have that. It's aggravating.'
'[On 13 Ghosts] Producer Gil Adler has always been a great ally. Gil said to us after we finished up House on Haunted Hill, 'You guys rock, we’ve got another picture. We’re gonna do 13 Ghosts and I’ll let you know when it happens.' So the movie got greenlit, he called and said, 'Listen, I’m not bidding this job out, this is how much we have... can you do it?' Greg and I thought about it and said we could do it.'
'I had never heard of the director before, Steve Beck. Gil told us he was an ILM guy and I thought, oh God, it’s all going to be digital. I'm thinking he's a young guy. So we had a meeting and when Steve walked into the shop we found he was an older guy, polite gentleman and everyone was like 'Awesome!' and Steve said he wanted to do everything practical. Once again we got really excited.' - Full interview at Creature Corner
Update: Howard Berger (and Tami Lane) won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Makeup for Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.
Make-Up Filmography
Hostel: Part II (2007)
The Hills Have Eyes II (2007)
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (2005)
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
The Hunted (2003)
John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos (2002)
Big Fat Liar (2002)
13 Ghosts (2001)
Ghosts of Mars (2001)
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
The Animal (2001)
Spy Kids (2001)
The Cell (2000)
Picking Up the Pieces (2000)
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000)
The Green Mile (1999)
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)
The Faculty (1998)
Vampires (1998)
Phantoms (1998)
Scream 2 (1997)
Night Flier (1997)
Wishmaster (1997)
Spawn (1997)
DNA (1997)
Scream (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Galaxis (1995)
Lord of Illusions (1995)
In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
Ed and His Dead Mother (1993)
Doppelganger (1993)
Army of Darkness (1993)
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1992)
Sibling Rivalry (1990)
Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
Intruder (1988)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Night of the Creeps (1986)
Day of the Dead (1985)
Special Effects Filmography
Underdog (2007)
The Reaping (2007)
Masters of Horror: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (2005)
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Riding the Bullet (2004)
Ginger Snaps: Unleashed (2004)
Hulk (2003)
Ginger Snaps 2 (2003)
Cabin Fever (2002)
Soulkeeper (2001)
Little Nicky (2000)
Bats (1999)
Tale of the Mummy (1998)
Sub Down (1997)
Boogie Nights (1997)
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Body Bags (1993)
The People Under the Stairs (1991)
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Nightwish (1989)
Halloween 5 (1989)
The Horror Show (1989)
Pumpkinhead (1988)
Predator (1987)
Creepshow 2 (1987)
Where Is He Now?: Howard Berger continues to be one of the heads of KNB Efx, and has been working recently on the gore movie, Hostel: Part II.
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