Tom Savini and George A. Romero were more than just collaborators. The two men worked extensively on films like Dawn of the Dead (1978), Martin (1977), and Monkey Shines (1988). Savini provided makeup and special effects during filming and, in doing so, formed a camaraderie with Romero that rivaled brotherhood.

“I have worked with Tom Savini on four pictures,” wrote Romero in a foreword to Savini’s book, Grande Illusions. “In addition to having a good time with a good friend, I found a collaborative talent which is in synchrony with my tastes and my sensibilities. Rapport is all important. The last thing anybody needs on a movie set is to have to spend hours explaining an aesthetic or trying to communicate an idea. Tom understands the medium fully; he knows when one shot will cut to another and when it won’t.”

The two men weren’t just working together creatively; they were also looking to have as much fun as possible. “We truly do collaborate, and we truly do have a ball. When Tom and I discuss ideas, we wind up behaving like two little kids, standing up, jumping around, acting things out. Tom’s enthusiasm is infectious, and I find myself listening to his descriptions as one of his fans might.”

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Moreover, Romero had a respect for Savini that strengthened their bond. It was that respect that pushed the older director to invite Savini to direct the 1990 film remake, Night of the Living Dead.

“Most of all, Tom is a movie fan,” wrote Romero. “He sees more movies than I see, and I see a lot of movies. He enjoys the experience; he hasn’t fully grown up. Stephen King says that there’s a part of all of us who work in fantasy and horror that stays a ‘little kid’ for as long as we live. We leave certain response centers open in our minds. No matter what our physical maturity does to the other aspects of our lives, we make it a point to leave that back door unlocked so the muses might always enter.”