Back in 1992, Terminator 2: Judgment Day took four Oscars home from the Academy Awards, one of which was for Best Visual Effects. It was on that night that Fantasy II Film Effects owner Gene Warren Jr. became an Oscar winner, almost exactly 30 years after his father (Gene Warren) won the Best Special Effects statue for his work on 1960’s The Time Machine.
We’ve learned the sad news today, via friend/fellow special effects artist Bart J. Mixon, that the legendary Gene Warren Jr. passed away last week. He was 77 years old.
Mixon wrote over on Facebook, “Gene WAS Fantasy II Film Effects – supervising the visual effects for SO many classics of the ’80’s. Gene gave me my big break in Hollywood when he asked me to set up a creature effects department at Fantasy II. Our first project together was Fright Night Part Two, followed by Stephen King’s IT, Danger Island and Magic in the Water. I also worked for Gene in their model shop on shows like Terminator 2 and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Gene also employed my brother, Bret, for most of his film career. He gave us both many great opportunities and he will be sorely missed.”
Gene Warren Jr. indeed contributed to many beloved genre films throughout the 1980s, also including The Terminator, The Return of the Living Dead, Critters, Bad Dreams, Lady in White, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Pet Sematary and The Abyss. Post-1980s, he worked on Tremors, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dr. Giggles, Last Action Hero, True Lies, Lord of Illusions, The Crow: City of Angels, Scream 3, The Mothman Prophecies and the Underworld films.
Cinefex notes, “Gene was a passionate political activist, and an adherent of hand-crafted, in-camera practical effects. In recent years, Gene taught an introduction to, and history of pre-digital visual effects at University of Southern California, he wrote several novels, and he developed a talent for karaoke, particularly Roy Orbison.”
A true legend in the field, to say the least.
