John Carl Buechler
Welcome back to Horror Celebrity Spotlight, my series about the most interesting icons in the horror world! This week, we’re taking a look at horror special effects maestro John Carl Buechler! Let’s examine his iconic career, the memorable work he’s performed, and all the John Carl Buechler movies you need to watch!
The Basics
Full Name: John Carl Buechler
Age: 66 when he passed away from cancer in 2019
Best Known For: Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and the Hatchet series.
Frequently Worked With: Kane Hodder.
An Underrated FX Legend
Everyone’s heard of Tom Savini, the famous makeup effects artist who earned fame with his work in George Romero’s Living Dead series, Friday the 13th, and a bevy of ’80s slasher films. But there’s another artist who deserves at least as much attention.
John Carl Buechler had a remarkably versatile thirty year career. He was best known for his wonderfully frightening horror makeup work. But he was far more than just an FX artist. It may surprise you that Buechler was also a director, writer, actor and producer.
He got his start in 1980 with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Buechler’s early work was a mixture of low budget horror and fantasy. It wasn’t long before he was working on the big franchises.
Buechler directed Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and also performed the special makeup effects for the film. It’s no surprise that Jason, played by Kane Hodder, has the scariest looking face of any movie in the series!
Hodder and Buechler reunited in Hatchet (2006). Buechler performed the Victor Crowley makeup effects and also acted for the first time. He has a cameo as a swamp dweller who is dispatched by Crowley.
Random Tidbits
-Buechler contributed to at least one installment of Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. He is, to my knowledge, the only person who has worked on all three franchises.
-As if that wasn’t enough, Buechler worked on (and acted in) the first two Hatchet movies, bringing his horror franchise total to four.
-Actually, it’s five if you count his participation in the Ghoulies franchise, a wacky and mostly forgotten ’80s series about gremlin-like monsters. Whether it was hulking maniacs or pesky critters that pop out of toilets, Buechler knew how to make horror villains believable and entertaining.
-Buechler directed over a dozen films, including Troll, Friday VII, and Ghoulies III. Before researching this article, I thought that The New Blood was his only directing credit. Silly me!
His Legacy Lives On
Buechler’s passing left a major hole in the special effects makeup world. Nevertheless, he is lesser known compared to Tom Savini. Why is that? I don’t think it has anything to do with Savini having more talent. Both men had plenty of skill and acumen.
It’s probably because Buechler’s early career work was on obscure low budget films, while Savini gained publicity by working on big box office hits like Dawn of the Dead and the original Friday the 13th.
In any case, Buechler’s work will live on in the numerous popular franchise films that were enhanced by his contributions.
