News Article

Special effects maestro Carlo Rambaldi died at age 86 in his home in Italy.

Rambaldi had an epic career, with over 40 credits to his name. He got started in the 1960s and 1970s by working on projects with some of the most influential Italian horror directors, including Mario Bava (on Twitch of the Death Nerve), Lucio Fulci (A Lizard in a Woman's Skin), Dario Argento (Deep Red), and Damiano Damiani (The Witch in Love).

Carlo is probably best known for E.T. - he actually created that lovable glowing alien, which earned him his third Oscar. Other high-profile credits include 1976's King Kong (he made Kong and received his first Oscar); Alien (he made the alien head and picked up a second Oscar); Close Encounters of the Third Kind (he "realized" the aliens); and Conan the Destroyer (he created Dagoth). Other films in his amazing repertoire include Dune, Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, Tragic Ceremony, Silver Bullet, Night of the Devils, and Bloody Pit of Horror.