Whether he was working as an actor, director, or makeup effects artist, John Carl Buechler brought a unique talent to every project he worked on over the decades, and it is with great sadness that we share the news that he has passed away at the age of 66.
Buechler passed away after a battle with Stage IV prostate cancer, as confirmed by the GoFundMe page that has been set up to raise much-needed funds for his medical costs.
When you talk about influential makeup effects artists from the last four decades, Buechler's name deserves to be mentioned at the top of the list. A practical effects guru, Buechler helped bring monsters and nightmares to life on screen in the heyday of practical effects, working on films such as Trancers, Halloween 4, TerrorVision, the first three Ghoulies films, and so many more projects that dazzled generations of horror fans.
If you grew up watching horror movies from the ’80s and ’90s, then you've seen jaw-dropping work from Buechler and his team. The Freddy pizza in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master? That involved Buechler. The body-morphing moments in From Beyond? That involved Buechler. The iconic zombie Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, which is perhaps the most haunting and delightfully gruesome version of Jason ever created? That involved Buechler, too.
A true cinematic renaissance man, Buechler not only helped create some of the most memorable practical effects in horror genre history, he also worked as a director, actor, and producer, bringing his key knowledge of the genre to multiple aspects of the filmmaking process.
As a director, Buechler helmed Troll, Cellar Dweller, Ghoulies Go to College, and the aforementioned Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (among other projects), introducing the world to Kane Hodder's iconic take on the Crystal Lake killer.
If you love horror cinema from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, then Buechler is one of many people you have to thank for fostering that love of monsters and mayhem on the silver screen. Buechler may not be around to thank in person anymore, but we can still honor him by enjoying his work for decades to come.
Our thoughts are with John's family and friends during this difficult time, and you can help support them by donating to John's GoFundMe page, which will help his wife take care of the medical costs from John's treatments:
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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