Joe Castro (filmmaker)

Last updated
Joe Castro
Joe Castro.jpg
Castro in 2023
Born
Joseph M. Castro

(1970-05-17) May 17, 1970 (age 55)
Helotes, Texas, U.S.
Other namesJoe M. Castro, Joey Castro
Alma mater John Marshall High School
Known forSpecial effects creature makeup
Notable work
SpouseSteven Escobar
Website joecastrofx.com

Joseph M. Castro (born May 17, 1970) is an American special effects artist and filmmaker best known for directing the films Terror Toons (2002), Maniacal (2003), The Jackhammer Massacre (2004), and The Summer of Massacre (2011), which holds the Guinness World Record for the highest body count in a slasher film.

Contents

Personal life

Castro was born May 17, 1970 to Christine Castro. [1] [2] He grew up in Helotes, Texas [3] and graduated from John Marshall High School in 1988. [4] [5] [6] Castro later moved to Los Angeles, California and married film producer and collaborator Steven Escobar. [5]

Career

Castro started making masks and other molds using latex when he was 12. [7] His influences in special effects started after he got his first copy of Fangoria Magazine [8] and watching the films Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster and An American Werewolf in London. He started making films on his family's property and at Hill Country. [2] [9]

When he was 15, [1] Castro won Forrest J Ackerman's national mask making contest [6] with Monsterland Magazine. [9] [3] [10] It allowed him a five day trip to Hollywood to learn techniques for gore makeup alongside filmmakers Joe Dante and John Carl Buechler. [11] [9] [3] When he was 17, he was featured in the television show PM Magazine for a werewolf transformation effect [3] and did the special effects for a seasonal March of Dimes charity driven haunted house. [12] [13] [14] In 1988, he designed an 11 room haunted motel to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. [15] [16] [17]

In 2010, Castro was in pre-production for a film he was to direct The Summer of Massacre. It went on to hold the Guinness World Record for the highest body count in a slasher film. [5] [18]

Filmography

YearTitleSpecial effectsDirectorRoleNotes
1986PhobiaYesYes [8]
The She Demon – CaliYesYes [8]
The UndeadYesYesYes [7]
The Year of TerrorYesYesFeature length debut [8] [9]
1987The Trouble with MeteoritesYesCo-director [19]
1991 Teenage Exorcist YesNoN/a
1992 Evil Toons YesNoNo [10]
1996 Uncle Sam YesNoN/aSota Effects
1997 Night of the Demons 3 TechnicianNoN/a
2000Attack of the Bat MonstersCoordinatorNoN/aCreature effects [20]
2001 Zombie Chronicles YesNoN/a
2002 Terror Toons CoordinatorYesN/aGore effects
Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat YesNoN/aWith Jonathan Thornton [21]
Hell's Highway CoordinatorNoGuard
2003 Maniacal CoordinatorYesN/a
2004 The Jackhammer Massacre CoordinatorYesN/a
2007 Terror Toons 2: The Sick and Silly Show CoordinatorYesN/aGore effects
One Day Like Rain N/aNoN/aAliens creator/designer [22]
2010 L.A. Zombie YesNoN/a [23] [24]
2011 The Summer of Massacre CoordinatorYesMichael Rose [5] [18]
2017Bonehill RoadYesNoN/a [25]
2018 Lake Michigan Monster YesNoN/aCreature suit design
2019 Iron Sky: The Coming Race YesNoN/a
XenophobiaYesCo-directorN/a [26]
2020 The Amityville Harvest SupervisorNoN/a
2021 Night Caller YesNoFake Scalper
2022 The Once and Future Smash YesNoBlaze PaulingSmash-Mouth designer and fabricator
2023Mutilator 2YesNoN/a [27]
2024Pater Noster and the Mission of LightYesNoN/a [28]
Sincerely Saul Monster makerNoJoeAlso lead vfx artist
2025 Die'ced: Reloaded YesNoNoAlso visual effects artist
Saint DrogoN/aNoHimself [29]

References

  1. 1 2 Schramm, Alissa (1986-05-12). "Youth dreams up nightmares". San Antonio Light . p. 9. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Schramm, Alissa (1986-05-12). "Youth dreams up nightmares". San Antonio Light . p. 10. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dunn, Barbie Ann Marie (1987-06-17). "Low budget Teen filmmakers locked in video battle". San Antonio Express-News . p. 15. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Griffin, Tim (1986-05-30). "'I knew that I had to go all out to make it disgusting'". San Antonio Express-News . p. 33. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Martinez, Kiko (2022-10-21). "Dead Meat: San Antonio native Joe Castro holds world record for highest body count in a slasher film". San Antonio Current . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  6. 1 2 "New acting roles numerous". San Antonio Express-News . 1987-01-16. p. 89. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 Fletcher, Melissa (1986-09-28). "Sixteen-year-old Joey Castro of San Antonio has monstrous talent for special effects". San Antonio Light . p. 185. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Fletcher, Melissa (1986-09-28). "Sixteen-year-old Joey Castro of San Antonio has monstrous talent for special effects". San Antonio Light . p. 187. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Griffin, Tim (1986-05-30). "Teen creator wins with gore". San Antonio Express-News . p. 34. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 Allen, Tracy (2021-01-31). "Interview With SFX Guru Joe Castro: Where The Horror Came From". PopHorror. Retrieved 2025-12-19.
  11. ↑ Fletcher, Melissa (1986-09-28). "Sixteen-year-old Joey Castro of San Antonio has monstrous talent for special effects". San Antonio Light . p. 186. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Dunn, Barbie Ann Marie (1987-10-23). "Frightfully good fun promised at Halloween haunted houses". San Antonio Express-News . p. 81. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Dunn, Barbie Ann Marie (1987-10-29). "Haunted house will scare wits out of visitors". San Antonio Express-News . p. 44. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Dunn, Barbie Ann Marie (1987-10-29). "Haunted house will scare wits out of visitors". San Antonio Express-News . p. 45. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Menger, Deborah (1988-10-13). "Boys and ghouls haunt MDA show". San Antonio Express-News . p. 50. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Balik, Paula (1988-10-28). "Old, new haunts ready for Halloween weekend". San Antonio Express-News . p. 63. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "The spooks are coming out for benefit 'Creep Show'". San Antonio Light . 1988-10-12. p. 52. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  18. 1 2 "Highest body count in a Slasher film". Guinness World Records . Archived from the original on 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  19. ↑ Dunn, Barbie Ann Marie (1987-06-17). "Video war faces young filmmakers". San Antonio Express-News . p. 21. Retrieved 2025-12-19– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Foundas, Scott (2000-07-05). "Attack of the Bat Monsters". Variety . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  21. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (2003-07-16). "Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat". Variety . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  22. ↑ Koehler, Robert (2008-08-02). "One Day Like Rain". Variety . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  23. ↑ Weissberg, Jay (2010-08-06). "Film Review: 'L.A. Zombie'". Variety . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  24. ↑ Kohn, Eric (2010-08-06). "Locarno Review | Undead Porn: Bruce LaBruce's "L.A. Zombie"". IndieWire . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  25. ↑ Murphree, Zach (2018-10-24). "Exclusive: The Master of Splatter, Todd Sheets, Talks 'Clownado' and SOV". HorrorGeekLife. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  26. ↑ "Sci-fi film gets Edinburg premiere". CineSol Film Festival. 2019-06-14. ProQuest   2239805164 . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  27. ↑ Melzer, James (2025-08-05). "Long-Awaited Sequel to Classic 80s Slasher Favorite Is Finally Available to Watch". MovieWeb . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  28. ↑ Trainor, Chris (2024-11-25). "Shock and awe: How a Columbia horror filmmaker is carving out a bloody name for himself". The State . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  29. ↑ McAndrews, Mary Beth (2025-10-14). "'Saint Drogo': Monster Makeup's Queer Folk Horror Is Available Now on Blu-ray". Dread Central . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
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