The horror community has lost one of its most memorable faces. FX legend Tom Savini took to Instagram to announce […]
The horror community has lost one of its most memorable faces.
FX legend Tom Savini took to Instagram to announce the passing of his longtime friend Jim Krut, best known to generations of horror fans as the unforgettable Helicopter Zombie in George A. Romero’s zombie masterpiece Dawn of the Dead.
“Jim Krut, one of my dearest friends, has passed away,” Savini wrote. “We did college together, did plays, did movies, did horror conventions. I personally cast him as the Helicopter Zombie in Dawn Of The Dead. He was a genuinely good person. Will miss you pal.”
Krut’s screen time may have only lasted a few seconds, but it’s one of the most unforgettable kills in Dawn of the Dead. As his zombie shambles toward the escaping helicopter, he gets a little too close to the spinning blades, which slice the top of his head clean off in one of Tom Savini’s most celebrated gore gags. It’s a moment that’s been burned into the memories of horror fans for nearly 50 years and helped cement the Helicopter Zombie as one of the most iconic undead characters in Romero’s legendary film.
Beyond Dawn of the Dead, Krut remained active in independent genre filmmaking for years, appearing in films including Deadlands 2: Trapped and later producing projects such as Following, Quattro, and Serious Profession. He also became a familiar face on the convention circuit, where he was beloved by Romero fans eager to meet one of the genre’s most enduring zombie performers.
Our thoughts are with Jim Krut’s family, friends, and the countless horror fans who will forever remember him as one of the defining faces of the zombie genre.
