Films

A portrait of the life and career of Steve Johnson, one of Hollywood’s most prolific monster makers and a collaborator of James Cameron, Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg, among others, this documentary takes us on a journey through the golden age of special-effects makeup. Throughout the film, Steve shares his outrageous adventures behind the scenes of Hollywood, while looking back on his meteoric rise and the fall that followed. His ambition and perfectionism gave birth to some of cinema’s most innovative effects and techniques, but also led him towards self-sabotage, divorce and a painful struggle with addiction. More than a celebration of the glory days of practical effects, “Rubberhead” is a fascinating, moving and deeply human portrait of a special-effects master whose greatest monster may always have been himself.