Robert Lee Murawski (born June 14, 1964) is an American film editor and distributor. He is best known for his work with director Sam Raimi. He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on The Hurt Locker (2008), which he shared with his wife, fellow editor Chris Innis. He is also the co-founder of Grindhouse Releasing, a film distribution company specializing in re-releases of cult films.
Early life and education Murawski was born in Bad Axe, Michigan, and grew up in the thumb of the state. He was the valedictorian at his high school, and graduated from Michigan State University with a major in Telecommunications.
Film editing Soon after graduation, he interned with Detroit-based film sub-distributor, Bob Mason of Mason Releasing. Murawski then moved to Hollywood, where he worked as an assistant editor on several films, including Raimi's comic-book-inspired picture Darkman.
Murawski has largely worked as a film editor, primarily for director/producer Sam Raimi, on films including Army of Darkness, The Gift, Drag Me to Hell and the Spider-Man series of films. He also co-edited the Academy Award winning film, The Hurt Locker with editor Chris Innis. Raimi has said of working with MurawskiHe’d come (down to the set) to see how things were going and to let me know if he’d just cut something that wasn’t working the way he’d wanted it to, or to suggest a pick-up shot I should get for a piece he felt we needed in a sequence I hadn’t realized I needed. He’s very detail-oriented... So we’re very close collaborators.Raimi finds editing with Murawski to be "relaxing", addingI love it... I can watch the film come together, so it’s a time of discovery for me as Bob and I fit all the pieces together. - Post Magazine "Director's Chair: Sam Raimi - Drag Me to Hell" by Ian Blair, July 1, 2009Murawski has also cut music videos for such groups as The Ramones, Motörhead, and Sublime. Bob Murawski appears in the documentary 78/52, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, a post-modern breakdown of the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.IMDB - 78/52 He is represented by International Creative Management (ICM).
Film distribution In 1995, born out of a mutual love for rare and unseen cult films, Bob Murawski and actor/director Sage Stallone (the son of Sylvester Stallone) formed Grindhouse Releasing. Interview with exploitation film distributor Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing Murawski continues to run Grindhouse and partner Box Office Spectaculars, both companies that restore, preserve, and distribute classic cult and Euro-horror films. The two labels have digitally remastered classic cult films such as The Swimmer starring Burt Lancaster, The Big Gundown starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian, Lucio Fulci's spaghetti-horror masterpiece, E tu vivrai nel terrore (a.k.a. The Beyond) as well as Italian cannibal films Make Them Die Slowly (a.k.a. Cannibal Ferox), Cannibal Holocaust, American cult film I Drink Your Blood (1970) (directed by David E. Durston), and director Juan Piquer Simón's cult horror film, Pieces. The company is currently presenting the release of An American Hippie in Israel (on Blu-ray/DVD) and Duke Mitchell's previously unreleased independent feature, Gone with the Pope (screening theatrically). Box Office Spectaculars and Grindhouse has also handled the theatrical re-release and negative restoration of director Sam Raimi's cult horror film, The Evil Dead as well as helming the digital restorations (in association with Columbia Pictures/Sony) of the rare spaghetti western The Big Gundown and The Swimmer directed by Frank Perry.The Evil Dead Returns To The Big Screen!Original EVIL DEAD roaring back to the big screen
Personal life Murawski is married to film editor Christina "Chris" Innis. The two editors met while working together on the Universal/CBS television series American Gothic and married in 2008.Horror at the Oscars 3: The Spawning The pair has worked together on the Academy Award winning film The Hurt Locker, and on several Sam Raimi productions such as The Gift, and Spider-Man, as well as collaborating on Grindhouse Releasing/Box Office Spectaculars releases.
Filmography +YearTitleDirectorNotes1990Danger Zone III: Steel Horse WarDouglas Bronco1991Carnal CrimesGregory Dark1992Army of DarknessSam Raimiwith Raimi1993Hard TargetJohn WooFreakedAdditional editor1994Object of ObsessionGregory DarkAnimal Instincts II1995The ExpertRick Avery William LustigNight of the ScarecrowJeff Burr1996Uncle SamWilliam Lustig1997Last LivesWorth Keeter1999From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood MoneyScott Spiegel2000The GiftSam Raimiwith Arthur Coburn2002Spider-Man2004Spider-Man 22007Spider-Man 32008The Hurt LockerKathryn Bigelowwith Chris Innis2009Drag Me to HellSam Raimi2010Gone with the PopeDuke MitchellFilmed in 19762011The ResidentAntti Jokinenwith Stuart LevyPriestScott StewartAdditional editor2012ParaNormanConsulting editor2013Oz the Great and PowerfulSam Raimi2014Dracula UntoldGary ShoreAdditional editor2015PoltergeistGil Kenan2016Ben-HurTimur BekmambetovAdditional editor2017Kong: Skull IslandJordan Vogt-Roberts2018The Other Side of the WindOrson WellesFilmed between 1970-762019Godzilla: King of the MonstersMichael DoughertyPre-production editorLake of DeathNini Bull RobsahmChild's Play Lars KlevbergAdditional editor2020Mosquito StateFilip Jan RymszaHopper/WellesOrson WellesFilmed in 19702022Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessSam Raimiwith Tia Nolan2024The First OmenArkasha Stevensonwith Amy E. Duddleston2026Send HelpSam Raimi
Distributed films Cannibal Ferox (a.k.a. Make them Die Slowly) - (Grindhouse Releasing) - released LD: 1997; VHS: 1999: DVD: July 2000, Blu-ray: 2015 Cat in the Brain (a.k.a. Nightmare Concert, Un gatto nel cervello) - (Box Office Spectaculars) - released LD: 1998, DVD: 2009 The Beyond (a.k.a. Seven Doors of Death, E tu vivrai nel terrore! L'aldilà) - (Grindhouse Releasing) - released DVD: October 2000, re-released 2008, Blu-ray: 2015 I Drink Your Blood (a.k.a. Hydro-Phobia) - (Box Office Spectaculars) - released DVD: 2002; re-released 2006 Cannibal Holocaust - (Grindhouse Releasing) - released DVD: 2005, re-released 2008, Blu-ray: 2014 Pieces (a.k.a. Mil gritos tiene la noche) - (Box Office Spectaculars) - released DVD: October 2008 Gone with the Pope (a.k.a. Kiss the Ring) - (Box Office Spectaculars / Grindhouse Releasing) - released 2010 (theatrical), 2015 (Blu-ray/DVD combo) An American Hippie in Israel (a.k.a. Ha-Trempist, The Hitch Hiker) - (Box Office Spectaculars / Grindhouse Releasing) (Blu-ray/DVD release, 2013) Corruption - (Box Office Spectaculars / Sony Pictures) (Restoration, Blu-ray/DVD release, 2013) The Big Gundown (a.k.a. La resa dei conti) - (Box Office Spectaculars / Sony Pictures) (Restoration, Blu-ray/DVD release, 2013) The Swimmer - (Box Office Spectaculars / Sony Pictures) (Restoration, Blu-ray/DVD release, 2014) Massacre Mafia Style - (Box Office Spectaculars) Blu-ray/DVD release 2015
Awards and nominations The Swimmer - (Won) - The 2014 International Press Academy's Satellite Award - Outstanding Overall Blu-ray/DVD (producer /Grindhouse Releasing) International Press Academy 2014 Satellite Awards Nominations The Hurt Locker - (Won) - 2010 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ("Oscar")Best Film Editing(shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - 2010 BAFTA - Best Film Editing (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - 2010 ACE Eddie Award - Best Feature Film Editing (Dramatic)Hurt Locker, Avatar, District 9 among ACE nominees (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - The International Press Academy's Golden Satellite Award -Best Film Editing"Indie Heavy Golden Satellite Nods", Indewire, by Peter Knegt, November 29, 2009 Brevet, Brad (December 21, 2009). "'Hurt Locker' Leads Pack with Four Wins at 2009 Satellite Awards". Ropeofsilicon.com. Retrieved December 21, 2009. - (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - The Online Film Critics Association - Best Film Editing (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Film EditingVariety "'Hurt Locker' tops with Boston critics: Pic takes four other kudos as journos hand out honors" by Daniel Kimmel, December 13, 2009 (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - The Las Vegas Film Critics Association - Best Film EditingDavis, Don (December 16, 2009). "'Hurt Locker' wins big with Vegas critics". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-17. (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Won) - International Cinephile Society award - Best Editing (shared with co-editor Chris Innis)Indiewire "Serious Man, Firth, Swinton Among Cinephile Society Winners" by Peter Knegt, February 17, 2010 The Hurt Locker - (Nominated) - The Broadcast Film Critics Association Critic's Choice Awards - Best Film EditingVariety "BFCA announces its nominees" by Stuart Levine, December 14, 2009 (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) The Hurt Locker - (Nominated) - Hollywood Post Alliance AwardsOutstanding Editing - Feature FilmPost Production Buyers Guide, Hollywood Post Alliance, "Hollywood Post Alliance Announce 2009 Award Nominees", October 1, 2009 Variety "Nominees announced for post awards" by David S. Cohen, October 1, 2009 (shared with co-editor Chris Innis) Spider-Man 2 (Nominated) - 2004 Golden Satellite Awards, Satellite Award for Best Editing Spider-Man 2 - American Film Institute Awards 2004, official selection for AFI top ten movies of the year. The Other Side of the Wind - National Board of Review ― William K. Everson Award for Film History (shared with producers) The Other Side of the Wind - National Society of Film Critics ― Film Heritage Award (shared with producers) The Other Side of the Wind - (Won) - National Association of Film Critics ― Best editing award (shared with Orson Welles) The Other Side of the Wind - (Won) - San Francisco Film Critics Circle ― Best editing award (shared with Welles) The Other Side of the Wind - (Won) - Los Angeles Film Critics Association ― Special citation (shared with producers) The Other Side of the Wind - (Runner-up) - Boston Society of Film Critics ― Best editing award (with Welles) The Other Side of the Wind - (Runner-up) - International Cinephile Society ― Best editing award (with Welles) The Other Side of the Wind - (Nominated) - Chicago Film Critics Association ― Best editing award (with Welles) First recipient of the Campari Passion for Film Award (2018), 75th Venice International Film Festival.
See also List of Academy Award winning couples
References
External links
"Tech Support Interview: The Crafts of The Hurt Locker," Incontention, by Guy Lodge, January 7, 2010 Below the Line Magazine - "Contenders - Editors Bob Murawski and Chris Innis, The Hurt Locker", by Mary Ann Skweres, March 2, 2010