Tom Savini Pays Tribute to ‘Dawn of the Dead’ Icon Jim Krut, the Legendary Helicopter ZombieThe 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. I personally cast him as the Helicopter Zombie in Dawn Of The Dead. 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.