Tag Archives: H.G. Lewis

Turkey Day 2023 – 20th Anniversary Celebration

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Two Whole Decades of Turkeys. I started this crazy idea in 2003, rather than go out and battle the crazy shoppers on Black Friday, but to stay at home and watch some of the best in the worst cinematic achievement on film. Or at least that is how described it when I started. But something has changed over these past 20 years. Films that I even would call typical “so bad they’re good”, or bad but for all the right reasons, I’ve learned over the years how the terms “good” and “bad” are so damn objective. Kind of like food, it all comes down to one’s particular taste. There’re people that eat rotted fish head soup that might look at someone who doesn’t like they are the crazy ones. Same with movies.

For me, it has always come down to not being good or bad but if they’re entertaining. If the answer is yes, then they can’t be bad, at least not for that particular viewer.

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Discover the Horror Podcast – Episode 53: H.G. Lewis

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Blood Feast (1963), Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964), The Gruesome Twosome (1967), The Wizard of Gore (1970)

When Herschell Gordon Lewis made his first nudie cutie film in 1961, nobody would have expected that he’d become one of the most important names in the history of horror. But with the release of Blood Feast just two years later, Lewis and his producing partner David F. Friedman would invent the gore subgenre and would fundamentally reshape horror as we knew and understood it. And for about a decade after it, Lewis would continue to release gore-obsessed fare to grindhouses and drive-ins across the nation. When those sorts of theaters started to fade away in the 70s, so did Lewis, who went back to his previous career in advertising. But in the 80s and beyond his fame was resuscitated on home video and in the pages of magazines like Fangoria and Deep Red where he became known as The Godfather of Gore.

With some help from Christopher Wayne Curry, author of A Taste of Blood: The Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, we dive into four of his films and manage to talk about a whole slew of others.

Movies mentioned in this episode:

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Book Review: Gods of Grindhouse

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Gods of GrindhouseGods of Grindhouse
BearManor Media, 2013. 169 pages.
Edited by Andrew J. Rausch

I know everyone out there knows the name of Roger Corman. But what about Ted V. Mikels? Or Ray Dennis Steckler, Jack Hill, or Bill Rebane? These gentlemen, plus a few more, are the names covered in this very important book. The guys are from the filmmaking industry that I feel are much more important than the likes of Michael Bay. Why? Simple. There movies are something you will remember and will stand the test of time. Each generation will discover and be entertained by them. Without the talented craftsmen discussed in this volume, there would be no Quentin Tarentino. So while their movies may be the jest of places like MST3K, that doesn’t take away from what their films are about, as well as the people that struggled to get them made and distributed.

I know I preach over and over on this site about how important it is to know your history when it comes to the genres, but I wouldn’t keep saying it if I really didn’t believe it. So many younger filmmakers, such as the previous mentioned Tarantino, grew up watching the films from these guys, being inspired to make their own mark with their films. So yes, it is VERY important to know these guys and their work. And this book is a great way to start.

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2016 Year in Review – Part 1: Those To Remember

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One thing is for sure about 2016, we have lost way too many genre favorites. From actors to directors to artists to cinematographers and everyone else in between….just way too many. There were some that I consider icons, such as Herchell Gordon Lewis, who paved the way for thousands of young filmmakers. Actor Don Calfa appeared in so many sitcoms and movies but was still able to come up with so many wonderful characters. Then we have Angus Scrimm, who really only appeared in a handful of features, but it only took one role for him to forever be remembered in the hearts of us horror fans. And while actor/writer Gene Wilder was mainly known for his comedic side, along with Mel Brooks, he gave us one of the best tributes to the classic Frankenstein pictures.

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H.G. Lewis – Rest in Peace

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hglewis1There are a few filmmakers out there that make one film that makes a lasting impact. Then there are those out there that make a film that actually creates a whole new sub-genre! Even more impressive when that particular film is not….shall we say a “well crafted” production? But on the other hand, if you look at how it was made, and for the budget it had, and then how much money it actually made at the drive-ins, then the quality of the picture really has nothing to do with it. Of course, I’m talking about Blood Feast, directed by the one and only Herschell Gordon Lewis. He would go on to create more and more of these new ‘gore films’ giving the audiences something they had never seen before. The philosophy that he and his partner Dave Friedman came up with was simple: ” We strived to make films that either the majors couldn’t, or wouldn’t make.” And that is exactly what they did. Two Thousand Maniacs followed Blood Feast and was an even bigger hit. And the films kept coming and the blood kept spilling.

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They Came From The Swamp!

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DVD-Ballyhoo-TheyCameFromTheSwamp-Cover-FrontWhat do titles like Sting of Death, Stanley, Mako: The Jaws of Death, Wild Rebels, The Naked Zoo, Death Curse of Tartu, Impulse all have in common? They were just a handful of the films directed by Florida based filmmaker William Grefé! And now, the incredible history of this low budget filmmaker comes to the screens in this new feature lenght documentary, thanks to Ballyhoo Motion Pictures this April!

While other low budget directors were running off the the sunny skies of California to make their independent pictures, William Grefé stayed in the other sunny part fo the country, in Florida everglades area and made that his own little Hollywood. There he created about sharks, snakes, a jellyfish man, bikers, and many more titles that were sure to lure them into the drive-ins. And he always delivered.

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