Herschell Gordon Lewis will always carry the title of, “The Godfather of Gore,” and the documentary about his life has the same title. When I first saw his film, Blood Feast, I knew that he was a man before his time. Blood Feast pushed the boundaries in a time when many would not even think of laying eyes on such a film for fear of being thrown in jail.
Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore is a documentary about the man’s life featuring interviews with cast and crew members who worked on his films as well as critics and other famous directors and horror personalities, such as John Waters, Joe Bob Briggs and even an interview with Herschell Gordon Lewis himself. The film talks about his career starting out making nude exploration films such as Nudie Cuties right up to the time he made Blood Feast and other shocking films, such as Two Thousand Maniacs and The Gore Gore Girls.
This documentary is directed by Basket Case director Frank Henenlotter and producer Jimmy Maslon. It is a great documentary about the career of Herschell Gordon Lewis with clips and outtakes form his film as well as testimony from people who have worked with him. The DVD also features over an hour of deleted scenes, an H.G. Lewis Trailer Reel, one of his shorts, Hot Night at the Go-Go Lounge as well as a gallery of H.G. Lewis Exploitation Art.
Overall, this documentary is put together very well and is a very informative and inspirational look at a man who paved the way for explicit horror cinema and is a pioneer in the genre of guts and gore. This is a must-see for fans of Herschell Gordon Lewis.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015