It was the mid-80's when I finally had the opportunity to see a Herschell Gordon Lewis film after reading about him in the pages of various horror magazines. His moniker 'Godfather of Gore' made a distinct impression on this fledgling gore hound. Imagine my delight at stumbling across a VHS release of his 1964 Southerners take revenge on Yankees opus TWO THOUSAND MANIACS! There wasn't much plot to absorb while watching and the skills of the film makers were as crude as the gore effects on display but the darkly comedic tale made an impression. It was a film I enjoyed for its schlock value and I sought out other Lewis helmed gore such as BLOOD FEAST, SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS and THE WIZARD OF GORE. I can't say that Lewis ever made a good film but there's something to be said about a man who came up with the gag to stuff a Northerner in a nail studded barrel and roll him down a hill.
R.I.P. H.G. Lewis (June 15, 1929 - September 26, 2016)
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