Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (2011)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Load of rubbish!!

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Gory, Gory, Hallelujah! Take an outrageous ride through the wild world of exploitation films with this often-hilarious documentary.While this film does not cover the entire breadth of H. G. Lewis' life (it doesn't say much about his life before or after his movie heyday), it does cover a wide range of his best-known movies, from the "nudie cuties" to the gore films. We have Dave Friedman, Ray Sager, and plenty of fried chicken.Perhaps one of the most interesting parts is the inclusion of "Eye For an Eye", which actually looks like it may have been his best work. Will we ever see it released, even if it has to be severely edited and perhaps have a score added? I hope so.

This zippy and engrossing documentary covers the controversial career of trailblazing indie horror gore guru Herschell Gordon Lewis. Among the subjects covered are how Lewis started out as a school teacher and working in advertising, making nudie cuties, his partnership with the always folksy and rambunctious David F. Friedman, launching the splatter craze with "Blood Feast," Florida exploitation staple Bill Kerwin, the hopelessly wooden "acting" of Playboy Playmate Connie Mason, doing hired hack directorial assignments in the mid to late 1960's, putting plugs for fried chicken in his movies, and Lewis' well-deserved status as both a cult icon and brazen cinematic pioneer. Besides Lewis, who comes across as quite a modest and engaging fellow, we also get fun and illuminating interviews with drive-in cinema critic Joe Bob Briggs and Los Angeles times film critic Kevin Thomas, actors Mal Arnold, Jerome Eden, Ray Sagar, and Vincent Santo, noted adult photographer Bunny Yeager, trash flick historian Frank Henenlotter (who also co-directed), cinematographers Andy Romanoff and Steven Poster, and the ubiquitous John Waters. Loaded with a wealth of choice clips, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes footage, it's absolutely essential viewing for Herschell Gordon Lewis aficionados.

Packed with more gore and nudity than any documentary I can think of, THE GODFATHER OF GORE is almost like watching a "Greatest Hits" list of Lewis' films, so I'm hoping new comers will be enticed to go back and check out these precursors to Friday THE 13th and HALLOWEEN, and the haters may see what a great guy (if not the greatest director) Herschell Gordon Lewis was (and still is).Even though I've been a fan of Lewis since reading about him in the 4th issue of FANGORIA way back when, have read 3 books about him, and have met and spoke with him and David Friedman, I still learned some things about him in this wonderfully entertaining and educational tribute that any horror fan interested in the roots of modern horror cinema would be crazy to miss.

More than just a review of Lewis's career, this excellent film presents a history of early independent exploitation film production, an era - says Lewis - that had its fate sealed when Sam Peckinpah adapted what Lewis was doing and released THE WILD BUNCH with major studio money behind it.Includes interviews with John Waters, Joe Bob Briggs, Frank Henenlotter, Drew Friedman and - of course - the master himself, H.G. Lewis. And naturally, there are clips and/or trailers from many of his films, incl. "Blood Feast", Two Thousand Maniacs!", "She-Devils on Wheels," "Just for the Hell of It", "Blast-Off Girls", "Gruesome Twosome" and "Wizard of Gore". It really doesn't get much more fun that this.