HERSCHELL GORDON 'H.G.' LEWIS
PROFILE Legendary pioneer in the arena of "gore" or splatter films, Herschell Gordon Lewis, or H.G. Lewis, moved quickly from the strictures of academia to the shadowy world of 1950's "nudie" films, to the wide open playing fields of exploitation filmmaking in the 60's and early 70's. Lewis has earned a place in the history of American Independent Filmmakers for upping the ante on the representation of violence, gore, and gratuitous sex in film while demonstrating that commercial genre fare can be produced on a shoestring budget entirely outside the Hollywood system. H.G. Lewis remains the messiah of movie gore hounds because his films maintain their power to shock and surprise viewers. Furthermore, his films can be "screamingly funny."
Lewis is credited with inventing the "gore" film with "Blood Feast" in 1963. Shot in Miami, Florida filmed entirely in "Blood Color," the film told the story of an insane caterer/author who, obsessed
with resurrecting the spirit of the Egyptian Princess Ishtar, goes about
hacking off body parts of female victims to use as dinner courses in a Blood
Feast in Ishtar's honor. The inclusion of Playboy Playmates in the cast
boosted the success of the film and it was a huge draw at Drive-In Theatres.
Much of Lewis' target audience was based in the rural south. This would help explain the subject matter of his next film, the also Florida based and genuinely unsettling "2000 Maniacs"(1964). Three vacationing couples from the North get detoured to a small southern town called Pleasant Valley and become special guests of honor at the town's centennial celebration. Unfortunately, this entails all manner of grisly torture and murder because the villagers are actually ghosts from the Civil War intent on avenging the murders of their civilians by the Union Army 100 years prior. Filming on a budget of less than $40,000, Lewis demonstrated some amazing camerawork on this film.
Generally acknowledged as Lewis' best work-as well as a personal favorite-"2000 Maniacs", while quite profitable, did not duplicate the success of "Blood Feast." Initially, Lewis was the only Filmmaker making these kind of films, but many Copy-Cats soon followed. Of course, Lewis does not limit himself to splatter, his subsequent credits include science fiction (Monster-A-Go-Go 1965),
Juvenile Delinquent Dramas (Just For the Hell of It (1968), and some that
don't easily find classification (Something Weird 1966-1968). Lewis even
produced and directed children's movies. Lewis often wore several hats on
his productions, serving as producer, director, cinematographer, composer,
and special effects guru. David Friedkin produced some of H.G.'s most popular
titles, though. A number of his films were released under pseudonyms and
some are all but lost, only a few dusty prints and video bootlegs remain.
But, H.G. is working hard to restore and release his films on DVD, after
being ripped off by distributors in the past. Lewis's last feature until recent, " The Gore-Gore Girls" (1972) featured Comedian Henny Youngman as a nightclub owner whose strippers start meeting horrific fates, was one of the first films to receive an X-rating for violence (along with "I Drink Your Blood.") Recently, H.G. Lewis and David Friedkin have reunited to produce Blood Feast 2. You can visit his website at www.herschellgordonlewis.com and find out about DVD's and his upcoming film "Blood Feast 2."
INTERVIEW WITH H.G. LEWIS with Michelle Russo QM: What age were you when you decided in becoming a film-maker?
HG: I had been in the advertising business and bought a half-interest in a commercial film studio. The studio had only 16mm equipment; I added 35mm. In a slack period, I decided to take a chance making feature films. I was in my early 30s.
QM: What is your favorite horror films?
HG: My favorite horror film (aside from any of my own) is "The Wicker Man," a motion picture I regard as a masterpiece of horror-buildup.
QM: Do you have any interest in the macabre personally?
HG: I really have no interest in the macabre, except as it relates to box office value.
QM: Any other films that you like?
HG: "2000 Maniacs!" was and is my favorite film. I think this one plays well, even today.
QM: Do you talk to the masses about your film-making?
HG: I enjoy giving seminars. In some ways I regard myself as a private person, but my "film persona" has to be public.
QM: What key factors make up the uniqueness in film-making?
HG: I look for the bizarre, the goofy, the far-out notions. These all have come together in "Blood Feast 2," a picture that would have been regarded as too outrageous to be shown on a screen had we made it even fifteen years ago.
QM: Do you document your nightmares in your films?
HG: I don't have nightmares. That's an odd question.
QM: Who is your favorite film-maker?
HG: I admire John Woo. I used to think much of Wes Craven and John Carpenter, but their latter-day output has been derivative and predictable.
QM: What other hobbies do you do besides film-making?
HG: I'm a tennis player and a scuba diver. I also play an occasional round of golf, but I get bored after nine holes.
QM: What music do you like?
HG: I prefer classical music, but the music I composed for my movies is much more pop. For some I used bluegrass and C and W themes. "Blood Feast" took me longer to score than to film!
QM: Are you featured in any of your films?
HG: I'm in conversations about "Herschell Gordon Lewis's Grim Fairy Tale," which I may re-title "Uh-oh." But you know the film business: 99.9 percent of conversations lead nowhere.
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