HGLewis-Last1

cult filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis ("The Godfather of Gore"), RIP

Sad news for fans of horror and cult cinema. Herschell Gordon Lewis, known as the “Godfather of Gore,” has died at age 87. (Via Something Weird.) Having originally worked in advertising, Lewis got into exploitation movies as a way to make a quick buck, teaching himself filmmaking, originally making nudie flicks. But with 1963’s Blood Feast he basically invented the splatter genre of horror and would go on to make Two Thousand Maniacs (where 10,000 Maniacs got their name), A Taste for Blood, The Gruesome Twosome, The Gore-Gore Girls and other influential low-budget films. He also became one of the leaders in direct-marketing in the ’80s, though he would return to filmmaking in the early-’00s, making Blood Feast 2 in 2002.

HG Lewis was a very interesting guy and if you’d like to know more, you can watch the episode of Jonathan Ross’ terrific 1988 UK series The Incredibly Strange Film Show that is dedicated to HGL, below. You can also check out a few clips from some of his films…just don’t eat while watching.

Herschell Gordon Lewis, you’ll be missed. Rest in peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcT-mGqwnNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEOdJ2Sifpw

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