33. BLOOD FEAST
33. BLOOD FEAST
(1963)
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Yes, thee legendary first gore film and after 40 years it still retains it's irresistibly trashy charm. The villain, Fuad Ramses, runs a store and specializes in "Exotic Catering" but it's all just a front for his real purpose in life- to worship an ancient Egyptian goddess and murder young girls in her honor. The acting caliber is consistently on the Ed Wood Jr. level, complete with hapless cops, and that provides many unintentionally laugh out loud moments but the real attraction is the copious amounts of the red stuff. Victims have their legs hacked off, brains removed and tongues ripped out, all in lurid bloody color. One can only imagine what a shock this was to unsuspecting drive-in audiences at the time of it's release. I can't help but envision youngsters hanging out of their car doors to puke into the dirt. Nix that make-out session, sailor... There was really nothing to prepare folks for this kind of gruesome display. The whole shoestring affair is bolstered by an organ and kettle drum score provided by the multi-talented impresario behind this new wave in exploitation, Herschell Gordon Lewis. H.G. was paid homage by most exalted keepers of the cool, John Waters (with his early Divine vehicle "Multiple Maniacs"(1970)) and the Cramps (with their rockin' tune "I Ain't Nothin' But a Gorehound"). "Well, Frank, this looks like one of those long hard ones."
(1963)
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Yes, thee legendary first gore film and after 40 years it still retains it's irresistibly trashy charm. The villain, Fuad Ramses, runs a store and specializes in "Exotic Catering" but it's all just a front for his real purpose in life- to worship an ancient Egyptian goddess and murder young girls in her honor. The acting caliber is consistently on the Ed Wood Jr. level, complete with hapless cops, and that provides many unintentionally laugh out loud moments but the real attraction is the copious amounts of the red stuff. Victims have their legs hacked off, brains removed and tongues ripped out, all in lurid bloody color. One can only imagine what a shock this was to unsuspecting drive-in audiences at the time of it's release. I can't help but envision youngsters hanging out of their car doors to puke into the dirt. Nix that make-out session, sailor... There was really nothing to prepare folks for this kind of gruesome display. The whole shoestring affair is bolstered by an organ and kettle drum score provided by the multi-talented impresario behind this new wave in exploitation, Herschell Gordon Lewis. H.G. was paid homage by most exalted keepers of the cool, John Waters (with his early Divine vehicle "Multiple Maniacs"(1970)) and the Cramps (with their rockin' tune "I Ain't Nothin' But a Gorehound"). "Well, Frank, this looks like one of those long hard ones."
posted by scottra at 3:00 AM
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