To celebrate the appearance of one of the genre’s greatest names on The Calling Hours Horror Podcast next week (2/3 at 8 PM EST), I am going to remind the old school fans and educate the newer generation to the films of “The Godfather of Gore” Herschell Gordon Lewis, the innovator of the Gore film…
“In the sleepy suburbs of Miami, seemingly normal Egyptian immigrant Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold) runs a successful catering business. He also murders young women and plans to use their body parts to revive the goddess Ishtar. The insane Ramses hypnotizes a socialite in order to land a job catering a party for her debutante daughter, Suzette Fremont (Connie Mason), and turns the event into an evening of gruesome deaths, bloody dismemberment and ritual sacrifice.”
The film Blood Feast (1963) was the first film by Lewis that birthed the splatter/gore genre. Now well know for its graphic use of gore and violence, the film was panned by critics, but the quick thinking of Producer David F. Friedman to offer vomit bags in theaters and getting an injunction against the film(!) in Sarasota, Fl helped to draw publicity and crowds to the film. With vivid depictions of dismemberment, organ removal and flowing blood, the film does not shy away from crossing boundaries of good taste and graphic violence. Even though many today would laugh at the FX, it is noteworthy that THIS was the film that started it all…
Director: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Producer: David F. Friedman
Screenplay: Allison Louise Downe
Story: David F. Friedman and Herschell Gordon Lewis
Starring: William Kerwin, Mal Arnold, Connie Mason, Lyn Bolton, Scott H. Hall
Music: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Cinematography: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Edited: Robert Sinise and Frank Romolo
Distributed By: Box Office Spectaculars
Blu-Ray and DVD Editions
Blood Feast (DVD) from Image Ent (1999)
