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The Conception of Gore #3: “The Godfather of Gore” Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Color Me Blood Red (1965)

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…

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“An eccentric artist is panned by a well-known critic at his opening for not having a good color sense, so he starts a new series, using his own blood to paint. Soon he is weakened and must find other sources of blood to continue his paintings.”

The third film that Lewis ushered into the gore/splatter genre was Color Me Blood Red (oddly enough, finishing off what would come to be known as The Blood Trilogy), many might find this one to be the most disturbing. Not only does the film have the usual gore and violence of Lewis’ previous films, this one also adds the madness of the artistic and self mutilation to express it. The dynamic of the lead character using the blood of himself and others (including his own girlfriend, who he brutally murders) shows the depths that he will go to be recognized as an accomplished artist. His death, artistic in its own right after taking a shotgun blast to the face, effectively erasing his “face” as an artist and a person. The burning of his work at the end can be seen as how hot and fleeting fame can be…

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Directed: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Produced: David F. Friedman
Written: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Starring: Gordon Oas-Heim (as Don Joseph), Candi Conder, Elyn Warner, Pat Lee (as Patricia Lee), Jerome Eden
Cinematography: Herschell Gordon Lewis (as Herschell G. Lewis)
Edited: Robert L. Sinise (as Robert Sinise)
Production Company: Box Office Spectaculars

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Blu-Ray and DVD Editions

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The Blood Trilogy: Blood Feast / Two Thousand Maniacs / Color Me Blood Red (Blu-Ray) from Image Ent (2011)

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The Blood Trilogy, The: Blood Feast / Two Thousand Maniacs / Color Me Blood Red (DVD) from Image Ent (2000)

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The Blood Trilogy, The: Blood Feast / Two Thousand Maniacs / Color Me Blood Red (DVD) from Image Ent (2006)

Color Me Blood Red (DVD) from Image Ent (1999)

Dedman13

Owner of Slit of the Wrist FX and producer, actor, FX artist and writer.

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