Pioneer filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis has passed away at the age of 87.
Herschell Gordon Lewis has directed close to forty films and created what we now know as the “splatter” sub-genre, earning him the title “Godfather of Gore.” His most notable works come from his early years as director, such as Blood Feast (1963), Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) and Color Me Blood Red (1965). Blood Feast is largely considered to be the first ever gore film and has paved the way for numerous filmmakers over the decades.
Another “first” that Mr. Lewis had the honor of claiming is the first “nudie-musical,” titled Goldilocks and the Three Bares (1963). Of course, his work was vastly diverse, ranging from splatterfest films to softcore erotic films to exploitation films to children’s films. After making The Gore Gore Girls in 1972, he took a hiatus from filmmaking and focused on writing books and working in advertising. Thanks to cult film lovers and getting featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Mr. Lewis came out of retirement in 2002 and made a sequel to Blood Feast, titled Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat. Next year, fans can look forward to his upcoming horror anthology Herschell Gordon Lewis’ BloodMania, which is currently in post-production.
There is no doubt that he has made a tremendous impact on not only the horror genre, but filmmaking overall. We are truly appreciative of him and his work. Rest in peace, Herschell Gordon Lewis.
