by jon bosworth jaxvillain@yahoo.com
The godfather of gore is also a direct marketing specialist. In the 1960s, Lewis made exploitation movies and screwball comedies with extensive nude scenes. Movies such as B-O-I-N-G and the nudist camp classic Goldilocks and the Three Bares made Lewis famous in cult circles for making films in a distinctly Pittsburgh way, without the big budgets or censorship restrictions of Hollywood at the time.
Lewis eventually turned from the exploitation movies and delved into gore. In 1963 he made Blood Feast, which is considered the seminal gore film. In 1964 Lewis made 2,000 Maniacs in full color. The shocking special effects and gory scenes earned Lewis a reputation.
Made in 1964, Two Thousand Maniacs was known as a splatter film. Lewis wrote and directed the film and it is considered the second part of the “Blood Trilogy” which also includes Blood Feast (1963) and Color Me Blood Red (1965). Sometimes compared to Ed Wood, Lewis’ films feature a trademark of sloppy direction and poor acting.
Shot in the once small town of St. Cloud, Florida, this film was inspired by Brigadoon. The plot starts one hundred years after the Civil War destroyed this small town and the ghosts have come back to trap unsuspecting Yanks to be a part of their revenge festivities.
Known best for the classic, Blood Feast, Lewis pursued a career in filmmaking until Hollywood loosened its censorship rules and his kitschy gore films weren’t considered sensational anymore. So Lewis did what any self-respecting, anti-establishment artist would do. He started a career in advertising.
Since the 1970s Lewis has published almost twenty books about copy writing and advertising. One of the most prolific writers on these topics, it literally became a second source of fame for the Godfather of Gore. So if the presentation of 2,000 Maniacs at the San Marco Theatre isn’t scary enough, think of an afterlife in advertising!
Lewis lives in Florida these days, and even at 77, he is still making gore films and writing about advertising. He is also managing to fit the San Marco Theatre into his busy schedule. The Godfather of Gore will be making an appearance at the San Marco Theatre to provide a live commentary on the film and even sing the film’s theme song with local yokel Chris Estes playing banjo.
The San Marco Theatre is showing the last remaining 35mm print of the film, in “blood color” at midnight on Friday, October 27th and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. to enjoy the screening with Lewis himself. Don’t miss this great opportunity to share the film with the filmmaker.
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