The year’s shortest month gets the biggest bang as Severin Films today announced their February 27th releases featuring uncensored 4K restorations of the infamous 1960’s western ‘roughies’ from the depraved minds of exploitation legends Bob Cresse and Lee Frost, Hot Spur and Scavengers.
‘“The Kings of esoteric boutique companies” (Video WatchBlog) are also proud to release – because Severin co-founder/president David Gregory considers it one of the best films he saw as a jury member at the FrightFest and Sitges Film Festivals – the North American disc premiere of director/co-writer Andrew Legge’s time-travel mind-bender, Lola.
Previous limited edition title Spider Labyrinth also enters wide release.
Here’s everything you need to know about Severin’s February 2024 lineup…
Hot Spur
Having struck gold with shockumentaries like Ecco and Mondo Bizarro, producer Bob Cresse and writer/director Lee Frost applied their distinctive sleaze aesthetic to a revenge western they advertised as “91 minutes of Freudian fury!
‘“The Kings of esoteric boutique companies” (Video WatchBlog) are also proud to release – because Severin co-founder/president David Gregory considers it one of the best films he saw as a jury member at the FrightFest and Sitges Film Festivals – the North American disc premiere of director/co-writer Andrew Legge’s time-travel mind-bender, Lola.
Previous limited edition title Spider Labyrinth also enters wide release.
Here’s everything you need to know about Severin’s February 2024 lineup…
Hot Spur
Having struck gold with shockumentaries like Ecco and Mondo Bizarro, producer Bob Cresse and writer/director Lee Frost applied their distinctive sleaze aesthetic to a revenge western they advertised as “91 minutes of Freudian fury!
- 2/12/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
For February 19th’s home media releases, one of the biggest reasons for genre fans to get excited is that Bad Robot’s Overlord is finally making its way to various formats, so for those of you who may have missed it in theaters, this week is your chance to right that wrong (this writer loved it!). As far as cult titles go, Scream Factory has resurrected The Return of the Vampire in HD, Severin Films is showing Skinner some much-deserved love, and Arrow Videos has Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Color Me Blood Red on tap.
Universal is re-releasing a ton of titles on Tuesday, including Cry-Baby, Dracula (1979), Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Silent Hill: Revelation,and The Watcher, and Nightmare Vacation is getting a special release this week as well.
Color Me Blood Red
URFor the third and final instalment in his infamous 'Blood Trilogy', Color Me Blood Red, splatter...
Universal is re-releasing a ton of titles on Tuesday, including Cry-Baby, Dracula (1979), Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Silent Hill: Revelation,and The Watcher, and Nightmare Vacation is getting a special release this week as well.
Color Me Blood Red
URFor the third and final instalment in his infamous 'Blood Trilogy', Color Me Blood Red, splatter...
- 2/19/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Review by Roger Carpenter
If you are a horror movie aficionado then no introduction is needed for Blood Feast, nor to the films of Herschel Gordon Lewis in general. But just in case you’ve never heard of this pioneering no-budget epic, here’s a quick synopsis. Blood Feast is the story of an Egyptian caterer, Fuad Ramses, who is into the dark arts and has a need for human body parts. It just so happens a series of gruesome killings of young women around town are occurring. Detective Thornton, along with the help of the beautiful and unwitting Suzette Fremont, try to solve the case before every young co-ed in town disappears. Blood Feast was a sensation when it was first released to the grindhouse/drive-in circuit in 1963. Over the years it became the stuff of legend to horror fans everywhere with Fangoria magazine praising Lewis’ films in its pages,...
If you are a horror movie aficionado then no introduction is needed for Blood Feast, nor to the films of Herschel Gordon Lewis in general. But just in case you’ve never heard of this pioneering no-budget epic, here’s a quick synopsis. Blood Feast is the story of an Egyptian caterer, Fuad Ramses, who is into the dark arts and has a need for human body parts. It just so happens a series of gruesome killings of young women around town are occurring. Detective Thornton, along with the help of the beautiful and unwitting Suzette Fremont, try to solve the case before every young co-ed in town disappears. Blood Feast was a sensation when it was first released to the grindhouse/drive-in circuit in 1963. Over the years it became the stuff of legend to horror fans everywhere with Fangoria magazine praising Lewis’ films in its pages,...
- 11/14/2017
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Blood Feast
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1963 / Color /1.85 / Street Date October 9, 2017
Starring Mal Arnold, Connie Mason
Cinematography by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Written by A. Louise Downe (Ghostwritten by Lewis)
Produced by David F. Friedman, Herschell Gordon Lewis
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis
1963’s Blood Feast, the infamous gorefest from director Herschell Gordon Lewis, is a pox on our culture; grossly stupid, comically inept and depressingly nihilistic. A perfect film for 2017.
Lewis’s movie was released the same year that Patsy Cline and John Kennedy died, George Wallace turned away black students from an Alabama college and Martin Luther King was jailed in Birmingham. Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique and Sam Cooke recorded ”A Change Is Gonna Come”. In an already fractured country, those seismic shifts only deepened the decades-old divide along the Mason-Dixon line.
Meanwhile, in southernly states from Mississippi to Florida, Lewis and his production partner David Friedman were busy...
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1963 / Color /1.85 / Street Date October 9, 2017
Starring Mal Arnold, Connie Mason
Cinematography by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Written by A. Louise Downe (Ghostwritten by Lewis)
Produced by David F. Friedman, Herschell Gordon Lewis
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis
1963’s Blood Feast, the infamous gorefest from director Herschell Gordon Lewis, is a pox on our culture; grossly stupid, comically inept and depressingly nihilistic. A perfect film for 2017.
Lewis’s movie was released the same year that Patsy Cline and John Kennedy died, George Wallace turned away black students from an Alabama college and Martin Luther King was jailed in Birmingham. Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique and Sam Cooke recorded ”A Change Is Gonna Come”. In an already fractured country, those seismic shifts only deepened the decades-old divide along the Mason-Dixon line.
Meanwhile, in southernly states from Mississippi to Florida, Lewis and his production partner David Friedman were busy...
- 10/24/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
With Halloween only a week away now (how in the heck did that happen?), of course there are a ton of horror and sci-fi home entertainment offerings arriving on Tuesday, ready to get you primed for all your spooky shenanigans leading up to October 31st. In terms of new titles, both War of the Planet of the Apes and Annabelle: Creation hit various formats, and Criterion has put together a stellar release for Olivier Assayas’ Personal Shopper as well.
On the cult side of the genre spectrum, we have a myriad of movies to look forward to, including a quartet of titles from Vinegar Syndrome: The Corpse Grinders, Demon Wind, Blood Beat, and the double feature of Prime Evil and Lurkers. Arrow Video has assembled a special edition set for Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Blood Feast that’s a must-own for any splatter fans out there, and the Warner Archive Collection...
On the cult side of the genre spectrum, we have a myriad of movies to look forward to, including a quartet of titles from Vinegar Syndrome: The Corpse Grinders, Demon Wind, Blood Beat, and the double feature of Prime Evil and Lurkers. Arrow Video has assembled a special edition set for Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Blood Feast that’s a must-own for any splatter fans out there, and the Warner Archive Collection...
- 10/24/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Guest Reviewer Lee Broughton is back, with another Italo Western double bill DVD review. Wild East’s ongoing Spaghetti Western Collection continues to grow and this double bill release is particularly welcome since it features two obscure and wholly idiosyncratic genre entries from 1969. Italian Western directors had found it relatively easy to appropriate key plot points and ideas from Sergio Leone’s Dollars films during the genre’s early years but when Leone’s sprawling, mega-budgeted, meta-Western Once Upon a Time in the West was released in 1968 it was clear that this was one genre entry that local filmmakers would not be able to easily emulate.
With scriptwriters and directors now essentially being forced to come up with their own ideas and generic trends, a new wave of Spaghetti Westerns were produced that effectively took the genre in a multitude of new directions. The two films featured here were part of that wave.
With scriptwriters and directors now essentially being forced to come up with their own ideas and generic trends, a new wave of Spaghetti Westerns were produced that effectively took the genre in a multitude of new directions. The two films featured here were part of that wave.
- 10/21/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
What is this? Sex-oriented movies with believable psychodramatics, made by a committed artist with taste and talent? Joe Sarno’s pictures still aren’t suitable for grandma, but he’s way, way above the exploitation grindhouse competition of his day. His ’60s B&W pictures are not only watchable, they’re involving. Restored to pre-print condition, they’re — how can I best put this? — artistically respectable.
All the Sins of Sodom + Vibrations
Blu-ray
Film Movement
1968 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 161 min. (combined) / Street Date September 26, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Maria Lease, Dan Machuen, Marianne Prevost, Peggy Steffans, Cherie Winters; Maria Lease, Marianne Prevost, Rita Bennett, Dan Machuen, Peggy Steffans, Geri Miller.
Cinematography: Steve Silverman, Bruce G. Sparks; Steve Silverman
Film Editor: Joe Sarno; Kenn Collins (?)
Original Music: none; Sandy Vane (Michael Colicchio)
Produced by Morris Kaplan; Morris Kaplan, Ken Collins
Written and Directed by Joe Sarno
I know you’re anxious for this review...
All the Sins of Sodom + Vibrations
Blu-ray
Film Movement
1968 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 161 min. (combined) / Street Date September 26, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Maria Lease, Dan Machuen, Marianne Prevost, Peggy Steffans, Cherie Winters; Maria Lease, Marianne Prevost, Rita Bennett, Dan Machuen, Peggy Steffans, Geri Miller.
Cinematography: Steve Silverman, Bruce G. Sparks; Steve Silverman
Film Editor: Joe Sarno; Kenn Collins (?)
Original Music: none; Sandy Vane (Michael Colicchio)
Produced by Morris Kaplan; Morris Kaplan, Ken Collins
Written and Directed by Joe Sarno
I know you’re anxious for this review...
- 9/30/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Stars: David F. Friedman, Elmo Lavino, Kay Parker, Colleen Brennan, Herschel Savage, Angel, Jesie St. James, John Leslie, Laurie Smith, Tigr | Written by David F. Friedman | Directed by Henri Pachard
There have been plenty of volatile co-star rivalries in the world of cinema; Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield, Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds… The list goes on. None are more notorious however than Linda Hand (Jesie St. James) and Lance Hardy (John Leslie). The pair are the hottest thing in the world of dirty pictures, but their egos are getting the better of them.
It comes to the boiling point when after a little spat before shooting a scene, Linda literally shows that her bite is much worse than her bark. The pair both storm off set vowing never to work with each other again! Understandably annoyed, legendary producers Bernard Kuntz (David F. Friedman) and...
There have been plenty of volatile co-star rivalries in the world of cinema; Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield, Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds… The list goes on. None are more notorious however than Linda Hand (Jesie St. James) and Lance Hardy (John Leslie). The pair are the hottest thing in the world of dirty pictures, but their egos are getting the better of them.
It comes to the boiling point when after a little spat before shooting a scene, Linda literally shows that her bite is much worse than her bark. The pair both storm off set vowing never to work with each other again! Understandably annoyed, legendary producers Bernard Kuntz (David F. Friedman) and...
- 8/3/2017
- by Mondo Squallido
- Nerdly
Craig Lines Sep 26, 2016
A few words about H G Lewis, 'the godfather of gore', who died yesterday...
This week is a sad one for horror fans, as it marks the passing of Herschell Gordon Lewis (June 15, 1929 - September 26, 2016), a man whose pioneering splatter movies changed the genre forever. While even his most well-known work is perhaps still not widely seen outside of horror circles, this is part of what makes him one of the quintessential purveyors of it. Horror - especially at its extreme end - has always been an outsider's genre, offputting and disturbing to wider crowds. Sure, a lot of the tropes and extremities that Lewis introduced are commonplace now in major pictures but his work (although shot primarily to make money from the drive-in circuit in the early 60s) has remained on the fringes. A cult favourite for those in the know.
For me personally, he carved...
A few words about H G Lewis, 'the godfather of gore', who died yesterday...
This week is a sad one for horror fans, as it marks the passing of Herschell Gordon Lewis (June 15, 1929 - September 26, 2016), a man whose pioneering splatter movies changed the genre forever. While even his most well-known work is perhaps still not widely seen outside of horror circles, this is part of what makes him one of the quintessential purveyors of it. Horror - especially at its extreme end - has always been an outsider's genre, offputting and disturbing to wider crowds. Sure, a lot of the tropes and extremities that Lewis introduced are commonplace now in major pictures but his work (although shot primarily to make money from the drive-in circuit in the early 60s) has remained on the fringes. A cult favourite for those in the know.
For me personally, he carved...
- 9/26/2016
- Den of Geek
Herschell Gordon Lewis, the so-called "Godfather of Gore" who is widely credited with inventing the "splatter" sub-genre, has died. He was 87. During his brief career as a writer, director and producer of low-budget exploitation films, Lewis achieved infamy with titles like Blood Feast, Two Thousand Maniacs! and The Wizard of Gore, the first of which is generally considered the first "splatter" film and was so reviled by critics on release in 1963 that Variety deemed it "an insult even to the most puerile and salacious of audiences." Nonetheless, the film's boundary-pushing nature made it a huge hit with audiences, leading to a new acceptance of onscreen gore and paving the way for more artful filmmakers like Tobe Hooper, Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson. Born June 15, 1929 in Pittsburgh, Lewis earned a master's degree in Journalism at Northwestern University and had a varied early career, working alternately as a college professor, TV commercial director and voiceover artist.
- 9/26/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Bloodsuckers, the water-soaked paranormal, and a Herschell Gordon Lewis film collection are coming out on Blu-ray this October from Arrow Video, and the official special features lists and cover art for The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast collection, Dark Water (2002), and 1986's Vamp tease plenty to enjoy on all three releases:
"Mvd Entertainment Group furthers the distribution of Arrow Video in the Us with several new titles in October...
Dark Water [Blu-ray + DVD] (October 11th)
After terrifying audiences worldwide with the blockbuster J-horror classic Ring and its sequel, director Hideo Nakata returned to the genre for Dark Water, another highly atmospheric, and critically acclaimed, tale of the supernatural which took the common theme of the "dead wet girl" to new heights of suspense and drama.
Based upon on a short story by Ring author Koji Suzuki, Dark Water follows Yoshimi, a single mother struggling to win sole custody of her only child, Ikuko.
"Mvd Entertainment Group furthers the distribution of Arrow Video in the Us with several new titles in October...
Dark Water [Blu-ray + DVD] (October 11th)
After terrifying audiences worldwide with the blockbuster J-horror classic Ring and its sequel, director Hideo Nakata returned to the genre for Dark Water, another highly atmospheric, and critically acclaimed, tale of the supernatural which took the common theme of the "dead wet girl" to new heights of suspense and drama.
Based upon on a short story by Ring author Koji Suzuki, Dark Water follows Yoshimi, a single mother struggling to win sole custody of her only child, Ikuko.
- 9/16/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
This summer, Grindhouse Releasing will unleash a three-disc Blu-ray of Cat in the Brain—directed by and starring Lucio Fulci—and they will also bring the horror film to cities nationwide with a theatrical re-release beginning in June and ending in August:
Press Release: Hollywood, Calif. — Grindhouse Releasing has set a July 12 street date for the new deluxe 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Lucio Fulci’s nightmare classic Cat In The Brain. The movie will be touring theaters all over the U.S. this summer, starting June 2.
Cat In The Brain is a psychological masterpiece in the tradition of such cinematic classics as Psycho, Strait-jacket, Eraserhead and Fellini’s 8 1/2. Acclaimed Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci, director of Zombie and The Beyond, stars in this blood-soaked epic as a director being driven insane by his own movies. Fulci is thrust into an ultra-violent nightmare of death and depravity where murder and madness...
Press Release: Hollywood, Calif. — Grindhouse Releasing has set a July 12 street date for the new deluxe 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Lucio Fulci’s nightmare classic Cat In The Brain. The movie will be touring theaters all over the U.S. this summer, starting June 2.
Cat In The Brain is a psychological masterpiece in the tradition of such cinematic classics as Psycho, Strait-jacket, Eraserhead and Fellini’s 8 1/2. Acclaimed Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci, director of Zombie and The Beyond, stars in this blood-soaked epic as a director being driven insane by his own movies. Fulci is thrust into an ultra-violent nightmare of death and depravity where murder and madness...
- 5/24/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Aside from the obvious appeal of this smörgásbord of dirty movie delights, cult director Frank Henenlotter hosts a good history of soft-core film smut, in all its forms. Includes excellent clips and input from one of the 'greats' in this field, David F. Friedman. Remember, it's for educational purposes only. That's Sexploitation! Blu-ray Severin Films 2013 / Color / 1:37 full frame / 136 min. / Street Date April 26, 2016 / 24.95 Starring Albert Cadabra, Gal Friday, David F. Friedman, Frank Henenlotter. Cinematography Daniel Griffith, Brent Kerr, Anthony Sneed Produced by Jimmy Maslon, Mike Vraney Written and Directed and Edited by Frank Henenlotter
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Remember the beginning of the Paddy Chayefsky-Sidney Lumet film The Bachelor Party, where a group of men in a darkened room are watching a film, and we don't know what it is? That's Sexploitation! is a comprehensive documentary about a sleazy, yet strangely innocent, slice of prurient Americana. From VHS through the DVD days,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Remember the beginning of the Paddy Chayefsky-Sidney Lumet film The Bachelor Party, where a group of men in a darkened room are watching a film, and we don't know what it is? That's Sexploitation! is a comprehensive documentary about a sleazy, yet strangely innocent, slice of prurient Americana. From VHS through the DVD days,...
- 5/14/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Next week TwitchFIlm is partnering with a crowdfunding campaign to help raise funds for a remake of Herschell Gordon Lewis' gore classic Blood Feast. His 1963 film, a story about a caterer who secret ingredient in his food are his murder victims. They are also his offerings to the Egyptian goddess Ishtar. Blood Feast is considered the first splatter film. It was part of a trilogy of films called the Blood Trilogy; with Two Thousand Maniacs! and Colour Me Blood Red rounding out the trio. There was a sequel in 2002 called Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat which reunited director Lewis with his Blood Feast producer David F. Friedman.Remake Of Gore Classic "Blood Feast"The ultimate '60s splatterfilm Blood Feast receives a remake. Gundo Entertainment...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/17/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Tartan Films
With the abolition of the Hays Production Code and the relaxation of social attitudes in the mid-60s, exploitation films flourished in America’s Drive-Ins and Grindhouses until the advent of home video. Seeking an edge over ‘prestigious’ studio movies, these were cheaply made, independently released pictures whose subject matter and sensationalist advertising had one goal: putting rubes in seats.
The philosophy of those who made them was that you didn’t need big stars or technical knowledge, just business sense and a steady supply of gimmicks. In the words of producer David F. Friedman, they were selling the sizzle, not the steak.
One of Friedman’s biggest successes was 1963’s Blood Feast, whose poster promised a sight filmgoers had never enjoyed before – the slaughter and mutilation of nubile young girls. To make sure viewers fully understood, the tagline read: “Nothing so appalling in the annals of horror!
With the abolition of the Hays Production Code and the relaxation of social attitudes in the mid-60s, exploitation films flourished in America’s Drive-Ins and Grindhouses until the advent of home video. Seeking an edge over ‘prestigious’ studio movies, these were cheaply made, independently released pictures whose subject matter and sensationalist advertising had one goal: putting rubes in seats.
The philosophy of those who made them was that you didn’t need big stars or technical knowledge, just business sense and a steady supply of gimmicks. In the words of producer David F. Friedman, they were selling the sizzle, not the steak.
One of Friedman’s biggest successes was 1963’s Blood Feast, whose poster promised a sight filmgoers had never enjoyed before – the slaughter and mutilation of nubile young girls. To make sure viewers fully understood, the tagline read: “Nothing so appalling in the annals of horror!
- 4/8/2015
- by Ian Watson
- Obsessed with Film
In That's Sexploitation, filmmaker Frank Henenlotter and exploitation legend David Friedman celebrate the freewheeling culture of sexploitation, the sensationalistic underground of independent filmmakers and studios who cashed in on promises of carnal thrills and forbidden spectacle, specifically naked flesh (mostly female). . . . Here are ten films from the heady days of the sexual revolution to the present that smudge the line between art and exploitation. Sex may be the subject, the subtext, or the motivation, but promise of steamy spectacle and erotic delights was used attract patrons that normally might not otherwise attend such fare and give them the cinematic equivalent to the time-honored justification for purchasing Playboy magazine: "I get it for the articles.">> - Sean Axmaker...
- 11/21/2014
- Keyframe
In That's Sexploitation, filmmaker Frank Henenlotter and exploitation legend David Friedman celebrate the freewheeling culture of sexploitation, the sensationalistic underground of independent filmmakers and studios who cashed in on promises of carnal thrills and forbidden spectacle, specifically naked flesh (mostly female). . . . Here are ten films from the heady days of the sexual revolution to the present that smudge the line between art and exploitation. Sex may be the subject, the subtext, or the motivation, but promise of steamy spectacle and erotic delights was used attract patrons that normally might not otherwise attend such fare and give them the cinematic equivalent to the time-honored justification for purchasing Playboy magazine: "I get it for the articles.">> - Sean Axmaker...
- 11/21/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Something Weird is coming to FullMoonStreaming.com in a Big way! Read on for probably one of the coolest (and weirdest) announcements you'll see all week... and that's saying something given that it's San Diego Comic-Con Week!
From the Press Release
Full Moon is thrilled to announce the latest addition to the FullMoonStreaming.com roster: an untamed collection of classic cult, horror, and exploitation movies culled from the legendary Something Weird library!
The brainchild of late exploitation film curator and weird cinema enthusiast Mike Vraney (who tragically lost his battle with lung cancer earlier this year), Something Weird is widely recognized as the premiere imprint for awesomely lurid, cult cinema. The company has thousands of bizarre and wonderful motion pictures under their umbrella, representing every single strain of strangeness from greasy, hard and soft-core erotica to tassel-twirling burlesque; from European gladiator epics to gory horror gems; from druggie freak out potboilers and beyond.
From the Press Release
Full Moon is thrilled to announce the latest addition to the FullMoonStreaming.com roster: an untamed collection of classic cult, horror, and exploitation movies culled from the legendary Something Weird library!
The brainchild of late exploitation film curator and weird cinema enthusiast Mike Vraney (who tragically lost his battle with lung cancer earlier this year), Something Weird is widely recognized as the premiere imprint for awesomely lurid, cult cinema. The company has thousands of bizarre and wonderful motion pictures under their umbrella, representing every single strain of strangeness from greasy, hard and soft-core erotica to tassel-twirling burlesque; from European gladiator epics to gory horror gems; from druggie freak out potboilers and beyond.
- 7/23/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Article by Sam Moffitt
It was very sad to hear of the passing of Mike Vraney on January 2nd, he was only 56 years old. Anyone who is a true movie geek, film fan, or cinema addict owes him a debt of thanks. With Something Weird Video Vraney made available hundreds, if not thousands of hours of rare, obscure and vintage films, most of which were, well..really weird.
Consider his association with Dave Friedman and H,G. Lewis, Swv put out virtually their entire catalog of films first on VHS and then dvd. Not to mention the films of Harry Novak, Coffin Joe and his bizarre films from South America and many other rare titles that were impossible to see, not so long ago.
Swv put out hundreds of collections of nudie cutie loops, stag films, trailers for drive-in swill and compilations of highway safety and class room instructional films.
It was very sad to hear of the passing of Mike Vraney on January 2nd, he was only 56 years old. Anyone who is a true movie geek, film fan, or cinema addict owes him a debt of thanks. With Something Weird Video Vraney made available hundreds, if not thousands of hours of rare, obscure and vintage films, most of which were, well..really weird.
Consider his association with Dave Friedman and H,G. Lewis, Swv put out virtually their entire catalog of films first on VHS and then dvd. Not to mention the films of Harry Novak, Coffin Joe and his bizarre films from South America and many other rare titles that were impossible to see, not so long ago.
Swv put out hundreds of collections of nudie cutie loops, stag films, trailers for drive-in swill and compilations of highway safety and class room instructional films.
- 4/29/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
While his name may not jump out at you at first, I can promise you that Mike Vraney was an important part of just about every horror fan's life, and unfortunately he's been taken from us far too soon. Vraney, the founder of Something Weird Video, has passed on at the age of just 56.
From the Something Weird Video Facebook Page
In Memorium Mike Vraney Founder of Something Weird December 29, 1957 to January 2, 2014
We regret to tell you that Something Weird’s founder, Mike Vraney, passed away on January 2, 2014 after a long heroic battle with lung cancer. He was 56 years old, way too young to leave this planet. There was still so much Mike wanted to do in his life, so many films to be found, and adventures to be embarked upon.
This sad news may come as a shock to most of you. Mike was a very private person and didn’t want anyone,...
From the Something Weird Video Facebook Page
In Memorium Mike Vraney Founder of Something Weird December 29, 1957 to January 2, 2014
We regret to tell you that Something Weird’s founder, Mike Vraney, passed away on January 2, 2014 after a long heroic battle with lung cancer. He was 56 years old, way too young to leave this planet. There was still so much Mike wanted to do in his life, so many films to be found, and adventures to be embarked upon.
This sad news may come as a shock to most of you. Mike was a very private person and didn’t want anyone,...
- 1/6/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The founder of Something Weird Video, Mike Vraney, died on January 2nd after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 56.
Something Weird was founded in 1990 as a way for Vraney to rescue many obscure exploitation, sexploitation and grindhouse films from obscurity and deliver them to the masses on video and DVD. The company was known for specializing in the films of Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman and, especially, H.G. Lewis. The name of the company, as well as its logo, was taken from Lewis' 1967 film Something Weird. I remember first seeing the ads for Something Weird Video when I was a child, in the pages of Fangoria magazine and dreaming of the day that I could afford to start buying from their collection.
Vraney's love for exploitation began during his teen years as a drive-in projectionist. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was deeply involved in the Seattle punk music scene.
Something Weird was founded in 1990 as a way for Vraney to rescue many obscure exploitation, sexploitation and grindhouse films from obscurity and deliver them to the masses on video and DVD. The company was known for specializing in the films of Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman and, especially, H.G. Lewis. The name of the company, as well as its logo, was taken from Lewis' 1967 film Something Weird. I remember first seeing the ads for Something Weird Video when I was a child, in the pages of Fangoria magazine and dreaming of the day that I could afford to start buying from their collection.
Vraney's love for exploitation began during his teen years as a drive-in projectionist. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was deeply involved in the Seattle punk music scene.
- 1/3/2014
- by Alyse Wax
- FEARnet
Herschell Gordon Lewis is one of the most polarizing figures in horror for a number of reasons.He, along with producer David Friedman, introduced the idea of the gore film to the drive-in masses and changed the face of modern horror. This is the root from which explicit horror has grown, everything from the Gialli of the late 60's to the 80's Euro-gore boom to modern torture porn finds its origins in his no-budget features like Blood Feast and Two Thousand Maniacs. It's pretty hard to argue that the quality of his films varies wildly, some are wildly entertaining horror comedies (like Two Thousand Maniacs) and others are, um, not. Regardless of that, the man soldiers on. After a long hiatus from the movie business during...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/1/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Feature James Peaty 8 Mar 2013 - 06:24
With Sundance London fast approaching, we've highlighted ten Sundance films you really should watch...
For nearly 30 years the Sundance Film Festival has been the pre-eminent North American independent film showcase. Helping to make the names and careers of filmmakers as diverse as Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino Bryan Singer and Christopher Nolan the festival's reach has now spread even further thanks to the inaugural Sundance London show in 2012.
But despite Sundance’s enviable influence at the top of the film tree not every movie – or even award winner – shown at the festival ends up becoming as ubiquitous as Sex, Lies and Videotape or Clerks.
Fast approaching is the Sundance London 2013 festival (full details on that are here), whose line-up is set to be announced on March 11th. The event runs from 25-28 April, and tickets go on sale at the end of next week.
With Sundance London fast approaching, we've highlighted ten Sundance films you really should watch...
For nearly 30 years the Sundance Film Festival has been the pre-eminent North American independent film showcase. Helping to make the names and careers of filmmakers as diverse as Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino Bryan Singer and Christopher Nolan the festival's reach has now spread even further thanks to the inaugural Sundance London show in 2012.
But despite Sundance’s enviable influence at the top of the film tree not every movie – or even award winner – shown at the festival ends up becoming as ubiquitous as Sex, Lies and Videotape or Clerks.
Fast approaching is the Sundance London 2013 festival (full details on that are here), whose line-up is set to be announced on March 11th. The event runs from 25-28 April, and tickets go on sale at the end of next week.
- 3/7/2013
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Microsoft officially kicked off the E3 2012 festivities with its press briefing dubbed “Xbox 360 Entertainment Evolved 2012.” While it was a little light on huge surprises, they did show off exciting demos and some interesting new features hitting the Xbox 360 in the coming months.
Here are some of the highlights.
Halo 4
The show got rolling with an absolutely incredible looking trailer and demo for Halo 4. It started off with things going bad on a Unsc ship that eventually causes it to crash down on an unnamed planet. Luckily for all involved, Master Chief is on the scene. He has a small skirmish with some Covenant forces, but before he can finish them off, the last one standing is taken out by an unseen shooter. As Chief moves closer to the downed ship, he starts encountering what appear to be robotic A.I. enemies. While Chief is dispatching these new foes Cortanna mentions...
Here are some of the highlights.
Halo 4
The show got rolling with an absolutely incredible looking trailer and demo for Halo 4. It started off with things going bad on a Unsc ship that eventually causes it to crash down on an unnamed planet. Luckily for all involved, Master Chief is on the scene. He has a small skirmish with some Covenant forces, but before he can finish them off, the last one standing is taken out by an unseen shooter. As Chief moves closer to the downed ship, he starts encountering what appear to be robotic A.I. enemies. While Chief is dispatching these new foes Cortanna mentions...
- 6/4/2012
- by JTMosh
- DreadCentral.com
To a certain segment of the film going population, the three features that form H.G. Lewis' Blood Trilogy are seminal. Director Lewis and producer David Friedman invented the gore film with Blood Feast and continued to perfect their formula for the next decade until it ran out of steam and they looked for another way to make a buck. The incredible Something Weird Video has been a champion of Lewis, and made one of this trilogy their entry into the world of Blu-ray. The Blood Trilogy has never looked this good, probably not even on the big screen. These discs are must own discs for any fan of '60s sleaze or exploitation cinema.Herschell Gordon Lewis' pioneering "gore" films in deluxe special editions. First, Mrs. Fremont...
- 1/10/2012
- Screen Anarchy
“Deep down inside, you’re dirty. Do you hear me, dirty? You’re damaged goods, and this is a fire sale.” These vile sentences shouted out by modeling agency owner Mr. Lang (Lawrence Aberwood) during the heated climax of Herschell Gordon Lewis’s 1963 nudie-cutie Scum of the Earth reflect not only the understandable fear felt by naïve model Kim (Allison Louise Downe) who is begging the depraved Mr. Lang for her naked pictures, but also the real life fear of being exposed against your will. Exploitation films of any era depict society’s underbelly, offering viewers a voyeuristic look at a frightening world. Just like with horror, these films show truly discomforting subject through a lens of entertainment. The exploitation films of the 1960s toyed with taboos and boundaries in a way never seen in films before or since. With the evolution of cinema road shows and drive-ins, teens and adults had more freedom when it came...
- 11/10/2011
- by Gwen Reyes
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Now that our new house is settling, we wanted to bring back our weekly DVD & Blu-Ray Releases posts. We are calling this weekly post “Home Invasion”. If you plan on purchasing these items via Amazon, all you need to do is click on the buttons provided or on the artwork and not only do you get the same price you normally would with Amazon, but you help us out a little bit as well – which is all we ask because this list does take some time to put together.
All Descriptions are from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted. We have excluded the Netflix code on this particular post. This is due to all of the changes with Netflix and their DVD mailing program. If you want us to include the code in future Home Invasion posts, where you just click a button to add it to your queue, leave us a comment below.
All Descriptions are from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted. We have excluded the Netflix code on this particular post. This is due to all of the changes with Netflix and their DVD mailing program. If you want us to include the code in future Home Invasion posts, where you just click a button to add it to your queue, leave us a comment below.
- 9/26/2011
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Herschell Gordon Lewis introduced the world to gore the likes that had not been seen on screen before, and on September 27th Image Entertainment and Something Weird unleash the documentary The Godfather of Gore on DVD.
“Featuring interviews with cast, crew and critics such as director John Waters, drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs and Herschell Gordon Lewis himself, The Godfather of Gore traces Lewis’ start in the innocent bare-naked world of “Nudie Cuties” before he shocked the world with Blood Feast, the first-ever gore film! Lewis then continued to assault audiences with such audacious shockers as She-Devils on Wheels, Blast-Off Girls, Just for the Hell of It, Two Thousand Maniacs!, The Gruesome Twosome, The Gore Gore Girls, and the incredible Wizard of Gore! Packed with tons of clips, rare outtakes, and testimony from the people who were there, Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore will leave you laughing...
“Featuring interviews with cast, crew and critics such as director John Waters, drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs and Herschell Gordon Lewis himself, The Godfather of Gore traces Lewis’ start in the innocent bare-naked world of “Nudie Cuties” before he shocked the world with Blood Feast, the first-ever gore film! Lewis then continued to assault audiences with such audacious shockers as She-Devils on Wheels, Blast-Off Girls, Just for the Hell of It, Two Thousand Maniacs!, The Gruesome Twosome, The Gore Gore Girls, and the incredible Wizard of Gore! Packed with tons of clips, rare outtakes, and testimony from the people who were there, Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore will leave you laughing...
- 7/14/2011
- by Jude
- The Liberal Dead
Herschell Gordon Lewis
The Godfather of Gore You mention the name Herschell Gordon Lewis to any longtime horror fan and everyone instantly knows who he is. He is the inventor of splatter cinema. He is the director who had the conviction to bring horror movie gore to theater screens. A whole generation and then the generation after that have all been influenced by this legendary filmmaker. Love him or hate him, there is no denying his impact on horror cinema. Fans of this prolific director are in for a treat with a DVD and Blu-Ray being released this September!
Image Entertainment and Something Weird invite you on an outrageous ride through the blood-soaked world of a legendary filmmaker! Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather Of Gore DVD And The Blood Trilogy Blu-ray™ The Godfather of Gore Features Never-Before-Seen Interviews and Rare Footage; Blood Trilogy Blu-ray™ Special Edition Features Remastered Audio and...
The Godfather of Gore You mention the name Herschell Gordon Lewis to any longtime horror fan and everyone instantly knows who he is. He is the inventor of splatter cinema. He is the director who had the conviction to bring horror movie gore to theater screens. A whole generation and then the generation after that have all been influenced by this legendary filmmaker. Love him or hate him, there is no denying his impact on horror cinema. Fans of this prolific director are in for a treat with a DVD and Blu-Ray being released this September!
Image Entertainment and Something Weird invite you on an outrageous ride through the blood-soaked world of a legendary filmmaker! Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather Of Gore DVD And The Blood Trilogy Blu-ray™ The Godfather of Gore Features Never-Before-Seen Interviews and Rare Footage; Blood Trilogy Blu-ray™ Special Edition Features Remastered Audio and...
- 7/11/2011
- by Big Daddy aka Brandon Sites
- Big Daddy Horror Reviews - Interviews
Herschell Gordon Lewis. His name alone is synonymous with all things violent, gory, and fun. For you millions of fans of his worldwide, we have the skinny on the upcoming Blood Trilogy Blu-ray as well as the official DVD release of Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore. Oh, yes. Today is a good day.
From the Press Release
He’s been hailed as a visionary and as a provocateur. His films have legions of fans and just as many detractors. In 1963 he introduced stunned audiences to a new kind of cinema with Blood Feast – and in the process single-handedly launched “splatter cinema.” He is writer/director Herschell Gordon Lewis, and he is truly the “Godfather of Gore.” On September 27, 2011, Image Entertainment and Something Weird pay homage to a true cinematic legend with the DVD release of Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore and the high definition premieres of grindhouse classics Blood Feast,...
From the Press Release
He’s been hailed as a visionary and as a provocateur. His films have legions of fans and just as many detractors. In 1963 he introduced stunned audiences to a new kind of cinema with Blood Feast – and in the process single-handedly launched “splatter cinema.” He is writer/director Herschell Gordon Lewis, and he is truly the “Godfather of Gore.” On September 27, 2011, Image Entertainment and Something Weird pay homage to a true cinematic legend with the DVD release of Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore and the high definition premieres of grindhouse classics Blood Feast,...
- 7/11/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Herschell Gordon Lewis, the Godfather of Gore, was born today, June 15, in 1929.
After successfully conquering the nudie picture genre, Lewis invented the modern splatter movie with his 1963 classic, Blood Feast. Fast forward to the present and the man is still proving he’s got what it takes with his latest film, the satirical gore-fest The Uh-Oh Show, which will be released on DVD this August.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film reviewed The Uh-Oh Show last year, courtesy of the Spooky Movie Film Festival.
Here’s the trailer for Blood Feast, courtesy of Something Weird Video:
Read More:David F. Friedman, R.I.P.Watch: Count Gore De Vol Interviews Herschell Gordon LewisMoviate: H.G. Lewis: The Godfather of GoreThe Uh-Oh Show...
After successfully conquering the nudie picture genre, Lewis invented the modern splatter movie with his 1963 classic, Blood Feast. Fast forward to the present and the man is still proving he’s got what it takes with his latest film, the satirical gore-fest The Uh-Oh Show, which will be released on DVD this August.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film reviewed The Uh-Oh Show last year, courtesy of the Spooky Movie Film Festival.
Here’s the trailer for Blood Feast, courtesy of Something Weird Video:
Read More:David F. Friedman, R.I.P.Watch: Count Gore De Vol Interviews Herschell Gordon LewisMoviate: H.G. Lewis: The Godfather of GoreThe Uh-Oh Show...
- 6/16/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This past Monday, February 14, David F. Friedman passed away at the age of 87. As a producer and distributor, Friedman certainly left his mark on the history of cinema, ranging from classical exploitation in the 1940s, the European import boom of the ’50s, the nudies and slashers of the ’60s, and the modern exploitation era of the ’70s. He’ll forever be one of the greatest champions of fun, excessive cinema, a true legend in the “give-the-people-what-they-want” tradition, back when that actually meant something.
Friedman’s first major foray into the exploitation world came from working with Kroger Babb after World War II. Babb was one of the great classical exploitation kingpins, and he brought Friedman on to work on publicity and distribution for his roadshow titles. Among dozens of others, Friedman helped Babb peddle Mom And Dad, the sex-hygiene film that was among the top 10 highest grossing films of both the 1940s and the 1950s.
Friedman’s first major foray into the exploitation world came from working with Kroger Babb after World War II. Babb was one of the great classical exploitation kingpins, and he brought Friedman on to work on publicity and distribution for his roadshow titles. Among dozens of others, Friedman helped Babb peddle Mom And Dad, the sex-hygiene film that was among the top 10 highest grossing films of both the 1940s and the 1950s.
- 2/18/2011
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
We’ve lost a filmmaker who truly was one of a kind.
I’d say that Dave Friedman (see obit here) was the last of his kind…except that in addition to being the last, he also was the first. Those of us who knew him, worked with him, and profited from his talents and his wit are saddened because his type, more than rare, probably won’t ever surface again.
I’d say that Dave Friedman (see obit here) was the last of his kind…except that in addition to being the last, he also was the first. Those of us who knew him, worked with him, and profited from his talents and his wit are saddened because his type, more than rare, probably won’t ever surface again.
- 2/17/2011
- by samueldzimmerman@gmail.com (Herschell Gordon Lewis)
- Fangoria
Legendary B-movie producer David F. Friedman passed away on Monday in a nursing home in Anniston, Alabama. He was 87 years old.
Although director Herschell Gordon Lewis is typically credited as the Godfather of Gore, i.e. the man who invented the splatter movie with his infamous 1963 horror flick Blood Feast, the film was in fact a collaboration between Lewis and Friedman. The two men came up with the general story while Lewis directed it and Friedman produced.
The two men had originally started out making “nudie cutie” and nudist colony cheapo films with titles such as The Adventures of Lucky Pierre (1961) and Nature’s Playmates (1962), until Lewis struck upon the idea of making a film that included the kind of graphic violence that Hollywood studios had shied away from.
Friedman produced Blood Feast with just $24,500 and the film was allegedly a runaway box office smash, encouraging the two gore-mongers to...
Although director Herschell Gordon Lewis is typically credited as the Godfather of Gore, i.e. the man who invented the splatter movie with his infamous 1963 horror flick Blood Feast, the film was in fact a collaboration between Lewis and Friedman. The two men came up with the general story while Lewis directed it and Friedman produced.
The two men had originally started out making “nudie cutie” and nudist colony cheapo films with titles such as The Adventures of Lucky Pierre (1961) and Nature’s Playmates (1962), until Lewis struck upon the idea of making a film that included the kind of graphic violence that Hollywood studios had shied away from.
Friedman produced Blood Feast with just $24,500 and the film was allegedly a runaway box office smash, encouraging the two gore-mongers to...
- 2/16/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Goodbye to the man who brought us Blood Feast, 2000 Maniacs, The Erotic Adventures Of Zorro, Trader Hornee, Thar She Blows, and Ilsa She-wolf Of The SS. Producer and Huckster extraordinaire David F. Friedman died Sunday in Miami of heart disease at age 87. For a full appreciation of the history of exploitation films, you should read his autobiography A Youth In Babylon for Friedman was one of the few of the exploitation giants whose roots stretched back to actual carnivals. His father ran one and much of Friedman’s youth was spent traveling the carnival circuit throughout the South. It was there that he was first bitten by the showbiz bug, giving him a taste for exploitation and spectacle that would serve him well in the future. Friedman apprenticed with fellow showman Kroger Babb (best known for the birth-of-a-baby film Mom And Dad which played like a tent revival for years...
- 2/15/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Producer David F. Friedman, who many say created the splatter film when he collaborated with director Herschell Gordon Lewis on the 1963 film Blood Feast, has passed away at 87 from heart failure. Blood Feast had a thin plot involving a murderous Egyptian caterer who decapitates women (usually naked ones) and contained copious nudity, buckets of blood and not much else. From what I recall, it didn't even contain sound effects during the murder scenes, besides dubbed screaming. He went on to produce cult classics like Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S., and the clever, often hilarious gore film Two Thousand Maniacs! And apparently, he really liked fun.
- 2/15/2011
- Movieline
One of the most prolific horror film producers in the game has taken his final curtain call and is sadly no longer with us. You may not know his name, but we know you're very familiar with his work.
According to The New York Times long time Herschell Gordon Lewis collaborator and splatter film pioneer, producer David F. Friedman, passed away at age 87 on Monday at his home in Anniston, Alabama.
The man's resume is as long as it is impressive with titles like Blood Feast, Color Me Blood Red, Two Thousand Maniacs, Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S., and most recently Tim Sullivan's 2001 Maniacs and 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams. The man was from the old school of fearless filmmaking and lived his life to the fullest until the very end.
We here at Dread Central would like to take this time to offer our sincerest of condolences to Friedman's friends,...
According to The New York Times long time Herschell Gordon Lewis collaborator and splatter film pioneer, producer David F. Friedman, passed away at age 87 on Monday at his home in Anniston, Alabama.
The man's resume is as long as it is impressive with titles like Blood Feast, Color Me Blood Red, Two Thousand Maniacs, Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S., and most recently Tim Sullivan's 2001 Maniacs and 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams. The man was from the old school of fearless filmmaking and lived his life to the fullest until the very end.
We here at Dread Central would like to take this time to offer our sincerest of condolences to Friedman's friends,...
- 2/15/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Filed under: Movie News, Horror, Cinematical
-- At long last, American audiences will get a chance to see John Carpenter's 'The Ward.' The maverick filmmaker's first feature since 2001 has been acquired for Us distribution by Arc Entertainment and XLRator Media according to THR's Heat Vision blog. The film, which is set in the 1960s, features Amber Heard as a young woman who's admitted to a psychiatric ward. She teams up with her fellow patients in order to survive when a malevolent force starts stalking the halls. No release details have been officially announced
-- More sad news for exploitation fans: David F. Friedman has passed away. The producer, best known for working alongside H.G. Lewis on 'Blood Feast' and serving as a producer on 'Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS' died earlier today. Friedman suffered heart failure and was 87 years old. This sad news comes on the heels...
-- At long last, American audiences will get a chance to see John Carpenter's 'The Ward.' The maverick filmmaker's first feature since 2001 has been acquired for Us distribution by Arc Entertainment and XLRator Media according to THR's Heat Vision blog. The film, which is set in the 1960s, features Amber Heard as a young woman who's admitted to a psychiatric ward. She teams up with her fellow patients in order to survive when a malevolent force starts stalking the halls. No release details have been officially announced
-- More sad news for exploitation fans: David F. Friedman has passed away. The producer, best known for working alongside H.G. Lewis on 'Blood Feast' and serving as a producer on 'Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS' died earlier today. Friedman suffered heart failure and was 87 years old. This sad news comes on the heels...
- 2/14/2011
- by Mike Bracken
- Moviefone
Filed under: Movie News, Horror, Cinematical
-- At long last, American audiences will get a chance to see John Carpenter's 'The Ward.' The maverick filmmaker's first feature since 2001 has been acquired for Us distribution by Arc Entertainment and XLRator Media according to THR's Heat Vision blog. The film, which is set in the 1960s, features Amber Heard as a young woman who's admitted to a psychiatric ward. She teams up with her fellow patients in order to survive when a malevolent force starts stalking the halls. No release details have been officially announced
-- More sad news for exploitation fans: David F. Friedman has passed away. The producer, best known for working alongside H.G. Lewis on 'Blood Feast' and serving as a producer on 'Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS' died earlier today. Friedman suffered heart failure and was 87 years old. This sad news comes on the heels...
-- At long last, American audiences will get a chance to see John Carpenter's 'The Ward.' The maverick filmmaker's first feature since 2001 has been acquired for Us distribution by Arc Entertainment and XLRator Media according to THR's Heat Vision blog. The film, which is set in the 1960s, features Amber Heard as a young woman who's admitted to a psychiatric ward. She teams up with her fellow patients in order to survive when a malevolent force starts stalking the halls. No release details have been officially announced
-- More sad news for exploitation fans: David F. Friedman has passed away. The producer, best known for working alongside H.G. Lewis on 'Blood Feast' and serving as a producer on 'Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS' died earlier today. Friedman suffered heart failure and was 87 years old. This sad news comes on the heels...
- 2/14/2011
- by Mike Bracken
- Cinematical
Nudie Cuties and sexploitation producer David F. Friedman died of heart failure on Monday. Friedman was a very important man for the now Something Weird video catalogue. If he wasn't around, a few of those obscure, sometimes silly, fright flicks would not have been around today - especially some of the Herschell Gordon Lewis films. Friedman produced films that are too obscure and too outrageous for most naive audiences and these films are still considered too risky and continue to be banned from certain countries today.
- 2/14/2011
- by Steven Tee
- HorrorYearbook
Jan. 12
8:00 p.m.
Moviate
1306 N. 3rd St.
Harrisburg, Pa 17102
Hosted by: Moviate
Back in 1963, exploitation movie director Herschell Gordon Lewis created a whole new genre of film: The gore film. Tired of making mindless nudie pictures, Lewis imagined a type of movie where girls didn’t just take their clothes off, but had their skin ripped off as well. With his first horror film, Blood Feast, Lewis launched what would eventually be known as a “slasher movie.”
H.G. Lewis: The Godfather of Gore traces the eccentric career of this pioneering filmmaking. Without Blood Feast paving the way on the dark fringe of the exploitation world, perhaps the graphic gore that dominates mainstream entertainment these days would never have come to pass.
The documentary is co-directed by Frank Henenlotter, who himself is no stranger to good gore films, having directed sleazy horror movie classics like Basket Case and Frankenhooker.
8:00 p.m.
Moviate
1306 N. 3rd St.
Harrisburg, Pa 17102
Hosted by: Moviate
Back in 1963, exploitation movie director Herschell Gordon Lewis created a whole new genre of film: The gore film. Tired of making mindless nudie pictures, Lewis imagined a type of movie where girls didn’t just take their clothes off, but had their skin ripped off as well. With his first horror film, Blood Feast, Lewis launched what would eventually be known as a “slasher movie.”
H.G. Lewis: The Godfather of Gore traces the eccentric career of this pioneering filmmaking. Without Blood Feast paving the way on the dark fringe of the exploitation world, perhaps the graphic gore that dominates mainstream entertainment these days would never have come to pass.
The documentary is co-directed by Frank Henenlotter, who himself is no stranger to good gore films, having directed sleazy horror movie classics like Basket Case and Frankenhooker.
- 1/11/2011
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Old-school genre fans have been waiting for this one for a long time. Now, almost fifty years after Herschell Gordon Lewis ushered in the dawn of a new era in horror films, the wait is finally over and the fans will not be disappointed. Herschell Gordon Lewis - The Godfather of Gore is a loving tribute to a gentleman who single-handedly - and more or less by accident - changed the face of horror films. The documentary begins with a lenghty recounting of Lewis' beginnings in the film industry when he, along with producing partner David Friedman, thought it would be easy money to make 'nudie cutie' pictures - actors and actresses in various states of undress performing mundane (housework, dancing) and not so mundane (riding a turtle!) tasks. Growing tired of the scene but still wanting to make films that would put butts in theater seats, Lewis and Friedman...
- 7/19/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
[Our thanks to Lauren Baggett for the following review.]
Near the end of Friday night's screening of Herschell Gordon Lewis - The Godfather of Gore, right at the point where the villain of The Gore Gore Girls takes a meat tenderizer and a salt shaker to a woman's behind, my viewing companion turned to me and said that she had to wait outside until the film was over. This is someone who had sat with me through Fantasia film after Fantasia film for years, through the most disgusting blood and guts epics, and now she had reached her limit in the celebration of the entrepreneurial gorehound. I can't say that I blame her. The work of Herschell Gordon Lewis is a strange and often overlooked chapter in the history of American horror, and there's something that still grabs the viewer in his depictions of mayhem inflicted upon the female body. Seeing the unconvincing violence in the context of such...
Near the end of Friday night's screening of Herschell Gordon Lewis - The Godfather of Gore, right at the point where the villain of The Gore Gore Girls takes a meat tenderizer and a salt shaker to a woman's behind, my viewing companion turned to me and said that she had to wait outside until the film was over. This is someone who had sat with me through Fantasia film after Fantasia film for years, through the most disgusting blood and guts epics, and now she had reached her limit in the celebration of the entrepreneurial gorehound. I can't say that I blame her. The work of Herschell Gordon Lewis is a strange and often overlooked chapter in the history of American horror, and there's something that still grabs the viewer in his depictions of mayhem inflicted upon the female body. Seeing the unconvincing violence in the context of such...
- 7/13/2010
- Screen Anarchy
I was no Herschell Gordon Lewis aficionado before sitting down to watch Jimmy Maslon's and cult filmmaker extraordinaire Frank Henenlotter's (Basket Case, Brain Damage) documentary tribute to the Godfather of Gore, who both invented and ruled the splatter genre from the 1960s to the early 70s. I had seen his seminal 1963 classic Blood Feast, and while I enjoyed it as a cinematic oddity, I never really understood what all the fuss was about for Hgl. Thanks to Jimmy Maslon and Frank Henenlotter, I am now drinking the proverbial blood red kool-aid.
(In fact, I enjoyed the film so much that it induced a fever dream last night about Hg Lewis time-traveling to defeat the Zodiac Killer who has escaped to the 21st century - wait... did I just type that...)
Through dozens of interviews, including Herschell himself, an endearing and engaging personality, his longtime producing partner David Friedman,...
(In fact, I enjoyed the film so much that it induced a fever dream last night about Hg Lewis time-traveling to defeat the Zodiac Killer who has escaped to the 21st century - wait... did I just type that...)
Through dozens of interviews, including Herschell himself, an endearing and engaging personality, his longtime producing partner David Friedman,...
- 7/10/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The first that I heard of Frank Henenlotter was on a perfectly awful cable tv show that aired on Manhattan's Public Access channel in the 1970s.
"The Nikki Haskell Show" was a self-indulgent half-hour cable show hosted by Haskell, a wealthy socialite-divorcee and former stockbroker who now claims that her show marked the invention of "reality television." About a year ago, after her diet pill company got in trouble with the NFL over a "secret ingredient" that should have been labeled, Haskell signed up for an account at YouTube and started posting clips from the 30-year-old program, but she seems to have lost interest after posting just ten of them.
The main reason I'd tune in Haskell's silly show was the programming that followed it, "adults only" programming like Screw magazine publisher Al Goldstein's "Midnight Blue," porn performer Robin Bird's "Hot Legs" show featuring New York's leading "dance talent" and,...
"The Nikki Haskell Show" was a self-indulgent half-hour cable show hosted by Haskell, a wealthy socialite-divorcee and former stockbroker who now claims that her show marked the invention of "reality television." About a year ago, after her diet pill company got in trouble with the NFL over a "secret ingredient" that should have been labeled, Haskell signed up for an account at YouTube and started posting clips from the 30-year-old program, but she seems to have lost interest after posting just ten of them.
The main reason I'd tune in Haskell's silly show was the programming that followed it, "adults only" programming like Screw magazine publisher Al Goldstein's "Midnight Blue," porn performer Robin Bird's "Hot Legs" show featuring New York's leading "dance talent" and,...
- 11/17/2009
- by unclebob
- DreadCentral.com
In another unpublished interview from the archives, Australian contributor Lee Gambin sits down for a little one-on-one with Herschell Gordon Lewis - a Fango fav, and always a source of great conversation. This interview has been abridged for posting here.
Lee Gambin/Fangoria: What initially got you stated in the movie making business?
H.G. Lewis: I owned a commercial film studio in Chicago, including 35mm movie equipment. The big advertising agencies were sending all the important and profitable jobs to California. One day I was complaining about this, and a friend asked, "How do you make any money in your business?" I answered sardonically without thinking: "The only way to make money in the movie business is to make features." That, like a virus, took hold in my brain.
What attracted you to gore and the 'splatter' picture?
As an independent with limited financial and distributional resources, the challenge...
Lee Gambin/Fangoria: What initially got you stated in the movie making business?
H.G. Lewis: I owned a commercial film studio in Chicago, including 35mm movie equipment. The big advertising agencies were sending all the important and profitable jobs to California. One day I was complaining about this, and a friend asked, "How do you make any money in your business?" I answered sardonically without thinking: "The only way to make money in the movie business is to make features." That, like a virus, took hold in my brain.
What attracted you to gore and the 'splatter' picture?
As an independent with limited financial and distributional resources, the challenge...
- 10/11/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Lee Gambin)
- Fangoria
Welcome to Gore Girls! MTV contributor Terri Schwartz doesn't know crap about the horror genre, and she's volunteered to be our Movies Blog guinea pig. She has a good guide too. Fellow contributor Jenni Miller is a bonafide horror enthusiast, and she's willing to walk Terri through her formative experiences with blood, guts, monsters and maniacs. Together, this dynamic duo are The Gore Girls!!! Good luck Terri... you're definitely going to need it.
MTV's Gore Girls take on director Herschell Gordon Lewis's "The Gore Gore Girls"...
Terri: In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am the horror-virgin and sissy half of the Gore Girls, and that blood and guts really freak me out. And so, I'm not entirely certain how to feel about "The Gore Gore Girls," Herschell Gordon Lewis's bloodbath of a film.
I think I'm mostly concerned about what this film was aiming to be.
MTV's Gore Girls take on director Herschell Gordon Lewis's "The Gore Gore Girls"...
Terri: In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am the horror-virgin and sissy half of the Gore Girls, and that blood and guts really freak me out. And so, I'm not entirely certain how to feel about "The Gore Gore Girls," Herschell Gordon Lewis's bloodbath of a film.
I think I'm mostly concerned about what this film was aiming to be.
- 8/27/2009
- by MTV Movies Team
- MTV Movies Blog
The off-beat 1967 comedy The President's Analyst is among the films being screened by Joe Dante. Director Joe Dante has sent us this press release regarding an exciting classic and cult movie festival he is hosting at the New Beverly Cinema in L.A. Don't miss his appearance on August 5 when he and Bruce Dern will be screening The Burbs and Smile.
I had so much fun hosting last year's film series that we're doing it again at The New Beverly Cinema, one of La's last bastion of movie worship! Remember, Movies Are Your Best Entertainment! Down With Pay TV! Aug. 5-6 The Burbs/Smile - It's cheeky of me to pair my own behavioral neighborhood comedy with Michael Ritchie's brilliantly observed social satire (American Beauty eat your heart out!), but both feature one of the movies' best, most underappreciated actors, Bruce Dern. From countless tv western bad guys through...
I had so much fun hosting last year's film series that we're doing it again at The New Beverly Cinema, one of La's last bastion of movie worship! Remember, Movies Are Your Best Entertainment! Down With Pay TV! Aug. 5-6 The Burbs/Smile - It's cheeky of me to pair my own behavioral neighborhood comedy with Michael Ritchie's brilliantly observed social satire (American Beauty eat your heart out!), but both feature one of the movies' best, most underappreciated actors, Bruce Dern. From countless tv western bad guys through...
- 8/3/2009
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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