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
Similar News
Horror Legend Brad Dourif Has Retired From Acting – With One Exception
- 4/19/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Liv Tyler as Arwen: Elven Beauty and Strength in Lord of the Rings
- 4/18/2024
- by Jan Stromsodd
- Your Next Shoes
“The Beatles: Let It Be”
- 4/18/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Marvel Reportedly Considering Writers of DC’s Greatest $271M Debacle of the Decade for Spider-Man 4
- 4/19/2024
- by Piyush Yadav
- FandomWire
Challengers Is Banking On Zendaya's Star Power To Become A Box Office Hit
- 4/19/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
The Many Quentin Tarantino Movies That Never Got Made
- 4/19/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
“I can’t have her exposed to that”: Kim Kardashian’s Father Saved Her from a Terrible Trauma After Oj Simpson Threatened to Do the Unthinkable When She Was Just 13
- 4/12/2024
- by Sreshtha Roychowdhury
- FandomWire
“This fight shocked the whole family”: Video Of Kim Kardashian’s Infamous Slap Fight With Kourtney Kardashian Resurfaces
- 4/6/2024
- by Deepak Bisht
- FandomWire
Marilyn Monroe Pink Pucci Dress, Hugh Hefner Smoking Jacket Sell at Auction
- 3/31/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.