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Interviewed by: Sexecutioner
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Herschell Gordon Lewis is an extremely intelligent man and didn't always at first set out to be a pioneer of
film. Born June 15Th 1929, he obtained a doctorate in Psychology,taught English at Mississippi University
along with advertisement then changed cinema as we knew it then. It's a great pleasure for this cinematic
legend to take time out for this Interview with DVD Resurrections.
Where did you learn the art of film making? If it was from making Industrial films in the 50's, would
you like to tell us a little about this?
I had been the television director of an advertising agency. The owner of a small film studio at which we were
shooting commercials let me know he was looking for a partner. I bought a half-interest. Our principal business
was a combination of television spots and industrial films.
I heard somewhere that you began to find making nudie cuties a little tedious,therefore embarked on
your gore efforts. When did you come up with the idea of pushing the boundaries of Horror back then?
That was in the 1960s, a time at which showmanship overcame budget.
Who were your inspirations as a filmmaker?
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That’s an impossible question. Certainly I had no respect for the DeMille overblown epics. I knew of no successful low-budget directors. If any
“inspiration: might have been at work, it was the realisation that so many major production campaigns were flat and uninteresting.
What was the reaction from critics and the mainstream going public after the release of Bloodfeast?
Those who recognised a huge departure from the norm were split into two highly vocal camps. One camp yelled, “You HAVE to see this strange movie!”;
the other yelled, “An outrage!”
2000 Maniacs is my favourite of your films, seeings Connie Mason was again cast, I take it she wasn't cast for her acting abilities (Laughs).
Was it expensive to hire a playmate of the year despite her lack of ability?
Yes, but not because of her talent fee. Rather, it was because blown lines and tardiness on the set delayed filming.
How did your casts deal with the situations you were going to put them through?
We were quite specific about the nature of the movie. Because cast and crew all were part of a “production democracy” we had few problems, even when
we gored up a cast member.
Are you aware that some people credit you with starting the "Roughie" genre with Scum of the Earth as well as the gore film?
Yes, of course I am. And of course the credit (or accusation) is true, although “Scum of the Earth” was tame compared with many of its followers.
If you don't mind me asking, what led you to stop working with David Friedman?
The two of us were suing a third partner, a man named Stanford Kohlberg, who had been in charge of receipts … and who failed to turn them over to the
other partners. Dave Friedman unexpectedly settled unilaterally with Kohlberg and moved to California. I was furious, because we were in pre-production
for “Moonshine Mountain”. For two years we didn’t speak. Then, at a theatre-owners’ event, we reconnected and embraced.
I actually find your horror films more campy and fun than horrific. What are your thoughts on censorship?
I am opposed to censorship except within the home. And the idea of banning a film thirty years after its release is ludicrous. I certainly would like to have
a face-to-face debate with whoever made that strange decision.
I was really impressed with Henny Youngman's role in the Gore Gore girls. Is he still working today?
Henny Youngman died a few years ago. Oddly, he denied being in the film … and it’s as funny as it is odd, because there he is.
When filming Linda and Abilene at Spahn Ranch. Seeing you cast one of the the Manson family, did you encounter any troubles with Charlie
at all as I've heard he created problems for Al Adamson on occasions?
We knew the gang were lunatics and we avoided them as completely as we could. They had a dog, around whose neck they had hung a loud bell which
was driving the dog crazy. A group of us removed the bell and handed it to one of the Manson family. At that point I had a momentary feeling we all would
be shot … but they left the bell on the ground, to our relief and the dog’s.
Whats the story behind Blood Diner? Did Jackie Kong want to make a direct remake of Bloodfeast but changed the title and storyline slightly
out of respect for you?
Jimmy Maslon and I had been discussing the possibility of “Blood Feast 2”. Along came Jackie Kong. Jimmy obviously felt protective of the title, even
though Jackie Kong’s film was a direct “lift”.
I was just wondering, seeings John Waters is such a big fan of yours, have you ever been invited to any of his infamous parties?
John and I are good friends, but we move in different social circles. Too, he lives in Baltimore and I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so geography is against
frequent get togethers.
Have you seen 2001 Maniacs yet and what were your thoughts on it?
Tim Sullivan, the director, sent me a DVD but I haven’t yet looked at it. The entire industry knows: Of all the films I’ve made, the one I’ve been least
enthusiastic of a remake is “2000 Maniacs.”
I'm not sure what the critics made of Bloodfeast 2, but i know the majority of Horror hounds loved it. Were you happy with the final product?
Yes and no. I was simply a hired director. The script wasn’t one I’d have written. But I had a glorious time.
How do you feel about being labeled "The Godfather of Gore" ?
I don’t want it on my tombstone but I revel in it while alive.
What film makers do you appreciate these days?
Ah, another unfair question. Every director whose output I’ve seen – including Peter Jackson – has winners and losers. I appreciate inventiveness, and
much horror product is too derivative to warrant that description.
Will we expect anymore films out you like Herschell Gordon Lewis's Grim Fairy tales I recall hearing about?
The moment a producer, anywhere on the planet, tells me, “I’ve put together a deal to make “Grim Fairy Tales”, I’ll be ready to sit in the director’s chair.
At the moment, it’s in the hands of several prospective producers.
What is the one thing you would like horror fans to think of, when they hear Herschell Gordon Lewis?
“He had an idea no film-maker had before … and he executed that idea with a sense of humor.”
Is there any final words you like to say to those reading this interview?
Yes: Thank you for not letting me fade totally into oblivion.
Thanks a lot Mr Lewis for this interview for us Aussies and taking some time out to correspond. It's much appreciated and i wish you all the luck in
the future.
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