Review of Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore

This zippy and engrossing documentary covers the controversial career of trailblazing indie horror gore guru Herschell Gordon Lewis. Among the subjects covered are how Lewis started out as a school teacher and working in advertising, making nudie cuties, his partnership with the always folksy and rambunctious David F. Friedman, launching the splatter craze with "Blood Feast," Florida exploitation staple Bill Kerwin, the hopelessly wooden "acting" of Playboy Playmate Connie Mason, doing hired hack directorial assignments in the mid to late 1960's, putting plugs for fried chicken in his movies, and Lewis' well-deserved status as both a cult icon and brazen cinematic pioneer. Besides Lewis, who comes across as quite a modest and engaging fellow, we also get fun and illuminating interviews with drive-in cinema critic Joe Bob Briggs and Los Angeles times film critic Kevin Thomas, actors Mal Arnold, Jerome Eden, Ray Sagar, and Vincent Santo, noted adult photographer Bunny Yeager, trash flick historian Frank Henenlotter (who also co-directed), cinematographers Andy Romanoff and Steven Poster, and the ubiquitous John Waters. Loaded with a wealth of choice clips, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes footage, it's absolutely essential viewing for Herschell Gordon Lewis aficionados.