Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Long Awaited Return To Directing Is A Zombie Film!

Herschell Gordon Lewis earned the title, “The Godfather of Gore” by writing and directing such films as “Bloodfeast”, “The Wizard of Gore”, “Two Thousand Maniacs!”, “Color Me Blood Red”, and “The Gore Gore Girls”. He is credited with creating the “Splatter Film” sub genre of horror, and is a living legend throughout the Horror community.

I have been a fan of his work for almost forty years. I was about thirteen when my Uncle took me to a Horror triple feature at the local drive-in. On the bill that night was “Frogs”, Tales From The Crypt, and “The Wizard of Gore”. As I recall I thought “Frogs” was pretty stupid even to a kid my age, “Tales From The Crypt” was great, but as “The Wizard of Gore” played, it was a revelation to me.

I sat in the passenger side seat peering through the windshield, the interior of the car blue with cigarette smoke. Onscreen the antagonist, a magician called “Montag the Magnificent” was chain sawing into a young woman’s abdomen, exposing her internal organs. I had never seen anything like this before, anything this graphic and brutal. I was hooked.

The problem was that I lived in a small city in Canada, and the opportunities to see Herschell’s movies were few and far between. That would change years later with the advent of video, I burned through as many of his films as I could find. By this time I had viewed the two other films that had cemented my love of gore, “Friday the 13th” and “Dawn of the Dead” neither of which I might have had any interest in had it not been for Lewis’ influence. I will always have a special affection for the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis; they capture an era, his scripts are satirical and witty, and the gore effects still hold up today. Whether it is the removal of eyeballs, dismemberment, or someone being crushed by a large rock, the kills are always numerous and imaginative. There is something in every one of his films to satisfy even the most jaded gore hound.

Well you can imagine my elation when I discovered Lewis will make his return to directing on a film called, “Zombificador”. A Herschell Gordon Lewis zombie film?

I had the good fortune to speak with Herschell (more on that in a minute) about this new project. The film is an anthology, with one segment highlighting zombies. This is how he describes it: As currently structured by its screenwriter Marc Fernandez,

Zombificador” is a series of five episodes, each of which involves supernatural beings and each of which coherently stands alone as a point of viewer interest.

If the screenwriter and I reach agreement on my participation, I plan to add some elements which in my opinion will increase viewer interest:

I’ll insert a cynical, sardonic commentator to introduce and complete each sequence. And I’ll transform at least one segment into a wild, off-the-wall gory circus.

The intention is to meld together the classic appeals of splatter films and an element of parody, so viewers will be aware that this movie isn’t just another reflecting the tiresome sameness that suppresses any increase in breadth of audience

Fans of both, Herschell Gordon Lewis and the zombie film genre can take an active role in getting this film produced, and receive some sweet incentives by contributing here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/herschell-gordon-lewis-zombificador.

I mentioned that I had talked to Herschell earlier, well this is what happened. Some of you may know that I am the Director of Marketing/Celebrity Booking for the Calgary Horror Con. We have Bill Moseley and Michael Berryman appearing at our show this year, and this caught the eye of Producer Marc Fernandez.

I was sitting on my back deck one day last week when my phone beeped signaling that I had email. As I read the message my hands began to shake of their own volition. I will paraphrase here, the message went something like, “I am producing a film called, “Zombificador” to be directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. Bill Moseley and Michael Berryman are attached. Would you be interested in having Mr. Lewis attend your Convention”?

The astute reader will already have guessed that I said, “Fuck Yeah”!!!

I am honored to have this opportunity, and the vestige of that thirteen year old boy is as delighted as can be. More info on Mr. Lewis’ extremely rare Convention appearance can be found at: www.horror-con.ca

I am excited at the prospect of this film, and I will keep you updated as it nears completion.