In 1963 exploitation master Herschell Gordon Lewis and long-time producer buddy David Friedman subjected the public to one of the most influential horror movies ever made. Part grand guignol, part demented comedy,
Blood Feast
(with its no-brainer title to boot) was a film whose sole purpose was to rupture the then current standards of cinema violence and brutality, taking them into unheard of territories and exposing the drive-in scene to a realm where nothing was sacred…especially Egypt! But the Godfather of Gore didn’t stop there; two years later he conjured up another banquet of blood for the masses in the form of
Two Thousand Maniacs
, arguably his best effort, that once again capitalized on his taste for delivering the red stuff. In addition to the grue, it painted a portrait of the seemingly harmless southern civilian as unhinged lunatic - a characterisation that would forever stay with the genre even to this day. Yeeeee-Ha!
THE LOWDOWN:
Breezing along the quiet roads of the Florida countryside, apple pie travellers Tom (Thomas White) and Terry (former
Playboy
playmate Connie Mason) are unsuspectingly tricked into taking a detour from their trip into a small southern town named Pleasant Valley. The two are immediately swarmed upon by an applauding crowd of townsfolk, lead by local Mayor Buckman (Jeffery Allen), who joyfully inform their “guests” of their timely arrival for the Centennial Civil War celebration. However, there is something suspiciously sinister about the townspeople and Tom soon questions their overly enthusiastic hospitality when the locals snag the attention of another passing carload of vacationers and force them into partaking in a festival of twisted, blood crazed fun and games.
THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING:
In order to gain a perspective of early low-budget horror it’s important to acknowledge the somewhat theatrical quality to both the staging and performance of most early exploitation films that immediately distinguish them apart from mainstream cinema. Unlike most movies, the mise en scène of most exploitation flicks defy the way real-life interaction and conversation generally occurs – characters are often lined up in sequence delivering their dialogue one-by-one, stiff actions and re-actions, the general absence of inter-cutting and insert shots, etc all resulting in a rather awkward and unnatural portrayal of narrative drama. And of course the political climate of the time can also play a significant role in the overall vibe of a movie, whether directly or indirectly affecting the persona of a film’s characters and moral dilemmas/decisions. For the most part
Two Thousand Maniacs
follows this pattern of logic but luckily is offset by its gleefully tongue-in-cheek sensibility with regard to the southern hick lifestyle it so gloriously embellishes. The crazed hillbillies are more than just a large group of joyous townsfolk; they are one mind and one entity hell bent on making sure their visitors’ life is not only a living hell but also convincing them of its importance to the celebration…even if it means killing them in a rolling barrel lined with rusty nails.
In addition to the films’ mischievous tone, Lewis’ exaggeration of the southern existence also lends the film a certain satirical edge that was no doubt ahead of its time. Almost every film since
Two Thousand Maniacs
that has exploited the somewhat fantasised idea of maniacal southerners preying on gullible trespassers (eg,
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Eaten Alive, I Spit On Your Grave, Storm Warning
, etc) has copied much of the same tone and deranged humour as Lewis’ epic tale of rural mayhem, making this one for the record books. One scene in particular sees a young victim tied spread eagle to a board beneath an enormous boulder while the townspeople complete for her death by hitting a bullseye with rocks to release the stone on top of her. Throughout her horrific ordeal the Mayor encourages the hapless victim to cheer on each contestant, regardless of her terrified reaction.
DOOMED CHARACTERS:
It’s a stretch to say that any character in a Herschell Gordon Lewis movie is blessed with a rich depth of history (except perhaps
The Wizard Of Gore
), as most are merely cannon fodder for graphic mutilation. And while the townsfolk are certainly a colourful bunch (the three thugs Lester, Rufe and Harper are especially entertaining) and always have their fair share of nutty dialogue, they only ever amount to a one-note impression and are often poorly acted. Allen’s coked-up Mayor keeps the movie alive whenever mayhem strikes and there’s a certain campy quality to the rest of the film’s evil entourage but its the heroic side of the cast that really hurts the proceedings. White and Mason are far too wooden and empty-headed to garner any kind of credible following, spending more time looking vacantly off-camera than working on creating a believable persona for audience investment, even if their characters are stale and under-written.
THE LOOK OF FRIGHT:
Stepping up the budget slightly after
Blood Feast
,
Two Thousand Maniacs
is about as glamorous as you can get for an ultra-low budget exploitation film circa 1965. Compared to the mostly interior sets of
Feast
, Herschell makes an effort to open up the scope of his second success by shooting the majority of the film outdoors on perched tripods and rooftops, giving the film a little more production value and size. And while not quite as gory and his previous monstrosity, the effects (largely utilizing department store mannequins and chicken skin) are still eye catching and eloquently nasty for their time. After all, the majority of the movie going public had never been exposed to such ghastly sights before these early films, hence Lewis’ illustrious nickname.
THE SOUND OF FEAR:
In keeping with the film’s jovial mood, Lewis’ own music – and theme song! – give the film’s bloody bedlam an added eccentricity that could have otherwise been lost were it given a more conventional genre score. A regular at scoring his own work, Lewis manages to create a consistently upbeat southern rock soundtrack that makes the most of its banjos and harmonica onslaught, thus giving each death not only the jumpy tempo it needs but also the much-needed humour.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A prominent pioneer in his early days of filmmaking, Herschell Gordon Lewis was certainly a cut-above the horde of exploitation hacks that surrounded him during the genre’s modernizing years. Were it not for the irreverent sense of humour that often fuels his movies they may have very well slipped under the radar as mere blood n’ bones money makers that most audiences would soon forget about the day after.
Two Thousand Maniacs
, while far from perfect in execution, displays a heart more fruitfully bloody and hilarious than you’re likely to find in your average cow carcass.
“Oh, the South’s gonna rise again!”
Dir:
Herschell Gordon Lewis
Writer:
Herschell Gordon Lewis
Cast:
Connie Mason, William Kerwin, Jeffery Allan, Ben Moore
Country:
USA
Run Time:
87min
Rated:
R18+
