Halloween playlist #30 - Two Thousand Maniacs (1964)

I've mentioned Herschell Gordon Lewis a couple times on here before, especially when referencing those trashy low budget late '60s, early '70s gory exploitation movies. In fact, I think I just recently did when talking about I Drink Your Blood...Anyway, this is one of his earliest films, and by most people's standards one of his best.

Personally, I prefer Blood Feast and The Wizard Of Gore, both of which I find more entertainingly silly. This one is also fun, but a little more socially-conscious, telling a story involving blood-thirsty southerners celebrating the "centennial" by brutally torturing and killing northerners. If that sounds like the kind of thing you would enjoy, that's what you'll get. Just kept in mind the fact that this movie was made in 1964, so don't expect amazing gore effects. Still, this movie had an impact on trashy cinema for its craziness and excessive bloodshed. So the next time some old guy wants to tell you about how messed up this generation is, point the towards this movie and blame them for corrupting the youth with their filth. That'll be fun.

6.5/10