Biografía

Known as the "Godfather of Gore". He worked in advertising and financed most of his own films. Pioneered the horror genre in the 1960s known as the "splatter film," which focused on gore and gruesomeness. Horror films created by Lewis included Blood Feast (1963), Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964), A Taste of Blood (1967), The Wizard of Gore (2007), The Gruesome Twosome (1967) She-Devils on Wheels (1968) and Scum of the Earth (1963). Lewis died in his sleep on 9/26/2016, at age 90. John Waters, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and James Gunn are among filmmakers who were inspired by Lewis' work.

Did most of the voice-overs in his films, including the theatrical trailers, because he did not want to pay any more actors to speak the lines.

For more than 20 years he taught graduate-level courses in mass communications. He lectured at professional seminars worldwide.

Headed his own advertising and consulting firm, Communicomp, based in Plantation, FL. Writes a regular series of articles, "Copy That Sells", for "Direct Marketing" magazine, and was the copywriting columnist for "Catalog Age.".

Father of Robert Lewis.

[asked what his epitaph should read] He seen somethin' different. And he done it.

I see filmmaking as a business and pity anyone who regards it as an art form.

[about Connie Mason during an interview with John Waters] She never knew a line. Not ever. Nor could she ever be on the set on time. What we did in Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) was to pull about two-thirds of her lines in order to finish on time. I often felt if one took the key out of Connie's back, she'd simply stand in place.

I've often compared Blood Feast (1963) to a Walt Whitman poem; it's no good, but it was the first of its kind.

Way, way back in prehistoric times I saw the original Drácula (1931). Bela Lugosi's watermark on the pages of cinematic history. I recall only a few scenes, plus my insistence that the lights in my bedroom be left on all night long. The motivator had to be purely cosmetic, the way he glowered, plus the strange accent atop brutal word delivery. Some years later I saw this film again and laughed at the characterization. That's how sophistication spoils pseudoreality.