Herschell Gordon Lewis' BloodMania

Like the vast majority of Herschel Gorden Lewis's 37 films, Bloodmania is kind of a stinker. Lewis isn't exactly known for being a cinematic masterpiece, even among those fans who have only seen his popular gore films and Bloodmania won't be changing anyone's mind. This is a cheap production that seeks to cut corners on not only the budget but also on things like character development, acting, and writing. A few of the shorts sort of capture a modern take on Lewis's mid century classics but overall they have the feeling of trying too hard to become some sort of cult classic. I'm not sure I'd suggest this to anyone other than a Lewis completionist as they offer very little in the way of novel ideas, scenes, or effects.

Herschell Gordon Lewis is widely recognized as the father of splatter cinema. His "Blood Feast" introduced audiences to shocking, gory scenes (it must've looked especially grotesque way back when, as audiences had gotten used to the limits imposed by the Hays Code).

Lewis died in 2016, but not before gracing us with one last movie, released after his death. "BloodMania" is an anthology film, with the segments (each introduced by the master himself) ranging from the bland to the lovably gory, and even one functioning as a satire on the media.

It's no match for Lewis's directorial debut, but horror fans will probably enjoy it, if only for a couple of shots of the girl group. I hope to see more of the guy's movies in the coming years.

Herschell Gordon Lewis' BloodMania (2017)

** (out of 4)

This anthology horror film turned out to be the last directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis who did two of the four stories. Up first is Gory Story from Lewis, which is about a man who is possessed by a hook he uses for his hand. Attack of Conscience deals with a woman seeking vengeance on a dirty man. The Night Hag, also directed by Lewis, has a new family moving into a house and thinking something is there. Finally, GOREgeous has a weirdo manager of an all-girls rock band finally flipping out.

From the opening credits to the last, there's no question that this movie was meant to pay respect to Lewis as well as get him behind the camera again. Was the film a success? I would argue no but at the same time it's good to get another Lewis picture even if it can't stand up to his classics. With that said, the film is still better than a lot of the movies he released back in the day.

As with any anthology movie, the stories are certainly going to be of a different quality. I'd say that the second film was the least entertaining as there just really wasn't anything interesting going on. The story was rather boring and the CGI murders were just silly. The next weakest would be the first story from Lewis. I'm not sure if the point was to make fun of the media but it's just not as clever as it should have been. The Night Hag from Lewis is a somewhat interesting idea that has Lewis briefly going away from the gore to do a 70's like movie about a creepy woman living in the walls. The final film is probably the best if you're wanting gore as there are several graphic murders in the Lewis style.

This here is mainly going to appeal to fans of Lewis who want to see everything that the director did. The highlight of the entire film is the fact that Lewis plays hosts and introduces the films. That great voice was still there and there's no doubt that this is the best part of the film. There's some real blood used but there's way too much CGI and I'd argue that none of the stories are overly good. Still, the last two are certainly the best of the bunch.

Herschell Gordon Lewis is a name that should be far more familiar to horror and film fans than it is, he basically invented gore and splatter films. His films were also always laced with a sense of humour and, in particular, satire.

In BloodMania, his last directorial effort before his untimely and sad death, he plays host to four short tales of the comically macabre and diabolically bloody. He also directs two segments and writes one.

I am very happy to report that for a low budget, independent anthology film, BloodMania is a sheer delight. Gorehounds will love it, horror fans will love it, HGL fans will love it and indie movie fans will love it. Hopefully a few curious viewers will stumble upon this and love it too!! It has all the bloodletting, humour, horror, scares, weirdness, monsters and maniacs you could want, plus, of course, PUNS galore!

It's also tightly directed, with fantastic "have to be seen to be believed" effects, a strong, enjoyable cast and a couple of rocking tunes!

It is a fantastically fitting send off for the Godfather of Gore and one that cements his legacy as a joyous jester of the jugular and the ballsy baron of blood that films so sadly lack these days. We needed Herschell and him, along with his wonderful cast and crew, delivered with the awesome BloodMania!

Really enjoyed this movie! Watched it with friends and we were all equally horrified and entertained. For anyone who enjoys splattered blood, with some good writing and acting should enjoy this!