Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Herschell Gordon Lewis

Writer:

Herschell Gordon Lewis (writer)

Release Date:

20 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

An Entire Town Bathed In Pulsing Human Blood! Madmen Crazed For Carnage!

Plot:

Six people are lured into a small Deep South town for a Centennial celebration where the residents proceed to kill them one by one as revenge for the town's destruction during the Civil War.

Plot Keywords:

Centennial | Celebration | Civil War | Revenge | Yankee

Cast

Connie Mason	...	Terry Adams
William Kerwin	...	Tom White (as Thomas Wood)
Jeffrey Allen	...	Mayor Buckman
Shelby Livingston	...	Bea Miller
Ben Moore	...	Lester MacDonald
Jerome Eden	...	John Miller
Gary Bakeman	...	Rufus 'Rufe' Tate
Mark Douglas	...	Harper Alexander
Linda Cochran	...	Betsy
Yvonne Gilbert	...	Beverly Wells
Michael Korb	...	David Wells
Vincent Santo	...	Billy
Andy Wilson	...	Policeman
Candi Conder	...	Switchboard Operator
The Pleasant Valley Boys	...	Bluegrass musicians

Also Known As:

2,000 Maniacs
Centennial (USA) (fake working title)

Runtime:

87 min | UK:84 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | France:-18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

St. Cloud, Florida, USA

Company:

Jacqueline Kay

Trivia:

Director Herschell Gordon Lewis has often cited Two Thousand Maniacs! as his personal favorite of his films.

Quotes:

Tom White: Has it occurred to you that nobody has told us what this centennial is all about? Now, this is 1965, and a hundred years ago it was 1865, right? So, what happened in 1865?
Terry Adams: It was the ending of Civil War. The war between states!
Tom White: Well then you tell me why would a southern town want northerners as guests of honor at the centennial. It must has something to do with what happened a hundred years ago. So, something is very wrong with this town.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cabin Fever (2002)

Soundtrack:

Rebel Yell

Actually not completely inept

"2000 Maniacs" is actually not completely inept. Sure, its not a masterpiece, but compared to its predecessor "Blood Feast", its "Citizen Kane". First off, its obvious H.G. Lewis had improved as a director. The pacing is still rather slow but it moves much quicker than any of his other films. Also, this was the first time his trademark dark humor came into play. Possibly realizing how unintentionally hilarious his previous film was, he added loads of humor of the gallows variety. The premise is actually quite creepy and clever and the twist ending will be a riot to those who get the reference. The gore, while unrealistic and obviously fake, actually becomes disturbing at moments. Plus, there are some brief instances where Lewis comes close to suspense (particularly Tom and Terry's escape).

However to be expected, "2000 Maniacs" features a lot of the bad movie goodies we've come to expect from Lewis. While they aren't nearly as bad as they were in "Blood Feast", both William Kerwin and Connie Mason are still pretty wooden. There are plot holes galore (namely where does the town get all those modern appliances so quickly). The supporting cast is all over-the-top. This is a very politically incorrect film, and while some may take offense to the worst stereotypes of the south imaginable, others will find it amusing. And while "Blood Feast" had one memorable psycho, "2000 Maniacs" has three (the Mayor, Lester, Rufus).

There is one thing that prevents "2000 Maniacs" from being an absolute classic however. Namely, H.G. Lewis seems rather restrained from showing us the gore. Not to sound like a sadist or anything, but after the bucket loads of over-the-top bloodshed in his previous film, the graphic murders only take up a small amount of screen time. Lewis' reputation comes from being the "Godfather of Gore", so those interested in this aspect are advised to check out "Blood Feast" or "The Gore Gore Girls" instead. Still, for all its technical shortcomings, "2000 Maniacs" is a surprisingly clever drive-in flick. (8/10)