The Wizard of Gore (1970)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Herschell Gordon Lewis

Writer:

Allen Kahn (writer)

Release Date:

23 October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The Maniac Magician Whose Tricks Really Work!

Plot:

A TV talk-show hostess and her boyfriend investigate a shady magician whom has the ability to hypnotize and control the thoughts of people in order to stage gory on-stage illusions using his powers of mind bending.

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Magic | Illusion | Gore | Punch Press

Cast

Ray Sager	...	Montag the Magnificent
Judy Cler	...	Sherry Carson
Wayne Ratay	...	Jack
Phil Laurenson	...	Greg
Jim Rau	...	Steve
Don Alexander	...	Det. Kramer
John Elliot	...	Det. Harlan
Karin Alexana	...	Stage Girl #1
Jack Gilbreth	...	Maitre d'Hotel
Corinne Kirkin	...	Stage Girl #2
Monica Blackwell	...	Stage Girl #3
Sally Brody	...	Stage Girl #4
Karen Burke	...	Stage Girl #5
Eric Kelner Raynard	...	Coroner
Sheldon Reis	...	Audience Member

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | USA:Not Rated | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Mayflower Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed in 1968, unreleased until 1970.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jack reads the newspaper announcing the second murder, the articles are obviously pasted onto the paper rather than printed on it; the corner of one article is clearly peeling away from the paper.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Juno (2007)

HEADS off to see the wizard...the nauseating Wizard of Gore!

Another sensationally over-the-top splatter party directed by everyone's favorite horror lunatic; THE Hershell Gordon Lewis! "The Wizard of Gore" might not be his 'best' film, but it's definitely a fun experience and actually one of Lewis' most ambitiously plotted films, since he toys with subjects like hypnotism and optical illusions. None of the magical tricks are properly explained, as Lewis' sneakily avoids that in the dumb finale, but at least he tried to do something extra and ingenious with this film. Ray Sager, some sort of crossover between Vincent Price and porn actor Harry Reems, plays Montag The Magnificent; a self-acclaimed illusionist genius who butchers girls from the audience live on stage but has them return to their seats again in one piece. A young reporter, who's always dragged along by his girlfriend to see Montag's shows, discovers that the girls turn up dead after all and their corpses are damaged exactly like they appeared to be on stage. It's rather curious how you never grow tired of the way Lewis displays the gore in his movies! The sequences here in which female bodies are disemboweled, impaled or even crushed with an industrial punch press are overlong, monotonous and completely implausible, yet you stare at the screen with a gigantic smile on your face. Of course, these are the only significant scenes in "The Wizard of Gore" as the rest of the film hangs together by lousy acting, embarrassing dialogues and a shortage of decors. By the year 1970 and after having unleashed a handful of similar horror movies already, Lewis still couldn't care less about building up tension or continuity and went straight for exploitative grossness. The least you can say is that his work is an acquired taste, but he shall be forever worshiped by drive-in fanatics and other sick puppies, like myself. Amen, Mr. Lewis…