The Wizard of Gore (1970)

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.

Director:

Herschell Gordon Lewis

Writer:

Allen Kahn (screenplay)

Stars:

Ray Sager, Judy Cler, Wayne Ratay

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 - Chainsaw Victim
Jack Gilbreth	...	Maitre d'Hotel
Corinne Kirkin	...	Stage Girl #2 - Headpike Victim
Monica Blackwell	...	Stage Girl #3 - Punchpress Victim (as Monika Blackwell)
Sally Brody	...	Stage Girl #4 - Sword Victim
Karen Burke	...	Stage Girl #5 - Sword Victim
Eric Kelner Raynard	...	Coroner
Sheldon Reis	...	Audience Member

Storyline

A magician performs a show where he selects a female volunteer and appears to put swords, drills, and such through them. They walk away and everyone applauds, then they show up somewhere else, dead of the same injuries they sustained in the magic show. Police are baffled and can't tie the murders to the magician. A man whose girlfriend is infatuated with the show begins to investigate on his own.

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Plot Keywords:

magician | magic | illusion | cemetery | fire | 

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Taglines:

The Maniac Magician Whose Tricks Really Work!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

House of Torture

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mayflower Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Sager was a last minute replacement for the original actor cast as Montag who dropped out of the movie right before shooting started.

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Goofs

While appearing on Sherry Carson's show, and repeatedly instructing the audience to "Concentrate", Ray Sager obviously says "Croncentrate".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Montag the Magnificent: [to the theater audience] I am Montag, master of illusion! The fire of the laws of reason! A magician if you will. But then... what is a magician? A person who tears asunder your rules of logic and crumbles your world of reality so you can go home and say: "Oh what clever tricks he has. What a sly deceiver"... and go to sleep in the security of your own, real world.
[laughs]
Montag the Magnificent: What is real? Are you certain you know what reality is? How do you know that at this second you aren't asleep ...

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Connections

Spoofed in The Bunk Witch Project (2000)

User Reviews

I am scared! A masterpiece!

Hey People,

I can't believe this is what you had to write about this film. OK, the acting is bad - but it is also hilarious. The frames are not normal - but they have a very queer charm. The effects are very unreal, but this is part of the ideology. The crowd is not shot together with Montag. But really, why be picky. This is also part of the laugh (and this film is very funny). Ok, so Herschell, didn't have much money. So what?

Monatg had me panicking. No, this is not only about gore. This is about destroying the line between illusion-cinema-reality. About viewing and seeing. About the conscious and sub-conscious. We all take part in Montag's horrible show.

I watched the film with a few friends, and we all liked it a lot, but I guess I am the only one who really has nightmares ever since. I don't know why. This film touched some very deep point in my psyche probably, but I can't get over montag. Over the horror of the girl screaming her pain and the crowd not hearing cries.

Watch it (10 Points!)

Ido,