During my years of raiding the old video stores for the perfect cult classic, some made a bigger impression than others. But none more than the films of Lloyd Kaufman, John Waters and Herschell Gordon Lewis. Three of the most influential B-movie directors of the 20th century. More specifically, Pink Flamingos, Tromeo And Juliet, and a film I think is long overdue for one of these reviews. Today, we're going to talk about Two Thousand Maniacs. A film which not only showcases Mr. Lewis' love for the South, but also what he could do with a little extra money, as well as a little extra motivation. With the successful first ever Gore film, Blood Feast, still fresh in everyone's minds, Herschell figured on following up with something similar, while a little more respectable in the way of story and budget. In 1964, Herschell Gordon Lewis, along with Dave Friedman, got started on what is now known as the second installment of The Blood Trilogy, and probably the greatest Beverly Hillbillies parody in existence.
Herschell and Dave found a pleasant little area in St. Cloud, Florida, to represent "the South". No city or state is ever acknowledged in the movie, however. With a town at his disposal, Herschell fills it with roughly 50 maniacs, who trick six Yankee travelers into getting lost in Pleasant Valley. A town full of the most enthusiastic Southerners you'll find anywhere. Not all of which are very good at sounding Southern. But what are they so enthusiastic about? Well, a Centinnial is about to take place, and in order to celebrate properly, this shin dig must include a bunch of Yankee guests. The more clueless, the better. And they sure do got them some clueless ones, this time.
Four of the six consist of two married couples, eager to do a little messing around with some friendly locals, making it easy to keep them separated. Most of these Yankees are welcoming the unexpected good time into their vacations. The Southern hospitality, the change of scenery, the hard drinks. All a distraction. These Pleasant Valley hicks only want one thing from these people. They want their own good times enhanced with Yankee screams, Yankee suffering, and some good 'ol Yankee gore. One cheating wife gets her arm chopped off, which shouldn't have immediately killed her, but did for some reason. One drunk idiot lets the hicks tie ropes to all his limbs, which are also tied to four horses. You can imagine how that ends. My favorite, however. The barrel role. A barrel with nails hammered right through it. The makin's for one painful death. Whatever these hayseed's problem is, it becomes clear that they are not fucking around.The other two Yankee guests get wise to what's going on, at least on the surface. Terry and Tom, played by Connie Mason and Thomas Wood. Once again, playing love interests. Terry and Tom have very little problems outsmarting the bloodthirsty locals, as well as a cat killing little dicksniffer, named Billy, whose stupidity, and love of candy, just might ruin the Centenial. Although, these people still have no idea how deep the Yankee hatred runs in this town. If they did, they'd be moving much faster.
This one was always Herschell's favorite. It wasn't the goriest thing he ever did, and he'll always be known for the movie he made shortly before it, but when it' all said and done, Two Thousand Maniacs is Herschell Gordon Lewis' greatest cinematic achievement. Not a boring moment to be had, pretty much everyone is likable, and the killings have got to be some of the most creative to date. And the enthusiasm from the cast brought it all together. Off and on regular, Jeffery Allen, was as entertaining as ever as the Foghorn Leghorn-esque Mayor Buckman. Thomas Wood and Connie Mason still don't have much chemistry between them, but it was nice to see them back together, just the same. Connie looks noticeably older and classier with shorter hair, and for Thomas Wood, Two Thousand Maniacs proves how capable he was of carrying a film like this. It's a shame they didn't return for Color Me Blood Red, as it all would have seemed more like a complete trilogy.With the success he enjoyed, and the fun he had on this movie, it didn't quite get the Hixploitation out of ol' Herschell's system. Not long after this, he made a movie called Moonshine Mountain, which was more or less a Horrorless, almost goreless Two Thousand Maniacs A movie I would recommend to HGL enthusiasts, only. The rest of Herschell's film career would be about as hit and miss as it gets, but Two Thousand Maniacs would eventually be topped in several areas, whether it be budget or gore, but this film still remains the most beloved, most quoted, and most hilarious film in the HGL filmography. A film, with a special something which naturally transcends the Exploitation roots from which it was conceived. Never mind the cult. Two Thousand Maniacs is a flat-out classic. 7/10
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