Curry's Fine Look at the Godfather of Gore

A TASTE OF BLOOD: THE FILMS OF HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS by Christopher Wayne Curry (1999 Creation Books / 256 pp. / tp) Back in 1983, I bought a book titled THE AMAZING HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS AND HIS WORLD OF EXPLOITATION FILMS by Daniel Krogh and John McCarty. And like a true sophomoric moron (I was actually in the 10th grade at the time), I couldn't resist--after several months of reading and re-reading it--cutting out the bloody, rare pictures to hang on my bedroom wall. YES, to this day I want to kill myself, but if the urge to own this book again ever over-takes me I can always order another one on amazon for under 25 bucks. MAN, the world did suck before the advent of household scanners... Enter author Christopher Wayne Curry, who in his introduction, who, unable to locate a copy of Daniel Krogh's book, ended up writing his own (he actually had contact with Krogh and even HE had given out his last extra copy). I'm assuming this was before Curry heard of online booksellers?--who knows? Either way, Curry's A TASTE OF BLOOD: THE FILMS OF HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS is a fine read for fans of the director who may not be able to find a copy of Krogh's 1983 treatment (although, again, I just saw 4 affordable copies on amazon!). While Curry's reviews and tid bits of Lewis' films aren't as in-depth as Krogh's, there's still plenty to be leanred by new comers, and what makes this title worth the moolah for those who read Kroghs book are the extras: There are six lengthy interviews with Lewis, producer David Friedman, actors Bill Rogers, Mal Arnold, and Hedda Lubin---plus one with author/filmmaker Daniel Krogh. Creation Book's extra-heavy paperstock makes the book feel like a doorstop, although the color picture reproductions on the cover and 8-page middle section are quite lousy (which, in a weird way, is fitting when compared to the quality of Lewis' films). This is easily a must-have for gorehounds and fans of classic exploitation cinema.

(Cover of Daniel Krogh's 1983 underground classic that inspired Curry's book)