Drive-In Dust Offs: THE GORE GORE GIRLS (1972)

There are few absolutes in life, let alone in the world of horror; but this I find to be true: Herschell Gordon Lewis was appreciated in his time. Beloved, actually. Sadly passing away on September 26th, 2016 at the age of 87, he left behind a slew of grindhouse classics encapsulating everything from biker flicks to sex ed pieces. But HGL will be forever known for a string of unique and groundbreaking horror films including The Gore Gore Girls (1972), his last opus before he took a 30 year sabbatical from filmmaking. And on the HGL spectrum, it’s one of his best.

If you’re familiar at all with “The Godfather of Gore” (a moniker he wore as a point of pride) but haven’t seen The Gore Gore Girls, the differences between this and say, Blood Feast (1963), his first splatter extravaganza, are minimal. Made for a pittance of 63 grand, GGG has all the earmarks of a Lewis production: room mic sound, occasionally out of focus photography, acting that ranges from not bad to ooh boy, and copious amounts of gratuitous nudity and gore. To some, these characteristics would seem a hindrance and the hallmarks of a poor filmmaker, perhaps someone who didn’t know what he was doing. I will concur that Lewis wasn’t the most polished filmmaker; but while some saw him as a grotesque hack without any skill, others (like us) with a firmer grasp of the absurd recognize that Lewis was a unique purveyor of the underside of society, shot through with a great sense of cornball fun and grindhouse finesse. 42^nd St. was made for his films.

But let’s not forget the Drive-In, shall we? His films were frequent companions to the automobile amnesiacs and played constantly; which is a good thing because until GGG he never submitted his films to the MPAA for ratings (therefore excluding him from any mainstream theatre chains and advertising – oh, and they gave this a well-deserved X). He took the goods straight to the consumer; if it said Herschell Gordon Lewis, you knew damn well what you were getting. (A great business model for his future endeavors – post GGG Lewis became the King of Direct Marketing, even writing several books on the subject.)

So how does The Gore Gore Girls sit within Lewis’ catalogue? Very high up, as it turns out. As I said, the differences between this and his first horror feature (no one had spread the red before like Blood Feast did) are small, but significant: the technical skills have improved enough to be noticeable; the sound is better, the camera focused more so than not, and the dialogue doesn’t hit the ground with a resounding thud. Sure it’s as cheesy as ever, but it flows better than in previous efforts, and some jokes actually land. This is all part and parcel of Lewis’ aesthetic, a minimalistic approach that emphasizes the shock value in a way that’s two steps up from the bargain basement. If you’re a Lewis fan, you laughed with him; he knew precisely the kind of movies he made: cheap, sleazy, gory, but always delivered with a twinkle in his eye. He never took these horror films seriously, and expected no different from the viewer.

Oh right, the story! A killer is offing strippers around town. Reporter Nancy Weston (Amy Farrell – Airport 1975) approaches noted P.I. Abraham Gentry (Frank Kress) and offers him 20 grand on behalf of her newspaper to crack the case. And so he does.

Okay, we’re back. Like every other HGL horrorpalooza, story is not the main attraction here; to be fair however, and one of the reasons it’s top shelf Lewis, is because there actually is a bit of a tale to tell, and it’s a mystery to boot. Now, it takes Abe at the end of the picture to explain who and why the killer did what they did, but unlike previous Lewis films, it actually has a momentum instead of playing out as a series of gruesome set pieces.

Now let’s not kid ourselves; this is still “The Godfather of Gore” so the grue is front and center, and as always, lovingly displayed. The sights this go round? How about a face smashed in a mirror, and then mashed into a meaty pulp by the killer. If that doesn’t work for you, there’s the stripper who has her bum beaten with a meat tenderizer (and then seasoned with some salt and pepper). If you still decide to stick around, there’s always the girl who has her nipples cut off and we’re treated to white and chocolate milk, one flavor per breast! Ridiculous, and this is the key to Lewis’ legacy; a willingness to go too far with a palette splashing the walls of make believe. If you wade in his waters and give yourself, you will come out a believer.

For those wondering about characterization (not exactly Lewis’ bread and butter), GGG proffers one of his greatest creations, Abraham Gentry. Well played by Kress, Gentry is an aristocratic, arrogant, mincing misogynist who has a putdown (and bad pun) ready for everyone in his path. And again, this is why it’s one of his best films; Gentry pulls you through any lulls and rough spots. It’s a shame that Lewis packed it in for 30 years; he was finally getting around to creating three dimensional characters to go along with the mayhem.

But he did leave, building a lucrative marketing empire and leaving behind a remarkable filmography as varied in scope as it was quality. But he was always consistent in tone and execution; his vision and stamp were always preserved – nobody made pictures quite like he did. No one could match the ambiance.

And then he decided it was time to reenter the world he helped create. First in 2002 with Blood Feast 2: All You Can Eat, he then brought his demented style to The Uh Oh! Show (2009), with another (Blood Mania) currently in post-production; he was back in the game, and welcomed warmly by the horror community like he had never left. News of his passing emphasized his boundary breaking Blood Feast; and if you a Lewis virgin (I envy you), start there. But keep going – you still have Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964), The Gruesome Twosome (1967) and several others to bathe in. Oh and of course, make time for The Gore Gore Girls – those cheeks aren’t going to tenderize themselves, you know.

The Gore Gore Girls is available on Blu-ray from Something Weird Video as part of a Blood Drenched Double Feature with The Wizard of Gore.