Synopsis: A TV talk show hostess and her boyfriend investigate a shady magician who has the ability to hypnotize and control the thoughts of the people in the crowd. Utilizing these gifts he stages gory illusions using his powers of mind bending.
Barely coherent storyline? Check. Sub-par acting? Check. Extremely shitty effects? Check. Absolutely terrible ADR? Check. Really (and I mean really) godawful cuts that leave you feeling confused and borderline mental? Check and check. Now you take all those individual attributes and throw them all together and you have yet another Herschell Gordon Lewis masterpiece of 1970’s schlock splatter cinema.
My first exposure to the unique mind of HGL was 1964’s Two Thousand Maniacs and let me tell you my fine fellow horror buffs, I was instantly hooked. His films barely make sense but they satisfy something deep in my brain that just craves blood soaked ridiculousness.
The Wizard of Gore basically tells the story of a sadistic murderer masquerading as a stage magician. I’m talking full on three piece suit and top hat. Montag the Magnificent Ray Sager really hams it up under some half-assed “old man” makeup. Repeatedly delivering a drawn out diatribe about the public’s desire to see gore before dispatching unsuspecting entranced female audience members. Once the spectacle is complete they rise again, unscathed and walk off the stage only to die horrifically from their injuries later in the evening.
Sherry Judy Cler and Jack Wayne Ratay take in a Montag show one evening and Sherry quickly becomes enthralled with the act. Each show they attend is followed by another grizzly discovery of a body and Jack is starting to get suspicious. As the mystery unfolds, the duo gets deeper and deeper into Montag’s twisted little world.
As I’m reading what I’m writing, this sounds like a pretty interesting movie. Let me tell you that it really isn’t but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun ride. The gore scenes are filled with butcher counter acquisitions and bright red blood spliced together in what one can only describe as “schizophrenic” edits leaving you scratching your head. The acting is terrible but that adds to the schlocky charm. Oh and there is a twist upon a twist at the ending that would make Shyamalan envious.
Apparently, there was a remake made in 2007 but I have yet to see that one. To be honest, I don’t really want to. I don’t think they can hold a candle to the beautiful mess that Herschell Gordon Lewis made in 1970. All in all, is it a good movie? No, but it is most certainly 95 minutes of fun. This film has a nostalgic place in my dark little heart and I feel like it’s a good start to kick off 31 Days of Horror 2024. So grab your popcorn, kill the lights and join me on this strange little trip down the horror rabbit hole. Happy October everyone!
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