Customer Reviews

A Taste Of Blood: The Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In short, this book should be owned by anyone who has ever watched a horror film and talked about it the next day. Far to many think it all started during the late 70's slasher era but Hell no! H.G. Lewis really messed up my head and now I can truly say I have a guide to look deeper into that which led to this which is me. I deeply thank Christopher Curry for this complete and in depth guide. Now buy it, and I'll be seeing you, (better hope not!) Rob

Christopher Curry has done a remarkable job of gathering information and interviews and has made A TASTE OF BLOOD a must-have book for horror movie fans, independent film fans, and of course, gore-hounds! The reviews are informative and entertaining, and never talk down to the reader (a fault found in many film books). The big draw here for me is Curry's personal interviews; not only with Lewis and his longtime partner David Freidman, but also with some of his players, including Fuad Ramses himself, Mal Arnold! This book is a valuable addition to my collection... one I will turn to many times for reference.

A Taste of Blood will surely become a treasured part in the collection of every fan of the Godfather of Gore. The book is a comprehensive guide to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis and an insightful and candid look into the world of exploitation films. It is one exceptional fan's tribute to H.G. Lewis and a fond look back at some of the defining films of the drive-in era. The author provides a detailed look at each and every one of H.G. Lewis' bloody and bizarre (but always entertaining) films. The book contains exclusive interviews, behind the scenes information, detailed plot summaries, and plenty of great insights provided by H.G. Lewis, David Friedman, and many others. Also, the book is overflowing with tons of rare pictures that you will probably never find anywhere else. A Taste of Blood is an entertaining, educational, and engrossing book for the veteran or novice horror/exploitation fan. If you're an H.G. Lewis fan, this book should already be on your shelf. As a long time fan of the Godfather of Gore myself, I'm in awe of the wealth of information included in this book. Give Christopher Curry some well-deserved credit by ordering his book. You will not be disappointed.

A Taste of Blood belongs in the true horror fan's library sandwiched between David Friedman's A Youth in Babylon and The Amazing World of H.G. Lewis. Taste offers capsulated reviews of all of Mr. Lewis's films as well as interesting interviews with key players. This book is definetly a work written "by a fan, for the fans" and lacks the objective insights to make it a five star work. It is ,however, a compasionate and long overdue tribute to one facet of a multitalented gentleman who deserves the title "Wizard of Gore".

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in Herschell Gordon Lewis, or exploitation films in general. Curry has done a remarkable job collecting information on Lewis's somewhat obscure oeuvre giving us a nice plot synopsis, stills or exploitation artwork, and some insightful and often humorous anecdotes. However, if you are hoping for scholarly material, this title is sadly lacking. Curry qualifies more as a "film buff," than a "writer". Much like a Herschell Gordon Lewis film, Curry's cumbersome prose is often unintentionally hilarious. He possesses the grammar and vocabulary of a high school student and one wonders how much of the material could slip by without notice from an editor. Nevertheless, it's difficult to be upset with Curry because his presentation is completely sincere. He's does not write the book just to become a published author. He simply loves these films and wants to share them with others. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

[Since writing this review a year ago, I've collected more of the Creation Cinema books (19 more to be exact). I can no longer completely fault Curry for his amateurish prose style. The Creation Cinema books as a series are quite frequently sloppy in much the same way. The value in the series is the examination of areas of film that previously went virtually unnoticed by mainstream film criticism. The difficulty is that I can't feel great about buying a book that I could have written better. Curry does a good job as far as research and content are concerned, but I'm sure there are many writers who could communicate with more grace and skill. It's unfortunate that these studies weren't conducted by more seasoned scholars, but since they are rather unique, they remain essential for anyone interested in the obscure, arcane, and just plain weird. I still recommend A Taste of Blood, but don't be disappointed by the style.]

"A Taste of Blood" is a book I would never have gone out and purchased, but under some unusual circumstance I came to read this book.
Not having heard of H.G. Lewis or his films I never thought I could get into this book.
On reading I found "A Taste of Blood", to be very engaging and interesting. This book reads more like a novel than a review of H. G. Lewis' films. There is a sense of continuity that one does not expect to find in such a work. Christopher Curry has done what every good writer does, he keeps the reader spellbound throughout.One would think that such a work would be predictable, but it's not. The sense of humour which
pervades this book adds a positive punch.
Christopher Curry does not write with the blind devotion of a fan.
Where the work is good he lets us know and where it's bad he writes with equal candour. Well done!

I have read the transcript of this book(because Chris is my brother) and I love the book from what I have read. There is no reason not to get this book about the coolest guy ever. I would give this book 5 stars because it's for a fan like me of H.G. Lewis. Everyone who is a fan of horror films or a fan of H.G. Lewis should ready this outstanding book. Drew Curry

"A Taste of Blood: The Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis" (1999) is a disappointingly uninformative book about one of the premier exploitation filmmakers--unless you define information as utterly unimportant trivia. I was hoping (given the $22.95 price tag) for more social, cultural, and filmic analyses. The book briefly reviews each Lewis film, encapsulating the plot and perhaps a funny anecdote or two. It also contains interviews with Lewis, David F. Friedman, and a few others. Unfortunately these interviews are surprisingly vapid, as if the interviewer is more interested in showing off his knowledge of exploitation trivia than actually extracting interesting information. The interview with Lewis in "Incredibly Strange Films" is better. I also found myself quite annoyed by the author's free-and-easy use of the terms "genius" and "masterpiece" in connection with Lewis's oeuvre. Now, I'm probably the first to defend the works of Bava and Corman in the face of elitist disdain, but, c'mon, a genius Lewis ain't. You can still like his films--even though you admit they're pretty pathetic. Although Lewis was important in the development of American cinema, "A Taste of Blood" is not.