What is an "exploitation film?" The term has been applied to movies of so many different persuasions that it scarcely holds a meaning of its own without further definition. Perhaps it involves the use of a current "hot" issue--a promise that citizens concerned with the burning societal questions of the day will find the film in question "must" viewing. Perhaps it involves "forbidden" thrills being offered in the guise of serious "adult" education. Or perhaps it involves a pledge to provide the viewer with something they've never seen before--if they have what it takes to handle it, naturally.

From 1959 through 1972, writer/producer/director Herschell Gordon Lewis thoroughly explored every one of these avenues. His mission? To make films that made money--for himself and his partners, or for others who hired him out. And while cinematic "art" was the furthest thing from his mind, his foresight enabled him to leave an indelible stamp on the film industry--as the unquestioned "Godfather of Gore."

Lewis's no-nonsense approach resulted in a partnership with producer/distributor David F. Friedman. While Friedman came from a carnival background and was an well-versed veteran of the "roadshow" experience, Lewis had worked as a television director and brought this experience to the alliance. It was Friedman's Essanjay Films that distributed Lewis's directorial debut, The Prime Time (a "reckless youth" drama notable as actress Karen Black's first film). This was followed by such Lewis/Friedman collaborations as Living Venus (a serious, well-crafted drama--starring none other than Harvey Korman--which used the career of Hugh Hefner for inspiration), the nudie comedy The Adventures of Lucky Pierre, and a predictable string of nudist-camp epics.

But not even these could last. As so-called "mainstream" studios started taking more and more advantage of a new societal permissiveness, the innocent romps of Friedman, Lewis, and others quickly lost their drawing power. Rather than follow anyone else's trend, the duo decided to move in a completely different direction...and in 1963, the first full-fledged "gore" film was unleashed on a completely unsuspecting public.