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Don Alexander, Monika Blackwell, Judy Cler, John Elliot, Corinne Kirkin ... see more see more... , Phil Lauenson , Wayne Ratay , Jim Rau , Ray Sager , Eskandar Ameripoor

A sinister illusionist gets away with ghastly murders on-stage in this unique horror story. Though Montag the Magnificent (Ray Sager) appears to be eviscerating beautiful volunteers from the audience ... read more read more...with railroad spikes, chainsaws, and punch presses, the girls always smile afterward and walk away unscathed, leading the adoring crowd to admire the magician's handiwork. However, each evening, those same women are found horribly murdered in similar fashions, leading a young couple to take interest in the case. Sherry Carson (Judy Cler) is fascinated with Montag's show and wants to feature his magic on her afternoon television program. Her boyfriend, Jack (Wayne Ratay), is a sports writer, but he decides to investigate the weird homicides that have plagued the city since Montag appeared. Eventually, it becomes clear that the magician is planning to commit mass murder by hypnotizing the audience of Sherry's TV show, and Jack has to act fast. But the evil Montag's magic has already warped the fabric of reality, and no outcome is certain. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi

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48% liked it

3,086 ratings

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Herschell Gordon Lewis

Release Date: October 23, 1970

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DVD Release Date: April 4, 2000

Stats: 255 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (255)

  • ajv2688
    December 13, 2010
    ajv2688
    If you've seen a lot of horror movies form before 1970 you can see how Lewis ushers horror into a new gorier era with this film. Not only that, the story is great, especially the weird ending, it's awesome. I love this movie, and if you're a horror fan you should see it.
  • matertenebraum
    September 30, 2009
    matertenebraum
    Is it magic? Or wholesale slaughter?

    See the woman cut in half with a chainsaw, see the woman drilled through the stomach with a giant punch press, see the metal spike driven through one gal's head and see the two ladies forced to swallow swords.

    ... read more/images/the%20wizard%20of%20gore" target="_blank">The Wizard of Gore Pictures, Images and Photos

    Blood, guts, and offbeat surrealism in another crackpot classick from "The Wizard of Gore" himself, director Herschell Gordon Lewis.

    This movie has been on my Netflix queue for quite a while so I can safely say that I've wanted to see it since before Juno was out. This is the fourth Herschell Gordon Lewis film I've seen so far and only the second I've liked, the other was Two Thousand Maniacs. This, much like Two Thousand Maniacs, is a good movie. Not because it actually has substance and is well thought out, but because it is a lot of fun to watch and has become a cult classic.

    Let's be honest for a minute here, when Herschell Gordon Lewis was directing films, he had no idea what he was doing. As a friend of mine said "he is the Ed Wood of gore films." I have to agree completely. The editing is always choppy and horrible, the music is poorly placed, the acting seems to be straight out of a junior high play, and nothing seems believable. This brings me to the gore. If HGL only got one thing right in his career, it was gore. The gore in this film is awesome and cheesy. He may have made bad films, but they sure are entertaining.

    Sorry for going off on so many tangents, I'll get back to this movie. The story follows a TV reporter and her boyfriend who attend a magician's show of blood and dismemberment. They become suspicious of several deaths being linked to the show. It's a simple story but it is a lot of fun. I really like the magician theme. The bad acting factor definitely applies in this movie. I often wonder where HGL found these people. But as always, the gore is magnificent(no pun intended) and almost saves the movie. I had a lot fun with it.

    See this movie if you're a fan of Herschell Gordon Lewis and you won't find much of anything new but it is a very good time. Go! Now!

    The Wizard of Gore Pictures, Images and Photos

    The Wizard of Gore Pictures, Images and Photos

    The Wizard of Gore Pictures, Images and Photos
  • thefog1331
    September 14, 2008
    thefog1331
    And here I thought the remake wasn't very good.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    August 21, 2008
    cancercapricorn2002
    I thought I would check out the original film before I see the remake. Its been a long time since I seen the movie but my thoughts on it are just the same. To start off "The Wizard of Gore" is one of the legendary H.G. Lewis's goriest films. Its also one of his most interesting, ... read moreas the plotting is rather ambitious, touching upon concepts such as hypnotism, meta-fiction, and illusions. Despite none of these themes being explored with anything resembling subtlety, its certainly an adventurous move for Lewis. To his credit, the ending is unforgettably bizarre. It also makes this one of his most surreal efforts, and in my mind his finest achievement. Sure, "Blood Feast" and "2000 Maniacs" are more groundbreaking and have larger followings, but this is the Lewis film I find myself watching the most.

    If you were actually fooled by what I said above into thinking this is a technically adequate film, well, I'm sorry. This still features all the Lewis trademarks, and fans of the godfather of gore wouldn't have it any other way. As the lead, Ray Sager is hilariously over-the-top, coming across as Vincent Price without the talent or the dignity. Wayne Ratay as the reporter working on the case is pretty wooden (not to mention he takes off his shirt one too many times, this isn't exactly a buff guy). Judy Cler actually offers a half-decent performance (by Lewis standards anyways). As I said above, this is one of Lewis' goriest films, and where the guy actually had some skill was staging memorably morbid death scenes utilizing bizarre props. They're cheap, but they're sometimes effective and unnerving (if also hilarious and monotonous). Lewis' direction hasn't improved too much (he never really got the hang of pacing), but for fans of drive-in trash, "The Wizard of Gore" offers alot of entertainment.
  • kiriyamakazou
    July 31, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    Laughably bad. The acting first of all could show Torgo in Manos Hands of Fate about poor performances. The whole reality, end or beginning nonsense also had me chuckling hard. The gore itself actually had me squirming depsite it not looking entirely real. Perhaps it was the ince... read moressant playing with guts and poking eyes that the characters did. The film actually has a nice idea at its core, but awful sound, writing and so forth really hinder the film.
  • staindslaved
    January 7, 2012
    staindslaved
    The Wizard of Gore delivers on it's intended promise to bring some of the goriest imagery your eyes have ever witnessed. Just as Montag the Magnificent states before every one of his performance, there is something eerily intoxicating about gore and the human conscience. For t... read morehe same reason we stop and stare at car crashes we glare at the violent carnage Montag depicts on screen. Aside from Montag the acting is obviously not strong and the ending leaves us with a serious Huh?! effect. Of course none of that is the point of this film. For anyone who enjoys gory horror this is one film that cannot be missed.
  • shitfaced8
    March 7, 2011
    shitfaced8
    Herschell Gordon Lewis really was an innovator and is the true Godfather of Gore and this film is just a damn good time. The blood, gore and violence is gratuitous (albeit not realistic at all so if your one of those types that needs gore to look as realistic as possible you'll p... read morerobably be dissappointed.) Montag is probably among the coolest horror villainss ever and his between trick banter is classical (probably even more so than this movie itself.) The soundtrack is awesome, the acting is appropriate for what this movie is,and the ending didn't disappoint. Must see for fans of trashy, low budget horror awesomeness. If your false don't entry.
  • littlecharmer1959
    November 18, 2009
    littlecharmer1959
    Hmm...well where should I start? The non-existent plot? The laughably bad acting? The kitsch generic soundtrack? And let's not forget that gloriously vibrant gore! Despite it's obvious flaws you can't say that this film is not entertaining. It's basically a handful of torture sce... read morenes, led by the delightfully over the top Montag the Magician, with some nonsense about a dippy sport's writer and a strangely enthusiastic female TV host (who's reactions to the torture acts are priceless) thrown in to fill in the gaps. The gore itself isn't exactly realistic, but watching Montag wallow up to his elbows in blood and organs is actually damn enjoyable to watch.
  • divinetrash
    July 24, 2008
    divinetrash
    "The End... or the beginning?" I love when they do that, and it also kept me laughing how everyone seems to be yelling their lines all the time. As for the film itself, very entertaining and I found the gore satisfying. A nice, bloody time.
  • dukeakasmudge
    January 7, 2012
    dukeakasmudge
    They got the Gore part right! Even with the bad special effects, the scenes where Montag is ripping open the stomachs of his volunteers & especially the scene where he's poking the eyes had me squirmng.It's a cheezy gory horror flick with horribly bad acting that's so bad sometim... read moree you can't help but laugh.I'm not into gory horror flicks at all but if you are, You might like Wizard Of Gore

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Critic Reviews

James Kendrick
April 16, 2002
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

groundbreaking in the world of . . . well, gore Full Review

Emanuel Levy
November 1, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

April 4, 2006
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten
March 10, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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