Seen for the first time in January 2013.
"Two Thousand Maniacs" is a cartoonish film about the animus of small town southerners toward northerners and is plainly exploitative in nature. It's entertaining enough, but nothing special really. The plot is a contrivance for the display of creative for its time and gory for its time ways of killing people. Toward the end there's a weird little hick Dennis the Menace character with a southern accent who is annoying as anything but in a weird way is a highlight of the movie. Herschell Gordon Lewis made a mistake in not having the protagonists off that kid. It's a mistake I'm confident that a more modern director wouldn't make. It's not a question of clouding our sympathies for the protagonists, but a question of giving the audience what it wants, which is what a movie like this ought to do. You know, Herschell Gordon Lewis was a pioneer of sorts, but who gives a shit. He's made better movies. This one is just okay. Grade B-.
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