'Godfather of gore' Herschell Gordon Lewis dies aged 87

Herschell Gordon Lewis, the horror filmmaker, known as the "Godfather of Gore" for directing movies like "Blood Feast" and "Two Thousand Maniacs," has passed away. He was 87.
His spokesperson, James Saito, has confirmed that the director died in his sleep, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lewis pioneered the horror genre in the 1960s known as the "splatter film," which focused on gore and gruesomeness.
Other horror films created by Lewis included "A Taste of Blood", "The Wizard of Gore", "The Gruesome Twosome", "She-Devils on Wheels" and "Scum of the Earth".
Born in Pittsburgh, Lewis served as producer on his first film venture, "The Prime Time" (1959).

The filmmaker took a lengthy break from direction after 1972's "The Gore Gore Girls" to work in direct marketing.

In 2002, Lewis released his first film in thirty years, "Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat."
Lewis was inducted into the Polly Staffle Hall of Fame IN 2006.
John Waters, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and James Gunn are among the filmmakers who are inspired by Lewis' work.