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Two
Thousand Maniacs! review by Shade Rupe
Two groups of travellers are diverted by falsely placed detour signs to the town of Pleasant Valley. As they drive into the strange town, with banners and banjo players galore, they're dragged right out of their cars for some 'fun' in this simple town. Thomas Wood and Connie Mason join the fun fresh from Blood Feast. Connie still needs to read her lines off cue cards, but she seems a little more comfortable this time around. The real stars of this bit of sadistic cinema are the townspeople themselves. Little Billy makes you want to take off your belt and put it to good use. Slim Pickens doesn't hold a candle to the demented sheriff, and the rest of the revelers are as perfect as can be. One bit of strangeness involves Mr. Vraney's note on the commentary that the villagers look like they're having a 'moment' at their crime of dropping a large boulder on one of the hapless travelers. To me it looks like their nodding appreciation at their cruelty, but maybe that's looking through my eyes... Really and truly another grand classic in post-Guignol film entertainment, Image's DVD release of Two Thousand Maniacs! is yet another reason to cheer. Image's transfer is excellent, and includes illuminating commentary from Herschell Gordon Lewis and producer David F. Friedman, original theatrical trailer, rare outtakes, and a gallery of exploitation art. An amazing package! OFFICIAL WEB
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What a follow up! An absolute classic pic, introducing a new element
into the gore film: not just exploitation at showing the death and
dismemberment, Two Thousand Maniacs makes the relationship
of the viewer more than one of voyeurism. Here, extreme unmitigated
sadism works its way in, and takes strong hold. In Blood Feast,
Fuad murdered his victims for offerings for his god. In Two Thousand
Maniacs, the victims are tortured and killed, for the sole purpose
of torturing and killing them. A particular frissonis develops,
a rather tasty one at that, making this film a stand-out amidst
gore films.
