9. Two Thousand Maniacs! (1965)
Probably Herschell Gordon Lewis' most fun film, there is not just one or two redneck maniacs in town - there are 2000 of them! Pleasant Valley is a redneck Southern Confederate town that was razed to the ground by Yankees during the civil war. It has a Brigadoon type quality - only appearing for one day every 100 years as portrayed in the film. The rednecks are out for blood as they trick six Yankees into entering their town for 'centennial celebrations' as the guests of honour. The rednecks proceed to have their fun with the Yankees, dismembering one of them and barbecuing her, flattening another one with a big stone, dismembering another one by tying his limbs to four different horses, putting another one of them damn Yankees in a barrel with spikes and rolling him down a hill. Two of the Yankees manage to escape and bring a policeman to the town. Or to what used to be the town - it has vanished in the mist. We see two townsfolk discussing what a grand time they had and how they can't wait for 2065 to roll around... The rednecks in Two Thousand Maniacs speak with some very over the top Southern accents - especially one little boy whom the viewers will want to reach out and strangle after seeing him act and hearing him talk. The rest of the rednecks are also very hammy, but this is okay, because it mitigates the nastiness of the film and brings in an element of fun. If it had been played as a straight film, it would have come across as being mean spirited and sadistic. Instead, it is cartoonish and camp. Two Thousand Maniacs as a title, promises much more than it delivers. There cannot be more than 200 supposed maniacs in the film. It is a quirky little movie with much charm but if I were you I would avoid Pleasant Valley when it appears in 1965, unless you want to die in the H G Lewis fashion.