Line #11 Film/TheWizardOfGore


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_wizard_of_gore.jpg]]
2
3	An existentialist SplatterHorror movie by Creator/HerschellGordonLewis, previously known for ''Film/BloodFeast'', ''A Taste of Blood'', and ''The Gruesome Twosome'', ''The Wizard of Gore'' follows Sherry Carson, a TV Show host, and her fiance, Jack, as they try to unravel the mystery of Montag the Magnificent, a stage magician whose volunteers wind up dead after the show in a fashion identical to their on-stage "death".
4
5	The special effects were horrifically bloody for their time but have not aged well. The acting is amateurish. The movie delights in twist after twist. But overall, it is not an experience to be missed.
6
7	In 2007, a remake was made with Creator/CrispinGlover in the role of Montag the Magnificent.
8
9	----
10	!!Tropes:
11
12	* AllJustADream: [[spoiler:The entirety of the movie is implied to be a brief dream of Montag's as he's starting his routine. Until, of course, the credits ask, OrWasItADream]]
13	* TheCuckoolanderWasRight: Greg doesn't really offer anything in the way of explanations and is justifiably getting on the nerves of all the policemen, but after killing Montag, Greg convinces absolutely everyone, including the policemen who are there to find out who the murderer is ''after'' Montag's act, that he pushed Montag into the fire because Montag had hypnotized all of them and was somehow trying to harm them -- except he's not sure how. Also, he points out that he saw their hands were all bleeding for a reason he can't explain, but the blood is gone now. Further, everyone except him was being hypnotized because he wasn't paying attention to Montag when Montag was staring at the camera, and he was the ''only'' person lucky enough to be too distracted to pay attention out of nothing but boredom. Not one person questions his totally absurd and psychotic explanation, and everyone considers it the truth, even though no one thought Montag was the killer to begin with and there isn't any evidence whatsoever to back up his explanation of why he just murdered Montag or that Montag had killed anyone at all.
14	* DissonantSerenity: During the on-stage murders, the scene periodically cuts back to what the audience is seeing, which is a perfectly mundane magic trick punctuated by almost complete silence.
15	* TheEndOrIsIt: After a series of twists, the movie ends with a textbook "The End... Or Is It?" card.
16	* HellIsThatNoise: A prolonged screeching sound is frequently used in scenes where the heroes realize that something is horribly not right with the scene. Contrasts heavily with the cheery jazz music as Montag gleefully rips gobbets of flesh out of his victims.
17	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Montag summons mysterious flames that he attempts to lead Sherry and the others into Pied Piper-style, only to seemingly die when Jack pushes him into the fire.]]
18	* HypnoticEyes: Implied to be Montag's power complete with long closeups of the actor's face, staring fiercely at the camera. Very long closeups...
19	* KillItWithFire: [[spoiler:Montag is shoved into mysterious flames by Jack, apparently ending his reign of terror]].
20	* LampshadeHanging: After the death of [[spoiler:Montag]], two characters are shown discussing how his death made no sense at all.
21	* LatexPerfection: [[spoiler:Montag takes Jack's place by wearing a perfect latex mask of Jack that even conceals the fact that Montag has a moustache. [[OrWasItADream Or does he?]]]]
22	* MassHypnosis: Implied to be how Montag prevents his audience from realizing he's murdering people onstage. His final plot is to [[spoiler:hypnotize the entire audience of the TV show and... do something]].
23	* MonsterMisogyny: Montag only brings women up on stage to brutally murder.
24	* PsychicNosebleed: The morgue attendant when Montag freezes him with a gesture. Later revealed to have died.
25	* RedFilterOfDoom: Used during the inexplicable mausoleum scenes.
26	* SawAWomanInHalf: This is one of Montag's signature tricks. The effect was accomplished via creative use of a sheep carcass.
27	* SoundtrackDissonance: When Montag is ripping apart his victims, cheery jazz tunes play.
28	* SplatterHorror: One woman gets cut up with a chainsaw. One gets a railroad spike through the head. Another is perforated with a punch press. All scenes include huge gouts of blood and shots of Montag gleefully yanking out handfuls of brains and guts.
29	* YouBastard: During his final stage show in the movie, Montag discusses how much humans are fascinated with violence. He stares directly at the camera as he says, "You want this to happen."
30	* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Subverted; after being sent on a drug-fueled hallucination adventure, Ed is knife-detoxed by Montag the Magnificent and offered the chance to take his place as a drugged-up slave to "The Magician". Ed manages to invert his situation, drugging "The Magician" and taking over the entire operation himself.

Context Film / TheWizardOfGore