Since shadowing the production of Blood Feast 2, I've enjoyed swapping e-mails with the irrepressible Herschell Gordon Lewis and sheepishly quizzed the Godfather of Gore this week regarding his feelings about the long-stalled, now Fangoria-ballyhoo'd 2001 Maniacs (co-produced by Eli Roth and blessed by David F. Friedman). In his typical rapier fashion, Herschell writes of the sequel: "I haven't seen 2001 Maniacs and wonder mildly -- at a respectable distance -- what plans for distribution are being made."

His polite pessimism is understandable, especially when talk turned to Grim Fairy Tale ... Win, Lose or Die. Herschell hoped to start rolling this month with 2001 Maniacs money-man Chris Tuffin, yet "production seems to be a more and more distant prospect." Still, the 70-something goretur is undaunted and regaled me with his next barbarous brainstorm:

"Gory Story centers on a guy with a prosthetic arm that, like a Dr. Strangelove device, has a mind of its own. He gets on a bus and creates a disgusting mess. He accidentally pokes out one of his own eyes," Herschell beamed. "So I'm ready and willing if somebody is able."