| Faces of Death | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Alan Schwartz |
| Written by | John Alan Schwartz |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Michael Carr |
| Cinematography | Michael Golden |
| Edited by | James Roy |
| Music by | Gene Kauer Sloter |
| Distributed by | Aquarius Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $450,000[2] |
| Box office | $35 million[2] |
Faces of Death (later re-released as The Original Faces of Death) is a 1978 American mondo horror film written and directed by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the pseudonyms "Conan Le Cilaire" and "Alan Black" respectively.[3][4]
The film, shown in a documentary-like style, centers on pathologist Francis B. Gröss, played by actor Michael Carr.[5] The narrator presents the viewer with a variety of footage showing different gruesome ways of dying from a variety of sources. Some of the most iconic scenes were faked for the film, while most of the film is pre-existing video footage of real deaths or the aftermath of death.
Faces of Death received generally negative reviews, but it was a huge success at the box office, reportedly grossing over $35 million worldwide. It gained a cult following and spawned several sequels, the first of which, Faces of Death II, was released in 1981.
- ^ "Faces of Death (RC)". Australian Classification Board. November 1, 1983. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "Faces of Death: How the 'gore porn' sensation became the original viral video and gripped the world". The Independent. August 17, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ Fecile, John (October 1, 2018). "'Banned in 46 countries' – is Faces of Death the most shocking film ever?". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group plc. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Szabo, Sarah (January 31, 2023). "The Untold Truth Of Faces Of Death". Looper. Static Media. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
If you go by the credits, the responsibility for Faces of Death falls on two principal figures: Alan Black, who wrote the movie, and Conan Le Cilaire, the director. But both of these mysterious individuals are actually one person: John Alan Schwartz, who was also a main producer on the movie, and even acted in some of its sequences.
- ^ Gorman, Cameron (March 28, 2024). "Was 'Faces of Death' Real? It's Complicated". Collider. Valnet Publishing Group. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
Featuring a pathologist named Francis B. Gröss (Michael Carr) as he takes the audience through his collection of deadly footage, the real draw of Faces of Death, as many an edgy suburban kid knows, is that the series is real.