Faces of Death | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | John Alan Schwartz |
Written by | John Alan Schwartz |
Produced by |
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Starring | Michael Carr |
Cinematography | Michael Golden |
Edited by | James Roy |
Music by | Gene Kauer Sloter |
Distributed by | Aquarius Releasing |
Release date |
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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, presented as if it were an actual documentary, centers on pathologist Francis B. Gröss, played by actor Michael Carr,[5] who presents the viewer with footage showing different gruesome ways of dying from a variety of sources. Many scenes were faked for the film, but most portions include pre-existing video footage of real deaths and its aftermath.
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.
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.
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.