He was known best for his horror films, particularly the Blood Trilogy (Blood Feast, Two Thousand Maniacs! and Color Me Blood Red), though he did just about every genre imaginable. News of the director's death was confirmed on Something Weird Video's Facebook:

Very sad news. We're sad to report that Herschell Gordon Lewis has passed away. He was 90 years old. Herschell was a dear friend and colleague of ours and will be missed very much. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Margot and his family. RIP to the Godfathrr of Gore...

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Was he a great director? He probably would have been the first person to tell you no, but it can't be understated how important he was in opening a lot of doors for more extreme examples of horror films to make their way onto movie screens. Very funny guy, too.

I just watched those films a couple months ago, the director commentaries were thoughtful and interesting. He was definitely a pioneer in terms of having to deal with censorship.

What? Terrible news. Rest in Pieces bud.