History Film / FacesOfDeath

See also the ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108373/ Traces of Death]]'' series, which is very similar to ''Faces of Death'' except that it features less staged incidents and focuses more on actual footage of real death and injury.

The whole gimmick of the series is to showcase various ways and events involving death, with actual stock footage of real deaths and injury spliced along side staged footage. Initially hosted by Dr. Francis B. Gross (actually played by actor Michael Carr), who was later succeeded by Dr. Louis Flellis (played by Schwartz's brother James B. Schwartz), these films were ostensibly vehicles for their hosts to ponder the meaning of life and death, which were illustrated by "real life" footage, though in reality they were vehicles for all sorts of gore effects and footage of actual accidents.

* ''The Worst of Faces of Death'' (1987) -- A ClipShow made up of footage from the prior films, albeit with new narrator Dr. Louis Flellis.

* InsistentTerminology[=/=]DistinctionWithoutADifference: le Cilaire/Schwartz points out in ''Fact or Fiction?'' that he never faked any scenes in any of his films, he ''simulated'' them.

* AlanSmithee:
** John Alan Schwartz also had a career as a television writer, counting the likes of ''Series/KnightRider'' among his credits, along with the theatrically released film ''Black Ice'', and so used pseudonyms for his work on these films.
** James B. Schwartz actually did use his real name for his writing credit on the fourth film, but not for his portrayal of Dr. Flellis.

* InsistentTerminology: le Cilaire/Schwartz points out in ''Fact or Fiction?'' that he never faked any scenes in any of his films, he ''simulated'' them.

'''''Faces of Death''''' is a series of "[[{{Mondo}} shockumentaries]]" made by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the names "Conan le Cilaire" (for his directing credits) and "Alan Black" (for his writing credits), beginning in 1978.

'''''Faces of Death''''' is a series of "[[MondoFilm shockumentaries]]" made by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the names "Conan le Cilaire" (for his directing credits) and "Alan Black" (for his writing credits), beginning in 1978.

'''''Faces of Death''''' is a series of "shockumentaries" made by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the names "Conan le Cilaire" (for his directing credits) and "Alan Black" (for his writing credits), beginning in 1978.

* DocumentaryOfLies: To varying degrees throughout the series. The first and fourth films have a roughly 50/50 mix of real and fake footage. The vast majority of the second film is actually real, with only two sequences definitely known to have been faked. The third film, however, is almost entirely faked.

* YouLookFamiliar:
** The leader of the flesh-eating cult in the first film apparently started stooping to petty crime and got shot while trying to hold up a convenience store, which so pissed him off that he seemed to brutally murder his girlfriend, but apparently got out of the trial by faking his death and subsequently took up a new career driving ambulances. In reality, all these are cameos by John Alan Schwartz.
** Similarly, Dr. Flellis apparently got really depressed at one point and threw himself off a building, which was caught on camera and shown in the third film, but he somehow recovered and resumed his medical career just in time to host ''Worst of...''.

** The leader of the flesh-eating cult in the first film apparently started stooping to petty crime and got shot while trying to hold up a convenience store, which so pissed him off that he seemed to brutally murder his girlfriend, but apparently was acquitted and took up a new career driving ambulances. In reality, of course, all these are cameos by John Alan Schwartz.

'''''Faces of Death''''' is a series of "shockumentaries" made by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the names "Conan le Cilaire" (for his directing credits) and "Alan Black" (for his writing credits).

Initially hosted by Dr. Francis B. Gross (actually played by actor Michael Carr), who was later succeeded by Dr. Louis Flellis (played by Schwartz's brother James B. Schwartz), these films were ostensibly vehicles for their hosts to ponder the meaning of life and death, which were illustrated by "real life" footage, though in reality they were vehicles for all sorts of gore effects and footage of actual accidents.

* MediumBlending: By the time the third and fourth films were made, portable VHS camcorders were more commonplace, leading to both video and film being used in an attempt to help sell the idea of the footage being real.

* {{Gorn}}: Along with the Italian-produced "cannibal" films that were popular around the same time, the first film was the TropeCodifier for cinema where gore was the main draw factor.

** Similarly, Dr. Flellis apparently got really depressed at one point and threw himself off a building, which was caught on camera and shown in the third film, but recovered and resumed his medical career just in time to host ''Worst of...''.