When I look down the long list of the hundreds of
films that Roger Corman has either directed or produced I have no recollection
of seeing a single one of them. That
obviously is not the case because as a teenager growing up in Britain in the
19..’s (well a few decades ago!) I lived for the Double Feature Programmes at
the Cinema and as Mr Corman was the undisputed King of B Movies I must have
unwittingly sat through several of them.
films that Roger Corman has either directed or produced I have no recollection
of seeing a single one of them. That
obviously is not the case because as a teenager growing up in Britain in the
19..’s (well a few decades ago!) I lived for the Double Feature Programmes at
the Cinema and as Mr Corman was the undisputed King of B Movies I must have
unwittingly sat through several of them.
This wonderful new documentary is an endearing
portrait of Hollywood’s most prolific and most cherished filmmakers, and a brief look
at the movies he has made over the past 50 years. For a man whose films were a catalogue of
freaks, fools, monsters, aliens and with a taste of the macabre and unlimited
amounts of (fake) blood, to see him in reality is quite a shock. He’s well educated, sophisticated, quietly spoken and quite the real gentleman in every sense of the word.
Probably another reason that Hollywood insiders considered him a
maverick.
portrait of Hollywood’s most prolific and most cherished filmmakers, and a brief look
at the movies he has made over the past 50 years. For a man whose films were a catalogue of
freaks, fools, monsters, aliens and with a taste of the macabre and unlimited
amounts of (fake) blood, to see him in reality is quite a shock. He’s well educated, sophisticated, quietly spoken and quite the real gentleman in every sense of the word.
Probably another reason that Hollywood insiders considered him a
maverick.
Aside from the impression we get of Corman the man,
Alex Stapleton’s incisive profile also details many of the great movie talents that he
gave a break too and became their mentor.
Jack Nicolson starred in several Corman production when he first started
out and waxed lyrically about the profound effect that on his career that he
even uncharacteristically started crying when his memories make him
over-emotional. Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Robert De Niro, David
Carradine and Ron Howard also testified with great affection that working for Corman
at the beginning of their careers was undoubtedly the best thing that had ever
happened to them. Ron Howard, who’s
first directing job was ‘Grand Theft Auto’, recalled how tough it was working
on the usual very tight Corman budget and he pleaded for money to get more than the mere 75 extras he was allowed to allegedly fill a Stadium. Mr Corman told him ‘If you do this movie my
way, you will never have to work for me again.’
He did, and then he didn’t!
Alex Stapleton’s incisive profile also details many of the great movie talents that he
gave a break too and became their mentor.
Jack Nicolson starred in several Corman production when he first started
out and waxed lyrically about the profound effect that on his career that he
even uncharacteristically started crying when his memories make him
over-emotional. Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Robert De Niro, David
Carradine and Ron Howard also testified with great affection that working for Corman
at the beginning of their careers was undoubtedly the best thing that had ever
happened to them. Ron Howard, who’s
first directing job was ‘Grand Theft Auto’, recalled how tough it was working
on the usual very tight Corman budget and he pleaded for money to get more than the mere 75 extras he was allowed to allegedly fill a Stadium. Mr Corman told him ‘If you do this movie my
way, you will never have to work for me again.’
He did, and then he didn’t!
What was more surprising was to discover that in his extensive back catalogue Corman had
made some very serious heavyweight movies.
None more thought-provoking and way ahead of its time was his 1962 movie
‘The Intruder‘ about a white supremacist stirring up trouble in Missouri. Starring a totally unknown William Shatner,
Corman took a great personal risk filming it in the troubled South where he and the entire crew were constantly being run out of town. It was
also the first Corman movie to lose money too, and he called the failure ‘the
greatest disappointment of my career’.
made some very serious heavyweight movies.
None more thought-provoking and way ahead of its time was his 1962 movie
‘The Intruder‘ about a white supremacist stirring up trouble in Missouri. Starring a totally unknown William Shatner,
Corman took a great personal risk filming it in the troubled South where he and the entire crew were constantly being run out of town. It was
also the first Corman movie to lose money too, and he called the failure ‘the
greatest disappointment of my career’.
Corman’s real break came in the 1960’s when he started adapting a series of
Edgar Allen Poe books with great success, which he churned out at great
speed. His quickest film ever was the original
version of ‘The Little Shop Of Horrors’, which he completed within two days. But alongside all the schlock that he was
churning out then, this man of many contradictions, also ran a Distribution Company
that released art house films of all the great European Auteurs. He introduced American audiences to the works
of the likes of Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Francois Truffaut and also Akira
Kurosawa.
Edgar Allen Poe books with great success, which he churned out at great
speed. His quickest film ever was the original
version of ‘The Little Shop Of Horrors’, which he completed within two days. But alongside all the schlock that he was
churning out then, this man of many contradictions, also ran a Distribution Company
that released art house films of all the great European Auteurs. He introduced American audiences to the works
of the likes of Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Francois Truffaut and also Akira
Kurosawa.
Corman has been called “The King of the Cult Film” and “The
Pope of Pop Cinema” but what this heartwarming documentary clearly
demonstrates that he is not only both those things, but also so much more as well. Finally honored by his peers with a Lifetime
Achievement Oscar in 2009, with the citation poignantly read ‘For his rich engendering of
films and filmmakers.’ Well said.
Pope of Pop Cinema” but what this heartwarming documentary clearly
demonstrates that he is not only both those things, but also so much more as well. Finally honored by his peers with a Lifetime
Achievement Oscar in 2009, with the citation poignantly read ‘For his rich engendering of
films and filmmakers.’ Well said.
But in this case, the final word goes to the filmmaker Allan Arkush ‘Roger will just say
exploitation pictures don’t need plots. They need sensational things like girls
shooting Filipinos out of trees. That works’.
And it did in ‘Hot Box’ a movie that a very young Jonathan Demme made
for Corman in 1972. ‘Hot action and lust in the steamy tropical jungle, as
heroines break out of a women’s prison and start a local revolution.’ A must see.
Just like this documentary.
exploitation pictures don’t need plots. They need sensational things like girls
shooting Filipinos out of trees. That works’.
And it did in ‘Hot Box’ a movie that a very young Jonathan Demme made
for Corman in 1972. ‘Hot action and lust in the steamy tropical jungle, as
heroines break out of a women’s prison and start a local revolution.’ A must see.
Just like this documentary.
★★★★★★★★★
Labels: biography, documentary
