There’s never been another filmmaker like Roger Corman. Often working with the lowest of budgets and most disreputable of genres, Corman’s strange filmography may not have been consistent, but it contains some unforgettable creations including the most infamous of all killer plants, a definitive set of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations and a great performance by William Shatner (no, really!).
More influential still is his role as studio mogul for New World Pictures, where a few notable directors got their own low budget starts. Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Ron Howard, Joe Dante, John Sayles and Jonathan Demme all thank Roger Corman for getting them started.
In October, we’ll look at both Corman’s own films and those of his legendary protégés. Some may not be respectable or in good taste, but the spirit of 60’s and 70’s indie filmmaking will be on full display, including talk about these films:
As Director:
· A Bucket of Blood – 1959
· The Little Shop of Horrors – 1960
· The Pit and the Pendulum – 1961
· The Intruder – 1962
· The Masque of the Red Death – 1964
· The Trip – 1967
As Producer:
· Dementia 13 – 1963 (Francis Ford Coppola)
· Targets – 1968 (Peter Bogdanovich)
· Boxcar Bertha – 1972 (Martin Scorsese)
· Caged Heat – 1974 (Jonathan Demme)
· Piranha – 1978 (Joe Dante)
· Rock 'n' Roll High School – 1979 (Allan Arkush)
