Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel

Cineastes will feast on this fond career retrospective/appreciation of low-budget director-producer extraordinaire Roger Corman—from his cheapie debut Monster From the Ocean Floor, through juvenile-delinquent non-epics, Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe gothics, '60s biker dramas, and ‘70s action-exploitation flicks and sex comedies, all the way up to the recent Syfy production Dinoshark, whose crew try to save money by communicating via toy walkie-talkies. Although some cohorts lament that Corman never graduated from the drive-in-schlock demographic to “quality” pictures approaching those of his admired Ingmar Bergman, the soft-spoken and gentlemanly Corman says that cheap quickies appeal to him; megabucks movie budgets would be better spent on urban renewal and social programs (this from a dated Tom Snyder interview). While cranking out hundreds of potboilers and cult classics, Corman discovered and nurtured world-class talent (many shown here), including Jack Nicholson (in a very effusive mood), Martin Scorsese, David Carradine, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Joe Dante, John Sayles, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert De Niro, Paul Bartel, Jonathan Demme, and Penelope Spheeris. And we see Corman himself, accompanied by longtime wife and producing partner Julie, receiving his honorary lifetime-achievement Oscar. Director Alex Stapleton focuses considerable attention on one of the least seen of Corman's storied productions, the serious 1962 racism drama The Intruder (William Shatner's cinematic debut), which was perilously shot on location in the Deep South; it was one of the filmmaker's few money-losers. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)