Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) User Reviews

A portrait of 'King of the B's', Roger Corman

[paulym · 9/10 · 13 September 2011]

Hail! Hail! King of the B's

Cannes favourite 'Corman's World' is a heart-warming portrait of one of the true greats of American independent cinema, the champion of outlaws, freaks and fools and the master of the macabre. All the more touching as numerous interviews and testimonies paint a picture of a curious man indeed: not a dark twisted soul but a warm and genteel man with a wonderfully warped and fertile imagination.

What's more astonishing is the dazzlingly array of aspiring filmmakers and actors he mentored during the 60's and 70's. Reading like a Who's Who's of the golden age of the American auteur, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, Robert De Niro and David Carradine, amongst many others, all pay tribute here, including a tearful Jack Nicholson.

Beginning in the 50's as a story analyst at 20th Century Fox, Corman moved into writing, eventually selling scripts to fund his own productions for the burgeoning American Independent Pictures. His debut 'Monster From the Ocean Floor' in 1954 was the start of a prolific production output, with increasing forays into directing, notably 'Little Shop of Horrors' shot in only 2 days!

Corman really made his mark in the 60's. A series of classic Edgar Allan Poe adaptations featuring the splendidly cast Vincent Price define his legacy but the maverick Corman was often making use of down time and vacant sets to pursue other projects during this period. Most notable was the 1963 piece of Gothic absurd-ism, 'The Terror', using sets from 'The Raven'. Proceeding with barely plot, nor script, a shoe string cast including Nicholson and an ageing Boris Karloff, the disparate visions of four different directors contributed to this chaotic opus, including a young Francis Ford Coppola and even Nicholson, who recalls this curious episode.

The 60's also saw critical acclaim for Corman, tackling themes such as racism in the segregated south in 'The Intruder' and counter culture movements in the 'The Wild Angels' and 'The Trip' but the 70's heralded changes for Corman and he looks back on this era with a hint of melancholy. With the release of 'Jaws' and then 'Star Wars' the big studios finally caught up with the B's. Schlock horror from the deep and invaders from space were now big budget and Corman was once more an outsider and destined for the straight-to-video market in the coming decade but before taking a back seat, Corman's masterstroke was to spot the black comedy of the rubber shark and raise the stakes with 'Piranha' in 1978.

The denouement sees Corman still active today, well into his eighties, on the set of the self-explanatory gore-fest 'Dinoshark'. His output has barely abated since the 70's but he takes an increasingly hands-off executive role these days. He remains ever philosophical, contented and visibly touched by the receipt of an honorary Academy Award in 2009. His calm and collected bizarre genius is deeply uplifting and I'd recommend anyone take a trip into Corman's World.

Someone Managed to Exceed My Expectations

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 1 March 2012]

A documentary on DIY producer/director Roger Corman and his alternative approach to making movies in Hollywood.

As a fan of horror, science fiction and cult films, the name Roger Corman is legendary in my home. I have watched and reviewed countless of his works, and interviewed more than a handful of his colleagues. To say he is the biggest influence in the history of modern cinema is an exaggeration, but not by much.

What I found most interesting about this documentary was that it covered so much that I did not know. I was aware of Corman's connection to Scorsese, Nicholson and Demme. I knew about James Cameron (who is practically ignored here for some reason). But I did not know about Shatner and "Intruder"... and indirectly the "Twilight Zone"?

This is a must-see for all fans of horror, science fiction, and film history in general.

A lot of fun if you are a fan.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 2 April 2012]

If you are my age or perhaps a bit older, than there's an excellent chance you've seen several of Roger Corman's films. If you are a young whippersnapper, then perhaps you haven't. Regardless, he is an important man who all people who consider themselves to be cinemaphiles should know, as his track record of successful movies is unique. While he rarely had a decent budget, again and again, he managed to squeeze as much into the film as he could--and usually made them very entertaining. Some of the films are patently silly--such as his 1950s horror films--yet they are usually entertaining. Some of them are socially significant--and yet they are usually entertaining. The bottom line is that the films he produced or directed are NEVER dull. Bad, often...but dull, never!

This film is a tribute to the man and his films. You'll see a lot of his actors and directors from years past (mostly not all that famous, but Jack Nicholson and Ron Howard are interviewed as well) as well as his wife--who helped produce many of his films. In addition, there are LOTS of clips. Overall, a very well made tribute film--one that infuses the viewer with enthusiasm for his work. Lovingly made, the part that surprised me the best was seeing Nicholson tear up when talking about the man! Well worth seeing and a must for any film student, as they could learn from his tight-fisted example!

By the way, of all the clips they showed, the best of these films must be "The Intruder" (with William Shatner). Surprisingly, this is one of the only one of almost 400 films Corman made that LOST money!!

Excellent Tribute to Roger Corman

[Michael_Elliott · 31 March 2012]

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011)

**** (out of 4)

Exceptionally well-made and entertaining documentary taking a look at the career of Roger Corman, the man who turned out some of the cheapest but most successful films out there but perhaps more importantly are the number of talented people he gave jobs to. You can see how much Corman done for others just by seeing the number of people who turned out to be interviewed for this film. Just a few of the names include Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Joe Dante, David Carradine, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert DeNiro, Paul W.S. Anderson, Gene Corman, Jonathan Hale, Dick Miller, John Sayles, Bob Burns, Jonathan Demme, William Shatner, Polly Platt, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Pam Grier and others. Considering how many films Corman has been involved with over the decades it's really amazing how much they got into this 90-minute movie. The documentary is broken into various periods including Corman's directing years, the "young" talent taking over, the exploitation of the 70s, JAWS and STAR WARS killing business and then the home video market. Fans of Corman and all the filmmakers he discovered are really going to enjoy all of the stories here. When I heard they were making a documentary on Corman I was a little worried that they wouldn't be able to capture everything but the filmmakers actually do that. I was really shocked at how much information they crammed into the picture and it was great hearing from so many people that you don't normally get to hear from. With this I'm really thinking of Nicholson who simply doesn't do many interviews. He talks about his first film THE CRY BABY KILLER, makes fun of THE TERROR and eventually breaks down when talking about what Corman means to him. Even Bogdanovich finally talks about his early work including Corman buying a Russian movie and then hiring him as "director" to add a few scenes with women. There are countless clips shown throughout the movie and by the time it's over you really want to go out and rent all of them to enjoy all over again. CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A Hollywood REBEL is an excellent look at low-budget filmmaking and the man who pretty much invented his own genre.

Roger did it his way!

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 23 April 2012]

True Roger Corman was well before my generation and time of film viewing yet over the years I've read enough about him and watched some of the early Jack Nicholson(my favorite actor) classics to know that Corman is a Hollywood cinema legend. His films were cheap, different and off beat clearly Roger Corman did it his way. From three headed monsters, and cult challenging films of teen rebellion clearly one could say that Roger started a cultural movement. And this documentary "Corman's World:Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel" is a historical and educational look at the life and work of still one living Hollywood legend.

This informative picture shows how that cheap filmmaking and hard quick work would lead Roger to make over 100 films by the year 1967 his films always low budget and cult hits would later help him start his own company New World Pictures. His independent streak was so strong he eventually branched out to drive in raw exploitation female films of the mid 1970's. Most memorable is his start when he meet Jack Nicholson in an acting class and Jack would later become a star after appearing in many of Roger's works. It's nice seeing the interviews on this documentary ranging from legends like Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, and most of all it's nice to hear the words from Jack in fact Nicholson even gets emotional when speaking about his good friend Roger. It's hard seeing Jack choked up and emotional. Still Corman still works today even though in his 80's he's not slowing down, yet as the film mentioned the births of films like "Star Wars" and "Jaws" made it even more tougher for independent film to have success, but still the underground circuit produces.

Overall well worth a view as this long over due culture legend icon is now getting the respect he deserves this documentary is informative and educational a tribute to one man named Roger Corman who clearly did it his way.

It's a Corman's World! We just live in it.

[Ramascreen · 9/10 · 20 December 2011]

-- www.Ramascreen.com --

It's a Corman's World, we all just live in it! This is a docu feature that's just as rebellious as the the man himself. It gives us insight into the determination, the stubbornness, the pride, and the struggle of a filmmaker who takes chances and gambles, and is still kikin', who directly and indirectly influences independent filmmakers everywhere to be OK with and be passionate about making low budget movies as a way to stick it to the man!..

Movies that has such weird titles like Little Shop Of Horrors, Monster From The Ocean Floor, or Dinoshark nowadays probably get laughed at by general audiences but did you know that those movies actually have strong fanbase?! There are some of us who can find something entertaining or artful about B-exploit horror and action flicks. And the man we need to thank for that is none other than Roger Corman. Director Alex Stapleton's documentary covers Corman's career and personal life extensively. The film works as a way to reintroduce Corman to today's generation who probably had no idea that The Fast And The Furious starring Vin Diesel was actually an updated version of Corman's old movie of the same title. The docu shows his early involvements with film industry, and it's clear from early on that even as one of the young story editors, Corman was not appreciated or credited for his contributions. So that part was more or less like a premonition of what his entire career, in the next 50 years plus, was going to be.

Looking back now, the A-list celebs who at one point or another, starred in Corman's movies may be a bit embarrassed to admit that they started out that way but they themselves know that they wouldn't be where they are if it weren't for the chances that Corman took with them. The docu interviews such greats as Scorsese, De Niro, Nicholson, and Pam Grier. It's impressive how dedicated director Stapleton was to capture every Corman story possible from those who've crossed paths with or encountered him It's a 90-minute documentary but it goes by quickly because it's so engaging and you want to know more about this man named Roger Corman. Packed with archival footage of Corman's old movies, you'll laugh at how cheesy those movies were but in the back of your head, you know that you could watch these kinds of movies on a Saturday night with a huge bag of popcorn because that's the kind of occasion that those movies are made for.

I now understand that 2 things kept Corman from advancing to the next level of filmmaking: Pride and bad luck. You'll see from this docu that there were opportunities that Corman could've taken but he chose not to because he was too proud and there were opportunities that almost fell on his lap but for some unknown cosmic reason, the projects went to other filmmakers and they became classic hits. I think as much as he'd like to be part of the A-list and be appreciated, he feels that low budget filmmaking is where he belongs, as painful as it is to be labeled King Of B. One interesting segment in the docu is about the arrival of Jaws and Star Wars, basically big Hollywood Studios perfecting and banking on the concepts and films that Corman had made for years before on a budget lower than $50,000. You feel sorry for the guy. I've been a Star Wars fan for as long as I could remember, but this docu feature gives me a different perspective, a different way of looking at the franchise. This docu ends with the 2009 Honorary Academy Award for Roger Corman which makes it like a cherry on top, The film is an honest portrait of persistence, you can't get a better example of a filmmaker who withstood mockery and became admired eventually.

-- www.Ramascreen.com --

He Conquered The World Of B-Movies

[strong-122-478885 · 6/10 · 17 May 2015]

Now 90 years old, Roger Corman (aka. King of the B-Movies) has been in the film-making business for close to 60 years now.

Through film clips, stills, and interviews with colleagues, relatives, etc., etc., this 90-minute documentary gives the viewer a fairly realistic look at the overall history of Roger Corman's career, first as a low-budget film director, then as a low-budget film producer.

Throughout his many years in the business Corman has given struggling, young actors (such as William Shatner and Robert De Niro) and budding, young directors (such as Martin Scorsese and James Cameron) a big, helping hand in their chosen field of work.

Needless to say - Corman is one man who is certainly owed a helluva lot of thanks in gratitude from countless people who went on to notable success in the movie business as either actors, producers and directors.

All-in-all - I think this documentary was quite entertaining, especially from the standpoint of getting to see some hilarious film clips from a number of Corman's cheesier horror movies and brutally bad, teen exploitation pictures which were all standard Drive-In fare from the 1950s and 60s.

How To Own Your Own Life

[j-penkair · 8/10 · 27 November 2015]

Believe it or not... I have watched the documentary feature on life and works of this man with smiles and tears throughout. Smiles at my realization how crazily, madly, and fiercely independent Mr. Roger Corman has proudly been and how fascinating his ups and downs in his film life must have been. The man's integrity and strength deserve admiration at all levels. It can never be easy to go against an establishment for decades and to remain self-fulfilled, commercially successful, and happily married. Worse, the very establishment or Hollywood itself has to succumb when it unanimously gives him an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Tears at a life of man denied his rightful place for a very, very long time. He gives birth to the likes of Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Jack Nicholson, and the almost endless list of names in the 285 films he makes, and yet the father has been treated almost as an embarrassment by the children because most of his works are of exploiting nature. I find it greatly unfair and very sad. It is true that Mr. Corman himself may never have craved for meaningless glory and praises, but can't we be a little stronger and award courage and human free spirits as opposed to those bricks in the wall? I think it is appropriate for Jack Nicholson to cry during the interview because, I believe, of such hard truth. In fact, this film shows several people who look back and rediscover, after all, their deep love and gratitude to Roger Corman. It is amusing to see many of these film celebrities cracking, smilingly while doing it, at a mere mention of Mr. Corman's name, as if they feel slightly ashamed of failing early on to realize his genuine values, personal goodness and morality code, and the real contribution of him to their very lives. They almost think of him now as a father whom they disgust, ridicule, and make fun of in their previous lives. Now they know all too well from whom they obtain their secrets of success. Roger Corman is a wonderful subject matter of this wonderful, and unpretentious, film about a man who is strictly his own among the devious crowd.

Really good and fun to watch but there is still something missing from it.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 4 May 2012]

Even while I truly enjoyed watching this documentary, I still felt somewhat disappointed by the end. Something was missing.

I often love watching dumb, low-budget B-movies, no matter how bad they are. It's sort of relaxing to watch and helps to make you forget all your sorrows for a short while. Besides, the thing about B-movies is that it keeps reminding you about it how complex and painstaking the movie making process actually is. With good and big budgeted movies you can't really see how the movie got made but with B-movies you notice every little detail. Every piece of bad dialog becomes more notable, editing, camera-positioning, storytelling, acting is often so simplistic and lacking that it makes you appreciate the art, passion and talent that often goes into making a movie. When it's done right, you hardly pay attention to it but when it's done poorly, you all suddenly start to realize this and appreciate and respect the movie making business all the more.

And Roger Corman is everywhere- and by everyone regarded as the king of B-movies. No wonder, since his movies are pretty much form the definition of a B-movie; cheap, simplistic and they got put together as fast as possible, even if there isn't a completely finished script to work with. And not only that, it is hard to find a film-maker with more movies behind his or her name. He has produced over 400 movies in the past 7 decades and directed over 50.

And this is a documentary about the film-maker Roger Corman and his methods of filmmaking and about his views on the industry. So don't expect an insightful documentary about the man behind the film-maker. In that regard this really isn't a documentary that goes deep into things but that doesn't mean that it also doesn't have plenty of different stuff to offer.

No doubt that you'll still learn a lot from this documentary and makes you realize what Corman has done for the industry and how his movies and his style of film-making have influenced the business and helped to give many film-makers a boost. Many people that normally wouldn't had been given a chance in the industry started out their careers with Corman's movies. I'm not just talking about actors but also lots of people involved with the work behind the cameras. Many of them actually grew out to become big names in the industry as well, such as James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, Ron Howard, Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Dennis Hopper, Talia Shire, Sandra Bullock, Robert De Niro, David Carradine and William Shatner. Some of them participate in this documentary as well, which makes you realize all the more what Corman and his movies must have meant for them.

The whole documentary is presented as a light and fun one to watch. It never gets too serious and when it does, there is something to laugh about 5 seconds later again. This ensures that the entire documentary remains pleasant to watch but I surely wouldn't had minded some more depth and also some more focus on the negative aspects at times. You feel that this movie is mostly being a tribute to Corman and his work, over the many decades.

Perhaps the documentary would had featured some more depth and feeling to it if it was about 30 minutes longer. Normally a documentary of movie can feel to long but in this case it could had truly benefited from a longer running time. I don't have the feeling that this documentary told the entire story and especially the ending, when Corman receives an honorary academy award feels very rushed, as if it got put into the documentary at the very last moment.

It's still good and fun to watch, especially when you are a Roger Corman enthusiast but it's lacking a bit of depth and substance at time.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 8/10 · 29 July 2012]

I'm so glad a documentary like this exists. It perfectly represents the brilliance of Corman's passion, in that he never gives up and makes movies for the sheer joy of it. By tackling films with low budgets, he always comes out on top. Best of all, his films were the starting blocks for many huge talents such as Jack Nicholson. When Nicholson talks, you feel nothing but love and respect, when he breaks down into tears it's truly an open and beautiful moment of a man who usually keeps his cool. In other areas we get anecdotes of just how cheaply Corman makes his movies and how he has inspired many directors since. Most interesting of all is when it talks about Corman's more serious projects such as The Intruder. It is certainly a celebration of Corman and his finest achievements, though I wish it had gone into more detail as to why he hasn't directed in over 20 years, and covered more of his recent outputs as producer. You have to see this if you love film, and you'll certainly have plenty to stick on your watchlist.

Flash and pan but lacking solid substance

[hollywoodshack · 6/10 · 17 March 2013]

Roger Corman often told a story about how he was robbed by a cabdriver after getting out of the Navy and lost all his clothes. Then he became a film maker after getting a degree in engineering at Stanford. The story wasn't in the film. Another major omission was the film remake, Not of This Earth, that was Traci Lords' first non-pornographic film. I liked many of Corman's films from the fifties that were skimmed over in ten or fifteen minutes. First, losing a contract for Easy Rider became the root of Corman's sixties failures, then the success of Jaws and Star Wars became the blame for Corman's seventies failures. It's always easy to blame a competitor for your own shortcomings. After 400 films, maybe he just ran out of new material. I just grow tired of the dumbing down of documentaries into after 5 minutes--bang--five minutes--fight--five minutes--explosion--five minutes--crash--five minutes--nude clip! I would like to learn something interesting beneath the shallowness of all that.

Welcome to his world

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 4 May 2012]

If anyone ever made a movie about you, you'd wish it was made like this. I'm pretty sure Roger Corman himself is happy about the end result. It's a mix, where you are treated to the past and the present (of course the present is the past, at the time you'll be able watch this, but you get what I mean) of Corman body of work. New and old collaborators are there to be interviewed.

At the end there is a special treat, though I guess fans will know this (actually should know this), before watching the movie. But to newbies or people not as aware to Corman (like myself) this works wonders. You really start to respect the man. And while it is rose tinted most of the time, it also involves some controversial material in it too. Still this is here to celebrate a man and that is what it does

Informative, fun, touching and entertaining

[tomgillespie2002 · 7/10 · 3 July 2012]

One of the most under-appreciated innovators in cinema history, Roger Corman, is given the celebration he deserves here. Most commonly given the tag of the 'king of the B-movies', it is often criminally ignored just how much influence Roger Corman had on the industry, and how many major industry players he set up in the game. Of course, his filmography as director and producers is possibly around 95% crap, but Corman is the king of reminding just what fun we can have at the movies, regardless of whether we're watching a rubber shark, an attack of crab monsters, or a sexy girl in knee-high boots firing a machine gun.

All the big names he's helped promote in his career are on interviewee duty, namely Jack Nicholson, Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, David Carradine and Ron Howard. Even though most of them will be completely embarrassed with the work they did under Corman, their gratitude and appreciation for the man who set them up, and even gave them artistic license is embedded into their faces. One especially touching scene sees Jack Nicholson break down whilst reflecting on his early career with Corman, and how a fresh-faced kid with apparently little hope in the industry was given more lead roles than he perhaps deserved, and even offered writing opportunities later on with The Terror (1963) and The Trip (1967).

His tale is told chronologically (after a visit to the set of his then- latest film Dinoshark (2010)), beginning in the 50's when he was a reader of new scripts, and later a self-styled director/producer when he didn't receive the recognition he deserved after recommending the successful The Gunfighter (1950). He rolled out cheap double-bills such as Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954), Swamp Women (1955), and the hilarious-looking It Conquered the World (1956), but it wouldn't be until the 1960's when Corman would make his mark. His numerous Edgar Allen Poe adaptations received critical acclaim, and he would become a counter-culture icon with biker movie The Wild Angels (1966) and drug movie The Trip. He also bought and screened art-house classics such as Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers (1972) to the drive-in audience, and even strived to make a 'proper' film with The Intruder (1962), a film about social segregation starring, er, William Shatner.

I know I'm mainly talking about the career of Roger Corman rather than actually reviewing the film, but that's probably the best thing about this documentary. Corman's story is all the film needed to be entertaining, as it remains refreshingly unfussy throughout and allows the often fascinating talking heads (which also include Bruce Dern, Joe Dante, Robert DeNiro, Dick Miller, Jonathan Demme and Pam Grier) to simply tell the story. After being told such a story, the climax that sees Corman collect his long-overdue Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, is suitably, an inevitably, very moving. Director Alex Stapleton has hardly re-defined documentaries here, but with such a likable and fascinating subject, it remains highly informative, fun, touching, and entertaining.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Roger Corman and Ed Wood

[room102 · 5/10 · 9 October 2015]

A documentary about legendary director/producer Roger Corman, covering his career of over 400 movies. Beside starting the career of many famous directors and actors (Jack Nicholson in particular), it shows the influence of his films on cinema and that even exploitation movies are OK as long as you like what you do and give the audience what they want.

Watching this documentary really got me thinking that there's no huge difference between Roger Corman and Ed Wood: Both did "commando" low budget movies with minimum budget and shooting. So is it a matter of talent? Some of the scenarios described by the people involved really sound like scenes taken from "Ed Wood".

This documentary features lots of clips from his entire career and interviews with lots of famous actors and directors.

good insight

[Sorpse · 8/10 · 12 October 2012]

definitely enjoyed the DVD however if you are looking at it to try and come up with some good ideas for which old school grindhouse movies to watch then it might not offer a whole lot of suggestions. What it does do however is offer a very informative view on how roger corman came to be. Its more of a biography concerning his film career opposed to concentrating on his filmography. I'd say i developed more of a respect for roger corman after seeing how he struggled and pulled all his resources together to slowly build up his huge body of work, especially after my respect for him seemed to be recently faltering do his garbage additions to the sci fi channel (im looking at you sharktopus). With that said i did come away with a few new movies to add to my watch list ie, wild angels, big bird cage(i know i know i should have seen this by now), bloody mama, and the trip. All in all it was very informative and entertaining and held my attention throughout. Nothing much in the way of special features though, i guess the whole movie is basically one big special feature.

The king of the B's

[Marwan-Bob · 8/10 · 16 December 2020]

I don't know why i never heard of this guy until today and hear this he made more than 400 films, anyway This is a must-see for all fans of horror, science fiction, and film history in general.

Meet The Undisputed "King Of Cult Film"

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 23 June 2020]

(*Roger Corman quote*) - "In science-fiction films, the monster should always be bigger than the leading lady."

In his heyday - Roger Corman was widely considered to be one of the most influential Hollywood filmmakers of American mainstream cinema.

Looked upon as being much more than just a low-budget schlock-meister - Corman not only directed more than 50 feature films throughout his prolific career, but, he also produced well over 300 motion pictures, as well.

And, when it came to promoting the careers of budding directors, producers, and actors - There's no telling how many hundreds of these people who Corman actually helped along the way.

All-in-all - This engaging and informative bio-documentary offers the curios viewer a well-rounded profile of a man who is owed a helluva lot of thanks from countless many in the field of American film-making.

Not just a must see for Roger Corman fans, but fans of cinema in general

[a_chinn · 9/10 · 20 June 2023]

A super fun love letter to low-budget movie mogul Roger Corman. The film recounts his storied career making classic cheesy genre films, everything from monster movies (THE WASP WOMEN, THE GIANT LEECHES), to horror (FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS), to women in prison films (THE BIG BIRD CAGE, CAGED HEAT), to gangster movies (BLOODY MAMA, BOXCAR BERTHA), to sci-fi (BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, DEATH RACE 2000), and way too many more to mention. While most of his movies are not "good" in the traditional sense, what's most fascinating about Corman is how he launched the career of so many major Hollywood figures, including Martin Scorsese (GOODFELLAS), Johnathan Damme (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), Peter Bogdanovich (THE LAST PICTURE SHOW), Joe Dante (GREMLINS), Ron Howard (APOLLO 13), John Sayles (EIGHT MEN OUT), Jon Davison (ROBOCOP), Polly Platt (BROADCAST NEWS), Gale Ann Hurd (T2: JUDGEMENT DAY), and many many more. There's even an interview with Jack Nicholson, who actually breaks down in tears recounting all that Roger did for him, laughing at his career when no one else would hire him. The main strength of this documentary is that Corman's career is told through interviews with all of these great filmmakers who got their start working for Corman. It would be easy to look down your nose at a man who made his career off of sexy nurse movies, blaxploitation flicks, and outlaw biker films, but having his story told by people who owe their careers to him and listening to them talk fondly about their time working with him, helps convey to the view the respect that Corman deserves. The film rightly ends with Corman receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, finally receiving official recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema. So overall, even if you are not a huge fan of ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTER or his more recent SHARKTOPUS VS. WHALEWOLF, you'll gain a greater appreciation for what he did bring to cinema.

Blue collar filmmaking...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 10 June 2014]

If nothing else, Roger Corman has been a blue collar filmmaker- a man who got things done. Sure, the Hits and the Misses were often indistinguishable from one another (at least, BEFORE the receipts were counted), but Corman keeps plugging away. CORMAN'S WORLD gives us a rare (nay, long overdue) look at The Man Himself and there ARE some interesting insights along the way. One of my first attempts to sell a script to someone in Hollywood was a monstrosity titled BEAST WORLD, which had a giant alien bat living in a cave on another world humans were trying to colonize. It was, to its CORE, a Corman-type of scenario; i.e.;one part Mario Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, one part IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE and one part Christian Nyby's THE THING (with, by default, a touch of ALIEN in the mix). The script never sold, but, man, what a Corman movie it could've been!

All hail king of the B's

[Genkinchan · 9/10 · 30 January 2022]

A very well written with a lot of footage from artists paying tribute to the pioneer of film making.. interviews with him shows that even in his 90s Roger Corman is still very much active.. his perseverance and stubborn like make him what he is today

It's a great documentary that teach us about not to be ashamed of what you are doing and keep doing it until you reach perfection

A very talented film maker and glad at the end Hollywood acknowledges and recognise.his contribution to the movie world

All hail Roger Corman.

Fascinating and fun documentary

[preppy-3 · 10/10 · 22 November 2017]

Great documentary about writer/producer/director Roger Corman who has been making low low LOW budget films since the 1950s..and always turned a profit. He also gave a lot of actors and directors their first big breaks. Mostly all of them are interviewed for this film--Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Bruce Dern, Robert DeNiro, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, Ron Howard, Jack Nicholson (who breaks down in tears at one point), Martin Scorsese and William Shatner. It also chronicles how his movie changed how movies were marketed, how he did risky films no one would touch and changed the face of independent filmmaking. There's also some humorous behind-the-scenes footage. My favorite parts had to him laughing while discussing "The Terror" and how his favorite film ("The Intruder") actually lost money. There's surprisingly not much footage from the films themselves. Most of it consists of interviews. It's fast and funny and I must-see for film lovers. A 10 all the way.