There are two Roger Cormans, though they are ultimately inseparable: there is a master of B-movies who made hundreds of low- and no-budget films: Tyrannosaurus , Attack of the 50-Foot Cheerleader , Attack of the Titans , Leechs , Smokey Bites the Dust and (no kidding) Hot Car Girl , to name a few. With his 1990 memoir aptly titled How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Penny , the producer/director was known for knowing how to squeeze every penny out of a film's budget. Famous for money: borrowing sets, recycling footage, and making crew members do more than what they were hired to do.
This last point brings us to another Roger Corman: an indispensable figure in American independent filmmaking who propelled or launched the careers of countless film luminaries: Martin Scorsese, James Came Long, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Fonda, Peter Bogdanovich, Bruce Dern, Diane Ra Germany, even William Shatner. As a distributor of international films, he brought to the United States films by directors such as Fellini, Truffaut, Akira Kurosawa and Bergman. Sometimes overlooked, he was also a capable director in the 1950s and 1960s, creating a number of classic films.
Coleman, who graduated from Stanford University and Oxford University, remained active until the end of his life, passing away on May 9 at the age of 98. A statement released by his family read in part:
When asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said: "I'm just a filmmaker, that's all."
A Bucket of Blood (1959)
A Bucket of Blood is probably the most memorable of Corman's early films, sounding like a typical 1950s horror movie but actually providing a bit of comic relief to the California beat generation. . Talented character actor and Corman's long-time associate Dick Miller ( Gremlins ) plays an all-too-rare starring role here, playing a waiter in a swanky cafe as he tries to help the landlady's cat from While escaping behind the wall, he accidentally stabbed it, causing a sensation. He was a true idiot who tried to hide the body by covering it in plaster and ended up inadvertently creating a work of art. When the pressure comes for more artwork, there's only one thing to do - keep killing. But, you know, people.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi, MGM+, Shudder, Crackle, Freevee
House of Usher (1960)
Only five years into his career, Roger Corman has directed about two dozen films, all of them cheap (no surprise here) and most of them fairly forgettable. "House of Usher" marks a major shift for Corman and his home base, American International Pictures. The market for the ultra-low-budget black-and-white cheap stuff the company specialized in was drying up, so it decided to try something bigger: something in color, with a bigger budget and more lucrative stars. The film cost about $300,000 (compared to his typical budget of around $50,000), a third of which was spent on bleach-blond Vincent Price's salary. If it fails, the company will probably collapse. Instead, it succeeds, and it's not hard to see why: director Corman is a master of style and atmosphere at any price point. It’s not quite Poe, but, like Mark Damon’s Philip Winthrop, it feels like we’re stumbling into an unsettling liminality on our own side place. Co-star and producer Damon died just days after Corman's death.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi, Freevee (sometimes called The Fall of the House of Usher )
Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
The original horror comedy is largely overshadowed by the musical adaptation, which is delightfully breezy—as it should be, considering director Corman completed principal photography in two days and one night. Even with three days of rehearsals beforehand and some second-unit filming over a few weekends, it was still just over a week from start to finish. The result is a movie that looks cheap, sure, but also feels like it doesn't care, with everyone pulling out all the stops to satisfy its chaotic energy and silliness. "Everyone" here includes several celebrities: the great Dick Miller and the impossibly young Jack Nicholson.
Where to play: Shudder, Tubi, Crackle
The Haunted Palace (1963)
The sixth film in the Corman-Poe film series has almost nothing to do with Edgar Allan Poe beyond its title. Even better, it's a faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's novella "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" (possibly one of the most faithful films ever based on Lovecraft). one). Again, the atmosphere here is impressive and eerie. We were introduced to the cosmic creatures Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth through the movies; and Price delivers an excellent dual performance. Additional dialogue was provided by Francis Ford Coppola, who was Koeman's assistant at the time.
Where to play: Tubi
X: The Man with X-ray Eyes (1963)
The great Ray Milland (with a little help from Don Rickles) plays a scientist who develops a cool new eye drop designed to expand human vision. What problems might arise? He tried the potions on himself and found that his vision was far beyond what he had imagined. So why stop there? Continued testing leads to more impressive results, until he discovers that he has lost his ability to survive in the normal world - and his sanity. The ending has an almost Lovecraftian feel, suggesting that there are things in the universe that are better left unseen.
Where to play: Pluto TV, Kanopy
Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Roger Corman directs Vincent Price in a Poe-centric collaboration that excels in its scope and unpredictable beauty . The finished product feels more like an arthouse film than the producer/director's other works, and that's largely down to a few things: First, Corman was able to utilize leftovers from larger films, British film and TV Art Academy Award winning set. - budget historical epic "Beckett," which instantly elevates the film's look to something close to the screen panache of Powell and Pressburger. Next came the emergence of cinematographer Nicolas Roeg, who would go on to direct such classics as The Walk , Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth, who, after a run-in with David Lean, Got a new start here. The result is a beautiful fever dream that is unique in Koeman's canon.
Where to play: Pluto TV
Shooting (1966)
Corman financed and served as an uncredited executive producer on the film, directed by Monte Hellman ( "Two Lane Blacktop ") and written by Carol Eastman ( "Five Simple Pieces ") people and advisors. This moody, brooding revisionist western couldn't even be called a failure, as it never even found a distributor initially, but in later years it became an arthouse classic, looking forward to films like The Wild Bunch ” and Herman’s later, more successful films like “Two Lane Asphalt.” Warren Oates produces with Jack Nicholson, who also co-produces.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Max, The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Freevee, Crackle, Shout Factory TV
Wild Angel (1966)
Three years before the breakthrough film Easy Rider really put bike culture on the map, Coleman was there, and so was Peter Fonda, in this about a group of bikers. In the movie (which is hugely successful in its own right) the block is frightened and a lost bike is found. Fonda's impressive cast includes Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. Peter Bogdanovich served as an uncredited co-screenwriter for the completed film.
Stream at: ScreenPix, or rent digitally via Fandango at Home
Travel (1966)
By this time, Corman was already a counterculture aficionado and felt that if he was to direct this Jack Nicholson-penned tale of an acid trip, verisimilitude would be crucial. important. Just before filming, Korman took some friends and crew to Big Sur for a weekend acid trip. The finished film brings Corman's gift for atmosphere into a largely plotless but highly engrossing journey starring Peter Fonda, Susan Strasberg, Bruce Dern and Dennis Hopper Starring. The additional anti-drug message is oddly unconvincing here. This is yet another example of Koeman being at the forefront of 1960s cultural trends, but not getting enough credit.
Where to stream: Digital rental via Amazon or Apple TV
Target (1968)
The first film from up-and-coming director Peter Bogdanovich (with a generous helping of talented writer/producer/artistic director Polly Platt). Directed only as co-writer), this was one of Boris Karloff's last films. Bringing together a lot of iconic talent, the film started out as a way for Karloff to work on his days with Corman. Bogdanovich can do almost anything he wants, provided he stays within the budget and includes a role for an older actor. Karloff thus plays a version of himself in the form of Byron Orlok, a retired film actor tired of the industry and sentimental about being reduced to camp roles. He is reluctantly persuaded to go to a drive-in theater to show one of his old movies, at which point a deranged gun fanatic plots a shooting spree that kills his entire family. It's a fascinating commentary on gun culture, even going back a long way, and the contrast between cinematic horror and what's happening in real life, then and now. It's also a lovely send-off for Karloff, if a little disturbing.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
Cage Heat (1974)
I wouldn't say "Caged Heat" is a masterpiece, but it's both worth watching and important as the first film directed by Jonathan Demme, another Corman A legendary genius who started under his command. The producers were looking for a movie that had all the sleazy appeal of a typical women's prison movie (i.e. whipping fights and nudity), but relied on Demme to write a script that could provide more heft. The result is a great example of Corman's tendency to elevate sleazy material, with the shower scenes balanced by a genuine sense of common cause among the women in the face of an abusive warden. The film also marks the solo debut of soon-to-be legendary cinematographer Taku Fujimoto.
Where to watch: Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Shout Factory TV
Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
Vince Lombardi High School couldn't keep its vice principal—the kids loved rock and roll too much. PJ Soles stars as Riff Randell, the school's punk leader who is determined to see her favorite band, the Ramones, and is willing to burn down the school to achieve this goal. As in the 1960s, Corman's theme was kids rebelling against everything, and he invited The Ramones to play a role here. The film is completely anarchic and contains no lessons other than "Don't get between punks and their music." Corman's apprentice Joe Dante ( Gremlins ) co-wrote the story and directed much of the film (cast not listed) when director Alan Arkush fell ill the previous year He took a break from directing Piranha .
Play on: Peacock, Tubi, Freevee, Freevee, Crackle, Shout Factory TV
The Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
Directed by animator Jimmy T. Murakami and written by multiple Oscar-nominated (but not award-winning) John Sayles ( Matewan , 8 Men Out ), Battle of the Stars The original intention of "War" was to imitate the Seven Samurai in space. James Horner composed the music, James Cameron was responsible for the special effects, and it stars Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn and John Saxon. This is a very talented film for a film that definitely doesn't act like Kurosawa in space, but instead serves as an incredibly entertaining, albeit slightly cheesy, space opera. Cameron was initially hired by producer Corman to do model work, but was ultimately responsible for all special effects and production design. He considered the film his big break, so besides being fun, there's some cinematic history being made here - and not just a womb-shaped spaceship.
Where to stream: Peacock, Tubi, Freevee, Shout Factory TV
