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Cómo hice 100 films en Hollywood y no perdí ni un céntimo
¿QUÉ TIENEN EN COMÚN Martin Scorsese, Robert de Niro, Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Nicholson y Jonathan Demme, además de un montón de nominaturas y oscars? Sencillamente, que todos ellos, se iniciaron al lado de Roger Corman, uno de los directores y productores más interesantes de la historia del cine. Roger Corman. Cómo hice cien films en Hollywood y nunca perdí ni un céntimo cuenta detalladamente la ascensión de Roger Corman en la industria del cine, desde que consiguiera un humilde puesto de mensajero en la Fox hasta su consagración como disidente de los grandes estudios, y productor puntero de films comerciales de bajo presupuesto. Corman relata los pormenores de los enloquecidos rodajes de sus films, iniciados a principios de los años cincuenta con irrisorios presupuestos y rodados en días o a lo sumo en un par de semanas, y recaudando beneficios sustanciales. Las claves fueron una eficacia espartana, una capacidad de recursos que desafiaba a todos los cánones sociales, dosis masivas de sentido del humor y, obviamente, la presencia de los mejores talentos que corrían por los estudios cinematográficos y que el tiempo confirmaría. Intercalándolo con sus anécdotas: sus actores, y también sus técnicos, incorporaban al unísono a vaqueros e indios, como los estanques de los parques urbanos sustituían a las simas oceánicas, o también como unas idénticas tomas de efectos especiales aparecían en cinco o seis producciones distintas, el autor comenta el despilfarro de los macroestudios y demuestra hasta qué extremo gastan sumas exorbitantes para obtener unas ganancias proporcionalmente pequeñas, cuando no ruinosas. Sagaz, revelador e instructivo, Roger Corman -con la ayuda de Jim Jerome, un conocido articulista del mundo del espectáculos descubre los secretos de la realización inteligente, y lucrativa, de films cimentados en el aire y en una plegaria a la diosa fortuna.
360 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 1990
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1473 people want to read
About the author
Roger Corman
38 books12 followersRoger William Corman was an American film director, producer, and actor.
Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. - Wikipedia
Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 28, 2019
Brilliant!
Inspiring book for any creative. How do you create? Just get it done!
How much experience do you need? How much do ya got?!
Keep your cool get out there and make stuff!!
Inspiring book for any creative. How do you create? Just get it done!
How much experience do you need? How much do ya got?!
Keep your cool get out there and make stuff!!
February 12, 2009
If you like trashy movies you have to read this great book written by a man who nobly dropped acid to make sure he replicated the experience correctly for his sleaze classic "The Trip". Lots of dirt on the great Edgar Allen Poe movies he made with Vincent Price and some cool stories about the late, great Beverly Garland, too. Highly recommended.
January 27, 2010
I bought this book waaay back when I was actually working in independent film, but only got around to reading it now. I'm glad it exists. In the independent film world there is a myth that independent filmmaking was introduced in the 1970s and that before that there was nothing. Roger Corman sets the record straight by talking about his own independent filmmaking experience in the 1950s and 60s, and by enumerating every famous independent filmmaker he trained (Demme, Coppola, Scorcese, Dante, Bogdonovich...even Cassavettes comes up). He's not a particularly good writer, even with the collaboration of Jim Jerome, but his stories are so darn interesting that it doesn't really matter. The only times I felt the book got bogged down was when he felt the need to go into detail on the financials of distribution - and some people might find that useful or interesting.
The title of the book is, of course, a brag. Corman admits that some of his pictures didn't do as well as he was hoping, but the point is that he certainly never went bankrupt, was hardly ever sued, and found ways of staying afloat even during some of the bigger "crisis" moments for the major studios. I once heard or read someone claim that Roger Corman says he "never made a bad film." If so, it wasn't in this book. He admits that the end-product of his work is mixed, but, like millions of cult movie fans all over the world, he retains a certain affection for all of them, even targets for MST3K like "It Conquered the World." I would agree with him. The way I'd put it isn't so much a question of good/bad (which is always problematic), but more of whether there is something there which can be enjoyed. Some low-bux filmmakers (Jerry Warren comes to mind, as does Adrian Weiss) just don't seem to have _cared_ whether the product was any good; they had a distribution deal and a poster, and they got something, anything, done under budget to fit the need. Corman took the time to try to put whatever production value he could manage on the screen, in spite of shoestring budgets, and the sense comes through, both in the book and on the screen, that he cared whether what he had in the end was worth an audience's time. He did this without wasting his backers' money, and in the process managed to learn a great deal about filmmaking, and himself. That personal quest is what makes this book worthwhile.
The title of the book is, of course, a brag. Corman admits that some of his pictures didn't do as well as he was hoping, but the point is that he certainly never went bankrupt, was hardly ever sued, and found ways of staying afloat even during some of the bigger "crisis" moments for the major studios. I once heard or read someone claim that Roger Corman says he "never made a bad film." If so, it wasn't in this book. He admits that the end-product of his work is mixed, but, like millions of cult movie fans all over the world, he retains a certain affection for all of them, even targets for MST3K like "It Conquered the World." I would agree with him. The way I'd put it isn't so much a question of good/bad (which is always problematic), but more of whether there is something there which can be enjoyed. Some low-bux filmmakers (Jerry Warren comes to mind, as does Adrian Weiss) just don't seem to have _cared_ whether the product was any good; they had a distribution deal and a poster, and they got something, anything, done under budget to fit the need. Corman took the time to try to put whatever production value he could manage on the screen, in spite of shoestring budgets, and the sense comes through, both in the book and on the screen, that he cared whether what he had in the end was worth an audience's time. He did this without wasting his backers' money, and in the process managed to learn a great deal about filmmaking, and himself. That personal quest is what makes this book worthwhile.
June 20, 2016
Roger Corman's name may not always be placed in the pantheon of directors like John Ford, Orson Welles, or Howard Hawks when discussing the greatest and most influential American directors, but I believe that he is still arguably one of the most influential and fascinating. First of all, there's his status as one of the earliest and most successful independent filmmakers in Hollywood. There's the fact that his work ranges from 50's atomic sci-fi drive in cinema, to risky statement films, gothic masterpieces, counterculture staples, and ultimately 70's indie legends. His brilliant system of low-cost filmmaking is one employed by many of the greatest filmmakers in all of cinema. His generosity in giving a space for untested talent to work led to some of the greatest talents art has ever known to flourish. On top of all this, he made many imaginative films that continue to be seen and influence young filmmakers. The guy really has a lot going for him. Even though he may have never made that one masterpiece statement that cemented his legacy as an artist, his life and work were fruitful in a way that is particularly unusual for a man working in the exploitation cinema business. Even if you're not a fan of his films, his life is admirable and inspirational. I personally love watching Corman's films and find them just as informative to my development as an artist as watching any of the celebrated art directors. This being the case, I knew I had to read Corman's account of his incredible career in Hollywood. Just as I had found in his films and the movies made by his pupils, the book encouraged and inspired me to get out there and make movies. All it took was imagination, drive, and a eye for what might sell that gave Corman what he needed to succeed. This account of his life, that generally spans from his days directing 50 minute drive-in flicks to producing and distributing movies from the most successful indie company in Hollywood, is a must read for any fan of underground movies and for those who see themselves making films. It will teach you more than you realize at the time you read it.
June 21, 2020
As short and to-the-point as the production on one of his films, Roger Corman’s autobiography (co-written with Jim Jerome) is full of interesting tales about filmmaking, but it can get a little full of itself.
This shouldn’t be a surprise as the title is a boast, and Corman clearly has much to boast about. His influence on low-budget filmmaking has been great, many filmmakers got their start working with him. Their testimonials (including the likes of Scorsese and Coppola) add a lot of colour to this man’s career. I learned a lot about his work, though it’s by no means an exhaustive list, and the book was first published in 1990 making it a time capsule of sorts. I watched (and enjoyed) A Bucket Of Blood between chapters; I have more respect for Jack Nicholson as an all-round filmmaker, knowing more of his contributions.
It’s probably just personal taste but after a while Corman’s matter-of-fact self-aggrandisement got a little monotonous. He often refers to himself as a maverick, outsider, insert-heroic-anti-establishment-figure-here; he’s always finding the success in a situation, a master of all trades, constantly falling into beautiful dates. I started to wish it was done with more self-awareness and humour, perhaps a bit of self-deprecating irony. (A quote on the back calls it “hilarious”, which is perhaps a stretch.) The man is a success, but you want to read about his doubts and struggles too. His achievements more or less speak for themselves.
This shouldn’t be a surprise as the title is a boast, and Corman clearly has much to boast about. His influence on low-budget filmmaking has been great, many filmmakers got their start working with him. Their testimonials (including the likes of Scorsese and Coppola) add a lot of colour to this man’s career. I learned a lot about his work, though it’s by no means an exhaustive list, and the book was first published in 1990 making it a time capsule of sorts. I watched (and enjoyed) A Bucket Of Blood between chapters; I have more respect for Jack Nicholson as an all-round filmmaker, knowing more of his contributions.
It’s probably just personal taste but after a while Corman’s matter-of-fact self-aggrandisement got a little monotonous. He often refers to himself as a maverick, outsider, insert-heroic-anti-establishment-figure-here; he’s always finding the success in a situation, a master of all trades, constantly falling into beautiful dates. I started to wish it was done with more self-awareness and humour, perhaps a bit of self-deprecating irony. (A quote on the back calls it “hilarious”, which is perhaps a stretch.) The man is a success, but you want to read about his doubts and struggles too. His achievements more or less speak for themselves.
July 15, 2022
It is a shame I don't like Corman's movies very much, because I thoroughly enjoyed his book. This is a funny, engaging, anecdotal presentation of a life spent making low budget, out of the mainstream movies. It is hard to really review a book like this; one wants instead to relate some of the juicier yarns, of which there are a very good number. Some perspective is provided by the comments of others who knew him, although this is a friendly project, a feel good memoir, not an introspective or especially revealing book. Corman's place in film history is safe, given his influence on counter culture filmmakers in the 60s and his role as a mentor to many of Hollywood's big names.
September 5, 2021
Ja, ich lese Theorie
May 12, 2024
(Scorsese on Corman): "I had expected in Roger a Harry Cohn type, a rough, very crude person who was a genius at knowing what people wanted and how to market it. Instead I found him a very courteous and gentlemanly guy, but a very stern and tough customer who was quite polite as he explained these outrageous tactics of exploitation in cold, calm terms. It was very funny. Roger is despite himself, the most remarkable type of artist because, while not taking himself too seriously, he was able to inspire and nurture other talent in a way that was never envious or difficult - but always generous."
(Demme on Corman): "Roger's contribution to cinema is awesome. He's a wildly gifted, masterful director in complete command of the medium; superb casting, superb camera work and editing, amazing storytelling, and brilliant graphic use of the frame. He's a giant."
(Jack Nicholson on Corman): "They don't make movies like THE TERROR anymore."
This book was as fun as getting loaded with the Hell's Angels while tripping on LSD and going fast and furious with the creature from the haunted last woman on Earth and reading Edgar Allen Poe in a WW1 Red Baron plane! Okay, that's a lot to cram in there - I'm sure I could've worked in while listening to the RAMONES on full blast...
(by the way, an idea of some of the fun anecdotes here - according to Allan Arkush, Corman originally commissioned what became Rock n Roll High School as a *Disco* high school movie, and still thought it was as he had a differently titled script and wasn't there during filming when the title and the band changed, when asked "Why is it not disco anymore," Arkush and company replied, "You can't blow up a high school at the end and it's disco!" I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea)
If you like reading about careers in the cinema this is an excellent ride for the simple fact that, between the man, many films Corman has directed and produced (and while he directed something like 45, almost 50, movies from 1955 to 1971, he also produced something like over *400* in the years since), he's bound to have adventures in filmmaking, and that's what you get here and then some. Corman's saga first-hand is a little like reading Lumet's 'Making Movies', only it's the "B" Side (and I know, I know, he doesn't like being called "Kind of the B's", whatever, it sounds like he's leading a SWARM which is an awesome, cinematic visual as far as leading the charge of independent-minded filmmaking against the usual-numbed masses and stinging some bastards).
I think if a young person (younger than me I mean, though me too I guess as a guy in his 30's) looking to get into filmmaking wants to know what goes into it, this gives a good idea about the simple fact of, generally, two things: 1) you learn on the job, especially when resources are tight and you got to use what you got, and 2) filmmaking is hard but at least it's better than dealing with the money side of things.
Not unlike Corman's movies at his best, his memoir is not something that is any kind of chore to ingest: it's fast, exciting, and unusual in places. If nothing else, as the long quote from Jack Nicholson about working on THE TERROR suggests, this is worth reading if nothing else to learn about what went into the making of THE TERROR, just *one of* the movies Corman shot in two days... or, one should note, almost did this time when he had Karloff for two days and then spent *nine months* getting second unit work from a rotating series of filmmakers who would make names for themselves soon to come: Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, even Nicholson himself got his shot at directing.
What one comes away with is that Corman is... one of the most professional guys who has been in the business, despite (or maybe because in some small way) his low-budgets: he never made a movie that got into the Criterion collection (or,... no, wait, not totally true, movies he picked up like CRIES AND WHISPERS and FANTASTIC PLANET are in there now, I mean ones he directed though), but who cares?
He got good at what he did, and it got to where he could shoot very quickly, while at the same time giving pros like Shelley Winters and Robert De Niro on a movie like BLOODY MAMA the time to get their good preparation shown on film. And at the same time his outsider status was a badge of pride and something that made him a hero... and something that he could never totally shake (in part because, well, what the hell are these big studios doing spending SO much money on over-head when it's not up there to see on the screen, and at the same time in part because, well, he didn't necessarily have the ambition to become a major director on multi-million dollar movies).
Corman's storytelling, along with writer Jim Jerome, is chock-full of great anecdotes, about himself (a couple of stories about his pre-filmmaking days are pivotal to understanding his development into an iconoclast, even to something like a time he got mugged while in the Navy), but also about the people he worked with - and there are COUNTLESS people to mention like Nicholson but also the young up-n-comers he had in the 70s like Joe Dante and Jonathan Demme and Allan Arkush and those women filmmakers he also got to get some movies made (not a lot but, hey, he tried, i.e. STUDENT NURSES and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE have his name - he doesn't mention it in the book but SUBURBIA by Spheeris is another good one).
At the same time it's important to note this book is a fast read in part because it's not all Corman telling his story; this is a little closer to being like 75-80% a Roger Corman memoir, about his highs and (not terrible # of) lows, and then 25-30% an oral history from people he worked with. That actually helps to put some of what Corman says into a greater context of the time, so that you can see what his generosity - and also at times his stinginess and also his stern, no-BS attitude, got as far as collaborators, not to mention as a man who, only once he got in to some bad deals with people who bought New World Pictures in the 80's, never had a legal problem ever).
What keeps it from being an all-time-super-great book, despite all the wonderful stories and all the amazing characters and people he's worked with and the VARIETY of movies he's made (it's easy to underestimate exactly the depth of his taste - as he readily admits the same year of Kurosawa's DERSU UZALA he also released DEATH RACE 2000, or STUDENT NURSES alongside CRIES AND WHISPERS), is that there's just a teeny, tiny bit of hypocrisy to a couple of moments with Corman as a creator.
When he talks about the tough shit he went through with AIP when they started to cut into his films in the 60's and 70's - extraordinary if flawed exploitation epics THE TRIP and GASSS are not fully as he envisioned them as we now see them due to the cuts imposed by the indie studio - one feels sympathy.... but then it's hard a few times to reconcile the fact that he had less than zero mercy when cutting into one of the hallowed bunch who directed THE TERROR, Monte Hellman, on his film COCKFIGHTER, or on other movies.
One might say he was the mogul solely, it wasn't a whole group of people deciding like at AIP, but he also shows no awareness or even recognition of what he had become as someone who was running a studio and owned ALL the films. It's undeniable he gave starts to a great, great many people, and I will love and respect the man forever for that... at the same time, that kind of irked me.
Also, though he eventually in the later part of the book recognizes this part of it, I wondered early on if he would point out the fact that, well, frankly a good number of the movies he made were crap. Of course he made a lot of very good movies - the Poe ones should make him known for real film people forever, nevermind The WILD ANGELS or BUCKET OF BLOOD - but he also churned out movies that, perhaps deservedly do, have been mocked on the likes of MST3K. It's only until later on in the book that he acknowledges that, yeah, I know, I could've gone farther and swung for the fences with the majors or tried for more money for my productions... but I just didn't. By this point I was glad to see some of this introspection, but it comes after a while.
Yet, all the same, these are quibbles ultimately in what is an essential reading for those who want to understand what the history of the 2nd half of the 20th century's independent cinema was about; as people like Cassavetes and George Romero made their marks, Corman carved out a massive piece of movie history by simply, continuously, almost compulsively it would seem, to *make movies*. That's the key to this and the Lumet book, aside from all of the technical advise or things like understanding psychology with actors or doing this or that when it comes to tricks or ideas in the process of it - that if you are constantly trying not just to churn shit out but to also challenge oneself, even just barely, it's bound to result in some fascinating things to show the world.
In other words, Corman is a man of contradictions, foibles, generosity, anger (at times), pride, and awe at the good things in the world.
"On occasion, now and then, he'd make a good movie." - Jack Nicholson
(Roger Corman) "In science-fiction films, the monster should always be bigger than the leading lady."
(Demme on Corman): "Roger's contribution to cinema is awesome. He's a wildly gifted, masterful director in complete command of the medium; superb casting, superb camera work and editing, amazing storytelling, and brilliant graphic use of the frame. He's a giant."
(Jack Nicholson on Corman): "They don't make movies like THE TERROR anymore."
This book was as fun as getting loaded with the Hell's Angels while tripping on LSD and going fast and furious with the creature from the haunted last woman on Earth and reading Edgar Allen Poe in a WW1 Red Baron plane! Okay, that's a lot to cram in there - I'm sure I could've worked in while listening to the RAMONES on full blast...
(by the way, an idea of some of the fun anecdotes here - according to Allan Arkush, Corman originally commissioned what became Rock n Roll High School as a *Disco* high school movie, and still thought it was as he had a differently titled script and wasn't there during filming when the title and the band changed, when asked "Why is it not disco anymore," Arkush and company replied, "You can't blow up a high school at the end and it's disco!" I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea)
If you like reading about careers in the cinema this is an excellent ride for the simple fact that, between the man, many films Corman has directed and produced (and while he directed something like 45, almost 50, movies from 1955 to 1971, he also produced something like over *400* in the years since), he's bound to have adventures in filmmaking, and that's what you get here and then some. Corman's saga first-hand is a little like reading Lumet's 'Making Movies', only it's the "B" Side (and I know, I know, he doesn't like being called "Kind of the B's", whatever, it sounds like he's leading a SWARM which is an awesome, cinematic visual as far as leading the charge of independent-minded filmmaking against the usual-numbed masses and stinging some bastards).
I think if a young person (younger than me I mean, though me too I guess as a guy in his 30's) looking to get into filmmaking wants to know what goes into it, this gives a good idea about the simple fact of, generally, two things: 1) you learn on the job, especially when resources are tight and you got to use what you got, and 2) filmmaking is hard but at least it's better than dealing with the money side of things.
Not unlike Corman's movies at his best, his memoir is not something that is any kind of chore to ingest: it's fast, exciting, and unusual in places. If nothing else, as the long quote from Jack Nicholson about working on THE TERROR suggests, this is worth reading if nothing else to learn about what went into the making of THE TERROR, just *one of* the movies Corman shot in two days... or, one should note, almost did this time when he had Karloff for two days and then spent *nine months* getting second unit work from a rotating series of filmmakers who would make names for themselves soon to come: Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, even Nicholson himself got his shot at directing.
What one comes away with is that Corman is... one of the most professional guys who has been in the business, despite (or maybe because in some small way) his low-budgets: he never made a movie that got into the Criterion collection (or,... no, wait, not totally true, movies he picked up like CRIES AND WHISPERS and FANTASTIC PLANET are in there now, I mean ones he directed though), but who cares?
He got good at what he did, and it got to where he could shoot very quickly, while at the same time giving pros like Shelley Winters and Robert De Niro on a movie like BLOODY MAMA the time to get their good preparation shown on film. And at the same time his outsider status was a badge of pride and something that made him a hero... and something that he could never totally shake (in part because, well, what the hell are these big studios doing spending SO much money on over-head when it's not up there to see on the screen, and at the same time in part because, well, he didn't necessarily have the ambition to become a major director on multi-million dollar movies).
Corman's storytelling, along with writer Jim Jerome, is chock-full of great anecdotes, about himself (a couple of stories about his pre-filmmaking days are pivotal to understanding his development into an iconoclast, even to something like a time he got mugged while in the Navy), but also about the people he worked with - and there are COUNTLESS people to mention like Nicholson but also the young up-n-comers he had in the 70s like Joe Dante and Jonathan Demme and Allan Arkush and those women filmmakers he also got to get some movies made (not a lot but, hey, he tried, i.e. STUDENT NURSES and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE have his name - he doesn't mention it in the book but SUBURBIA by Spheeris is another good one).
At the same time it's important to note this book is a fast read in part because it's not all Corman telling his story; this is a little closer to being like 75-80% a Roger Corman memoir, about his highs and (not terrible # of) lows, and then 25-30% an oral history from people he worked with. That actually helps to put some of what Corman says into a greater context of the time, so that you can see what his generosity - and also at times his stinginess and also his stern, no-BS attitude, got as far as collaborators, not to mention as a man who, only once he got in to some bad deals with people who bought New World Pictures in the 80's, never had a legal problem ever).
What keeps it from being an all-time-super-great book, despite all the wonderful stories and all the amazing characters and people he's worked with and the VARIETY of movies he's made (it's easy to underestimate exactly the depth of his taste - as he readily admits the same year of Kurosawa's DERSU UZALA he also released DEATH RACE 2000, or STUDENT NURSES alongside CRIES AND WHISPERS), is that there's just a teeny, tiny bit of hypocrisy to a couple of moments with Corman as a creator.
When he talks about the tough shit he went through with AIP when they started to cut into his films in the 60's and 70's - extraordinary if flawed exploitation epics THE TRIP and GASSS are not fully as he envisioned them as we now see them due to the cuts imposed by the indie studio - one feels sympathy.... but then it's hard a few times to reconcile the fact that he had less than zero mercy when cutting into one of the hallowed bunch who directed THE TERROR, Monte Hellman, on his film COCKFIGHTER, or on other movies.
One might say he was the mogul solely, it wasn't a whole group of people deciding like at AIP, but he also shows no awareness or even recognition of what he had become as someone who was running a studio and owned ALL the films. It's undeniable he gave starts to a great, great many people, and I will love and respect the man forever for that... at the same time, that kind of irked me.
Also, though he eventually in the later part of the book recognizes this part of it, I wondered early on if he would point out the fact that, well, frankly a good number of the movies he made were crap. Of course he made a lot of very good movies - the Poe ones should make him known for real film people forever, nevermind The WILD ANGELS or BUCKET OF BLOOD - but he also churned out movies that, perhaps deservedly do, have been mocked on the likes of MST3K. It's only until later on in the book that he acknowledges that, yeah, I know, I could've gone farther and swung for the fences with the majors or tried for more money for my productions... but I just didn't. By this point I was glad to see some of this introspection, but it comes after a while.
Yet, all the same, these are quibbles ultimately in what is an essential reading for those who want to understand what the history of the 2nd half of the 20th century's independent cinema was about; as people like Cassavetes and George Romero made their marks, Corman carved out a massive piece of movie history by simply, continuously, almost compulsively it would seem, to *make movies*. That's the key to this and the Lumet book, aside from all of the technical advise or things like understanding psychology with actors or doing this or that when it comes to tricks or ideas in the process of it - that if you are constantly trying not just to churn shit out but to also challenge oneself, even just barely, it's bound to result in some fascinating things to show the world.
In other words, Corman is a man of contradictions, foibles, generosity, anger (at times), pride, and awe at the good things in the world.
"On occasion, now and then, he'd make a good movie." - Jack Nicholson
(Roger Corman) "In science-fiction films, the monster should always be bigger than the leading lady."
May 25, 2023
"[...] a small band of efficient, dedicate, highly trained warriors could defeat any number of rabble. That's my theory of filmmaking."
Cuando empecé mi cuenta de Letterboxd hace cuatro años decidí escribir mis reseñas en inglés porque todas las cuentas que seguía lo hacían así y era una buena oportunidad para practicar el idioma. Aquí quiero hacer lo contrario, divagar libremente. Solo yo y quizás otras dos almas lean lo que escribo así que no es necesario hacer pasar todos mis pensamientos por un filtro extra.
Siento que en el momento en que escogí leer a Roger Corman por encima del Martirologio de Tarkovsky sellé mi destino, y quiero pensar que es uno bueno.
No fue hasta ahora, al terminar el libro y darle vuelta a la última página, que ví la fecha de impresión y recordé que hace exactamente un año lo había ordenado por Amazon como auto-regalo de cumpleaños.
Coincidentemente apenas hoy también caí en la cuenta de que estoy a una semana de cumplir los 21 (y probablemente pase mi cumpleaños encerrado en una cabina de sonido, no del todo malo, al menos estaré haciendo cine) pero no pude evitar pensar en todo lo que ha pasado entre que ordené este libro y me decidí a leerlo, y todo lo que necesito que suceda en los años por venir. Sam Raimi hizo su primera película a los 21, Roger Corman su incursión en el cine a la misma edad. No es que quiera copiar o comparar mi vida con la de ellos ni nada por el estilo, este es el libro de Sergio Alatorre y de nadie más, pero aún así la vida real a menudo sigue convenciones y líneas narrativas similares sin que te des cuenta ¿Podrá la mía haber llegado a ese punto? ¿Cuánto más falta?
Por los últimos tres años siento que mi vida se mantuvo en pausa y apenas ahora, quizás por la presión de entrar en mis 20's y la necesidad de moverme hacia adelante, es que apenas pude ponerla en marcha (no de vuelta, realmente se siente como si fuera la primera vez que avanza) y salir del Status Quo en el que estuve encerrado por muchos más años. Dudo que se note en el exterior, quizás es algo que solo yo puedo notar pero por ahora es más que suficiente, cerrar viejos ciclos, empezar cosas nuevas, vencer muchos de los miedos que han estado conmigo toda mi vida no es algo que pueda esperar a que los demás noten.
Pero tan solo hoy finalmente terminé mis tareas con el primer corto que dirijo de manera oficial, me registré como voluntario del festival de cine al que quería inscribirme desde hace un año y con este libro cumplí el pequeño sueño que tenía desde enero de irme a la biblioteca a la que siempre había querido entrar y darme un tiempo para olvidarme del mundo y simplemente leer, como no lo hacía en un buen rato, hasta terminarlo. Como lo he hecho desde que el año empezó, seguir mis impulsos y escuchar las mariposas en mi estómago ha rendido buenos frutos y me ha acercado más a la versión de mí que quiero ser... y en parte ¿No es de eso de lo que trata este libro?
Matemáticamente hablando mis 20's no empiezan oficialmente hasta dentro de una semana. Así que me gustaría pensar que escoger este libro como aquel que marque el antes y el después es un buen augurio para guiar la década que me aguarda a la vuelta de la esquina. Después de todo soy el loquito al que le gusta encontrar significado en todo, más me vale encontrar uno bueno.
"Hace mucho tiempo, cuando en este país el cine era tan solo un bebé de brazos, un hombre se rebeló al grito de Tierra y Libertad. Ahora lo que necesitamos es unirnos bajo una llamada a la acción que diga Cine y Libertad"
Eso fue lo único que escribí hace dos años, cuando tuve la idea de escribir un manifiesto para poder hacer las películas que soñaba con dirigir sin atenerme a nadie, antes de que lo terminara olvidando. Tuve que conocer a una persona genial, tener una función de Evil Dead con ella y leer a Roger Corman para que me lo recordaran y recuperase la añoranza por hacer el cine que parece siempre se esfuerzan en arrebatarnos antes siquiera de que podamos tocarlo con las yemas de los dedos.
Últimamente siento que repito demasiado que todo está llegando en el momento correcto, pero es porque genuinamente siento que por primera vez, todo lo está haciendo. Esos tres puntos, que hasta cierto nivel son sinónimos, lo han hecho por muchas razones.
Desde hace un buen tiempo, Roger Corman ha tenido un lugar especial entre mi cineastas favoritos. Incluso llegué a defender su nombre en mi ensayo final hace dos años mientras todos los demás se la pasaban hablando de neorrealismo y cine francés.
No hay otro representante del cine independiente, salvaje y rebelde que admiro tanto mejor que él, tan solo pensar en lo que su cine representa es una inyección de adrenalina que me hace querer levantarme del sillón, formar un crew con las primeras cinco personas que encuentre y grabar algo allí mismo. Más que un ídolo, se ha convertido en un estandarte del cine al que me quiero consagrar y me gusta pensar que indirectamente, ahora que finalmente he leído este libro, me pueda convertir en otro miembro honorario de la Escuela de Roger Corman.
Leer su carrera entera desde sus inicios es una oportunidad única. Mis pasajes favoritos son los que involucran como fue trabajar con Vincent Prince en el ciclo de Poe, las veces en que decidió grabar de la nada La Tiendita de los Horrores y The Terror en dos días sólo para no desperdiciar los sets que había disponibles, o la vez en que Julie Corman, antes de ser su mujer, piloteo un avión para salvar una de las escenas en su última película. Hasta yo sentí maripositas.
Leerlo y darme cuenta de lo mucho que sin siquiera saberlo tengo en común con el en mi forma de trabajar y de concebir el cine es una revelación que aprecio demasiado porque es la última confirmación que necesitaba para saber que no estoy equivocado, que hacerle caso a esos impulsos y a lo que creo es el camino correcto y tengo que dejar de inhibirme y limitarme a lo que los demás digan que es correcto.
Que para hacer el cine que quieres no necesitas darle tantas vueltas al asunto ni hundirte por años en cinco mil carpetas del mismo guion, que la práctica es la mejor maestra y que inmortalizar en pantalla todos tus intentos y fracasos es lo que te hará mejorar. Ponerte en la posición donde tienes que sacar las cosas adelante porque no tienes otra opción.
Aunque también es triste leerlo lamentarse de nunca haber dado el siguiente paso hacia las ligas mayores y no seguir dirigiendo lo que su instinto de artista le decía. Yo nunca lo clasificare como el rey de la serie B, pero el resto del mundo sí. También hay algo que aprender ahí, tratar de mantener un balance. Cómo alguien que siempre se ha sentido atrapado entre dos tipos de cine y que quiere desempeñarse en ambos creo que puedo entenderlo.
Cada pasaje subrayado en este libro (que leyéndolo, no es ningún secreto que es como si la escuchara hablar a ella) podría vaciarse en un documento de Word y ser el manifiesto que tanto buscaba, porque dejando de lado la explotación laboral, esto es todo de lo quiero que mi cine esté hecho y cómo lo quiero hacer, manteniéndome siempre fiel a mis ideales. Desde la introducción supe que esta iba a ser la Biblia sobre la que construiríamos Cine y Libertad y habiéndolo terminado se que no estaba equivocado, los cimientos ya están puestos.
Este no es solo el primer libro que leo completamente en inglés, sino también el primer libro de no ficción con el que termino encantado. Siento que ahora esta clase de autobiografías relacionadas al cine se pueden convertir en mis libros de autoayuda (ya tengo más en la mira), pero mientras no me vendan formulas mágicas para el éxito entonces todo bien.
Estando tan ocupado estos últimos meses, siento que ha diferencia de la ficción puedo dejar un libro así por unas semanas y después retomarlo sin ningún problema, así que probablemente lea más cosas como esta de ahora en adelante.
Con este libro también fui por primera vez el loquito que va caminando por la calle leyendo un libro en la mano, se ensucio de tierra conmigo y me acompañó a comprar fertilizante... y es también el primer libro en mi vida al que no me importa maltratar, doblar y subrayar.
Es más, siento que hasta lo hice a propósito, sencillamente porque quiero que cada vez que lo vea me recuerde cómo me estaba sintiendo, lo que estaba sucediendo en mi vida mientras lo leía y las mariposas en el estómago que me hizo sentir mientras me acercaba a las últimas páginas, DIOS SANTO YO ODIO LA PRODUCCIÓN PERO LEER A ROGER CORMAN ME HACE SENTIR QUE HASTA YO PUEDO SER UN BUEN PRODUCTOR
Odio a Stanley Kubrick pero siempre recuerdo las fotos que encuentras en internet de su ejemplar de El Resplandor repletas de notas y de ideas escritas a mano a medida que lo leía. Desde ahora quiero que mis libros se vean así. Quiero que sean una parte de mí tanto como lo son las historias que escribo.
Espero que algún día, de ser posible dentro de no mucho tiempo, las frases subrayadas en color naranja, las ideas escritas a la carrera, las páginas dobladas, la mancha de chasca y las firmas escritas en la primera página cobren un sentido mayor para aquel que tenga el libro entre sus manos, como la semilla de algo por lo que valió la pena luchar.
Y ahora me doy cuenta que todo en español suena más cursi...
Cuando empecé mi cuenta de Letterboxd hace cuatro años decidí escribir mis reseñas en inglés porque todas las cuentas que seguía lo hacían así y era una buena oportunidad para practicar el idioma. Aquí quiero hacer lo contrario, divagar libremente. Solo yo y quizás otras dos almas lean lo que escribo así que no es necesario hacer pasar todos mis pensamientos por un filtro extra.
Siento que en el momento en que escogí leer a Roger Corman por encima del Martirologio de Tarkovsky sellé mi destino, y quiero pensar que es uno bueno.
No fue hasta ahora, al terminar el libro y darle vuelta a la última página, que ví la fecha de impresión y recordé que hace exactamente un año lo había ordenado por Amazon como auto-regalo de cumpleaños.
Coincidentemente apenas hoy también caí en la cuenta de que estoy a una semana de cumplir los 21 (y probablemente pase mi cumpleaños encerrado en una cabina de sonido, no del todo malo, al menos estaré haciendo cine) pero no pude evitar pensar en todo lo que ha pasado entre que ordené este libro y me decidí a leerlo, y todo lo que necesito que suceda en los años por venir. Sam Raimi hizo su primera película a los 21, Roger Corman su incursión en el cine a la misma edad. No es que quiera copiar o comparar mi vida con la de ellos ni nada por el estilo, este es el libro de Sergio Alatorre y de nadie más, pero aún así la vida real a menudo sigue convenciones y líneas narrativas similares sin que te des cuenta ¿Podrá la mía haber llegado a ese punto? ¿Cuánto más falta?
Por los últimos tres años siento que mi vida se mantuvo en pausa y apenas ahora, quizás por la presión de entrar en mis 20's y la necesidad de moverme hacia adelante, es que apenas pude ponerla en marcha (no de vuelta, realmente se siente como si fuera la primera vez que avanza) y salir del Status Quo en el que estuve encerrado por muchos más años. Dudo que se note en el exterior, quizás es algo que solo yo puedo notar pero por ahora es más que suficiente, cerrar viejos ciclos, empezar cosas nuevas, vencer muchos de los miedos que han estado conmigo toda mi vida no es algo que pueda esperar a que los demás noten.
Pero tan solo hoy finalmente terminé mis tareas con el primer corto que dirijo de manera oficial, me registré como voluntario del festival de cine al que quería inscribirme desde hace un año y con este libro cumplí el pequeño sueño que tenía desde enero de irme a la biblioteca a la que siempre había querido entrar y darme un tiempo para olvidarme del mundo y simplemente leer, como no lo hacía en un buen rato, hasta terminarlo. Como lo he hecho desde que el año empezó, seguir mis impulsos y escuchar las mariposas en mi estómago ha rendido buenos frutos y me ha acercado más a la versión de mí que quiero ser... y en parte ¿No es de eso de lo que trata este libro?
Matemáticamente hablando mis 20's no empiezan oficialmente hasta dentro de una semana. Así que me gustaría pensar que escoger este libro como aquel que marque el antes y el después es un buen augurio para guiar la década que me aguarda a la vuelta de la esquina. Después de todo soy el loquito al que le gusta encontrar significado en todo, más me vale encontrar uno bueno.
"Hace mucho tiempo, cuando en este país el cine era tan solo un bebé de brazos, un hombre se rebeló al grito de Tierra y Libertad. Ahora lo que necesitamos es unirnos bajo una llamada a la acción que diga Cine y Libertad"
Eso fue lo único que escribí hace dos años, cuando tuve la idea de escribir un manifiesto para poder hacer las películas que soñaba con dirigir sin atenerme a nadie, antes de que lo terminara olvidando. Tuve que conocer a una persona genial, tener una función de Evil Dead con ella y leer a Roger Corman para que me lo recordaran y recuperase la añoranza por hacer el cine que parece siempre se esfuerzan en arrebatarnos antes siquiera de que podamos tocarlo con las yemas de los dedos.
Últimamente siento que repito demasiado que todo está llegando en el momento correcto, pero es porque genuinamente siento que por primera vez, todo lo está haciendo. Esos tres puntos, que hasta cierto nivel son sinónimos, lo han hecho por muchas razones.
Desde hace un buen tiempo, Roger Corman ha tenido un lugar especial entre mi cineastas favoritos. Incluso llegué a defender su nombre en mi ensayo final hace dos años mientras todos los demás se la pasaban hablando de neorrealismo y cine francés.
No hay otro representante del cine independiente, salvaje y rebelde que admiro tanto mejor que él, tan solo pensar en lo que su cine representa es una inyección de adrenalina que me hace querer levantarme del sillón, formar un crew con las primeras cinco personas que encuentre y grabar algo allí mismo. Más que un ídolo, se ha convertido en un estandarte del cine al que me quiero consagrar y me gusta pensar que indirectamente, ahora que finalmente he leído este libro, me pueda convertir en otro miembro honorario de la Escuela de Roger Corman.
Leer su carrera entera desde sus inicios es una oportunidad única. Mis pasajes favoritos son los que involucran como fue trabajar con Vincent Prince en el ciclo de Poe, las veces en que decidió grabar de la nada La Tiendita de los Horrores y The Terror en dos días sólo para no desperdiciar los sets que había disponibles, o la vez en que Julie Corman, antes de ser su mujer, piloteo un avión para salvar una de las escenas en su última película. Hasta yo sentí maripositas.
Leerlo y darme cuenta de lo mucho que sin siquiera saberlo tengo en común con el en mi forma de trabajar y de concebir el cine es una revelación que aprecio demasiado porque es la última confirmación que necesitaba para saber que no estoy equivocado, que hacerle caso a esos impulsos y a lo que creo es el camino correcto y tengo que dejar de inhibirme y limitarme a lo que los demás digan que es correcto.
Que para hacer el cine que quieres no necesitas darle tantas vueltas al asunto ni hundirte por años en cinco mil carpetas del mismo guion, que la práctica es la mejor maestra y que inmortalizar en pantalla todos tus intentos y fracasos es lo que te hará mejorar. Ponerte en la posición donde tienes que sacar las cosas adelante porque no tienes otra opción.
Aunque también es triste leerlo lamentarse de nunca haber dado el siguiente paso hacia las ligas mayores y no seguir dirigiendo lo que su instinto de artista le decía. Yo nunca lo clasificare como el rey de la serie B, pero el resto del mundo sí. También hay algo que aprender ahí, tratar de mantener un balance. Cómo alguien que siempre se ha sentido atrapado entre dos tipos de cine y que quiere desempeñarse en ambos creo que puedo entenderlo.
Cada pasaje subrayado en este libro (que leyéndolo, no es ningún secreto que es como si la escuchara hablar a ella) podría vaciarse en un documento de Word y ser el manifiesto que tanto buscaba, porque dejando de lado la explotación laboral, esto es todo de lo quiero que mi cine esté hecho y cómo lo quiero hacer, manteniéndome siempre fiel a mis ideales. Desde la introducción supe que esta iba a ser la Biblia sobre la que construiríamos Cine y Libertad y habiéndolo terminado se que no estaba equivocado, los cimientos ya están puestos.
Este no es solo el primer libro que leo completamente en inglés, sino también el primer libro de no ficción con el que termino encantado. Siento que ahora esta clase de autobiografías relacionadas al cine se pueden convertir en mis libros de autoayuda (ya tengo más en la mira), pero mientras no me vendan formulas mágicas para el éxito entonces todo bien.
Estando tan ocupado estos últimos meses, siento que ha diferencia de la ficción puedo dejar un libro así por unas semanas y después retomarlo sin ningún problema, así que probablemente lea más cosas como esta de ahora en adelante.
Con este libro también fui por primera vez el loquito que va caminando por la calle leyendo un libro en la mano, se ensucio de tierra conmigo y me acompañó a comprar fertilizante... y es también el primer libro en mi vida al que no me importa maltratar, doblar y subrayar.
Es más, siento que hasta lo hice a propósito, sencillamente porque quiero que cada vez que lo vea me recuerde cómo me estaba sintiendo, lo que estaba sucediendo en mi vida mientras lo leía y las mariposas en el estómago que me hizo sentir mientras me acercaba a las últimas páginas, DIOS SANTO YO ODIO LA PRODUCCIÓN PERO LEER A ROGER CORMAN ME HACE SENTIR QUE HASTA YO PUEDO SER UN BUEN PRODUCTOR
Odio a Stanley Kubrick pero siempre recuerdo las fotos que encuentras en internet de su ejemplar de El Resplandor repletas de notas y de ideas escritas a mano a medida que lo leía. Desde ahora quiero que mis libros se vean así. Quiero que sean una parte de mí tanto como lo son las historias que escribo.
Espero que algún día, de ser posible dentro de no mucho tiempo, las frases subrayadas en color naranja, las ideas escritas a la carrera, las páginas dobladas, la mancha de chasca y las firmas escritas en la primera página cobren un sentido mayor para aquel que tenga el libro entre sus manos, como la semilla de algo por lo que valió la pena luchar.
Y ahora me doy cuenta que todo en español suena más cursi...
November 5, 2022
A most enjoyable tour through Corman's long career in film. With engaging & insightful commentary from many of the people who worked with him, most of whom credit him with their early breaks - Jack Nicholson, Francis Coppola, Bruce Dern, Peter Bogdanovitch, William Shatner, Joe Dante, Johnathan Demme, Ron Howard. For film buffs, particularly those old enough to remember the 60s & 70s.
September 1, 2015
Now that was entertaining! Corman is probably the most influential American filmmaker since D.W. Griffith, by his own considerable body of eccentric direction and production and by virtue of providing the launchpad for many of the major talents of late 20th Century movie making. This book is a series of anecdotes, more or less sequential, by Corman and many of the people who worked for him. The effect is closer to reading segments of interviews than to reading an actual memoir but it still paints a fine picture of a unique career. And he's still out there, making Sharktopus films, 25 years after this was written....
October 21, 2009
Roger Corman is a fascinating personality. He directed and produced controversial movies and bent the rules for the sake of making money, but also for the sake of making a statement about the world as he viewed it.
The one trait I admired most about him was his willingness to let young people prove themselves and to learn under his guidance. It is important to remember that many of those celebrities we take for granted as being rich and famous are only that way because they were given a chance at one point in their life.
The one trait I admired most about him was his willingness to let young people prove themselves and to learn under his guidance. It is important to remember that many of those celebrities we take for granted as being rich and famous are only that way because they were given a chance at one point in their life.
July 26, 2012
Corman's autobio is pretty honest and thoroughly entertaining. He goes into a lot of detail about the nature of maverick indy filmmaking back when the technology did not exist that enables much of it today. Corman writes more like a businessman than a filmmaker, although he sometimes discusses the aesthetic quality of the films he produced & directed - but more often then not, it's about what it took to get the stuff made, marketed & distributed. In other words, it's a great window into the workings of a movie producer's mindset.
May 31, 2017
Interesting perspective into Roger Corman's career and how it intersects with the film industry at large; to hear him tell it he's pretty much responsible for all the careers of all the interesting directors and actors of the 70s, they all got their start on Corman pictures.
I admired his economical writing style (probably due in some part to his cowriter) and the backstory for all the Corman movies (of which I am a fan) was fun and interesting. The later chapters are a little draggy after he left directing (which he clearly regrets). Overall a nice companion volume to his pictures.
I admired his economical writing style (probably due in some part to his cowriter) and the backstory for all the Corman movies (of which I am a fan) was fun and interesting. The later chapters are a little draggy after he left directing (which he clearly regrets). Overall a nice companion volume to his pictures.
February 26, 2018
Book is good and informative to an extent. It written in a clear style with strong simple sentences, economical as per his style. Corman is known for making quick, inexpensive movies that entertain. As a writer I was hoping he'd go into more detail on exactly how he accomplished this. You get a little of his philosophy but not enough. I lost interest in the final chapters as he handed off projects to others and did less directing himself. I rate it a good book if you're interested in an uncomplicated semi-biography but I didn't glean any helpful techniques from it.
March 20, 2008
Who needs expensive sets or believable special effects? Just film it fast and keep moving! It may not be good, but it won't be boring. I actually enjoy many of Corman's movies, especially the ones with Vincent Price. If you love cheesy old horror movies, or want to know where Jack Nicholson got his start, this is a fun look at the B movie industry before it went straight to video.
March 29, 2023
I generally don't gravitate toward memoirs, but somehow whenever low-budget filmmaking is involved, my interest piques considerably and Roger Corman is certainly the most versed human alive on that topic so this book held appeal. While Corman is largely known for B-Movies (a term he disdains being applied to him since none of his films were technically B-Movies in the original sense of being the second half of a double-feature), it's fascinating just how much acclaimed talent has sprung from the "Corman School" of filmmaking, and you get to read about the origins of guys like Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorcese, James Cameron, etc, and their start with Corman. This isn't an exercise in namedropping either, they're all a part of Corman's own story and the tapestry of connections and names who help him through his film productions and wear a number of different hats is deeply fascinating to read about as Corman takes you through his filmography.
Corman is known for his efficient, straightforward techniques and that ethos certainly applies to the book as well. The book is an easy, to-the-point read and I appreciated the almost mechanical precision with which Corman recounts the workings of his empire. I loved the blow-by-blow plays early on of how he did so many of his early films in as short as a week, sometimes even faster, how he would use and re-use things built for one picture to get rolling on another almost immediately. While his films might be cheap and aren't always high art, you can't accuse this man of being lazy.
While Corman does have an eye for the artistic, and indeed prides himself on gradually working toward more respectable films as he got more of a foothold, his theories on the visual artistry of filmmaking are generally only commented on in interview blurbs from his co-conspirators. These are entertaining and give you more insight into things like Corman's thoughts on shot angles, pacing, what a good story needs, and some fun anecdotes, but Corman's own narration is pretty strictly to the production side of things, which is perhaps just as well since that's what he knows best.
I would love to read a follow-up on what he's been up to in the time since this book's publication. I didn't actually consider when this was written until I got to a part where Corman mentioned offering to help produce a script called Vampire's Kiss which, "never got made", except Vampire's Kiss did get made and it's one of the greatest Nicolas Cage movies of all time and a pretty clear inspiration for other classics such as American Psycho, so clearly the Corman school lives on. All in all, I walked away with a new appreciation for a man who's much, much more important than the films he's most known for would probably let on, who gave people a chance who might not have otherwise had one, and managed to find success outside the usual system.
Corman is known for his efficient, straightforward techniques and that ethos certainly applies to the book as well. The book is an easy, to-the-point read and I appreciated the almost mechanical precision with which Corman recounts the workings of his empire. I loved the blow-by-blow plays early on of how he did so many of his early films in as short as a week, sometimes even faster, how he would use and re-use things built for one picture to get rolling on another almost immediately. While his films might be cheap and aren't always high art, you can't accuse this man of being lazy.
While Corman does have an eye for the artistic, and indeed prides himself on gradually working toward more respectable films as he got more of a foothold, his theories on the visual artistry of filmmaking are generally only commented on in interview blurbs from his co-conspirators. These are entertaining and give you more insight into things like Corman's thoughts on shot angles, pacing, what a good story needs, and some fun anecdotes, but Corman's own narration is pretty strictly to the production side of things, which is perhaps just as well since that's what he knows best.
I would love to read a follow-up on what he's been up to in the time since this book's publication. I didn't actually consider when this was written until I got to a part where Corman mentioned offering to help produce a script called Vampire's Kiss which, "never got made", except Vampire's Kiss did get made and it's one of the greatest Nicolas Cage movies of all time and a pretty clear inspiration for other classics such as American Psycho, so clearly the Corman school lives on. All in all, I walked away with a new appreciation for a man who's much, much more important than the films he's most known for would probably let on, who gave people a chance who might not have otherwise had one, and managed to find success outside the usual system.
January 18, 2026
“One other thing I remember about The Raven was that the raven we used shit endlessly over everybody and everything. It just shit endlessly. My whole right shoulder was constantly covered with raven shit.” - Jack Nicholson
“We tried to get the majors to release it instead of AlP. Roger said we could call it Targets if it got released by a major and Blood and Candy if AlP got it. No one wanted it, so I called Arthur Knight, the critic, who taught a film course at USC. I said, "Do me a favor. Let me invite a critic from Variety and run the film for you. If you guys like it, would you review it and say we don't have a distributor? And if you don't like it, don't review it?" Arthur agreed. Both critics liked it. The story went that Bob Evans circled the review and sent it on to Charlie Bludhorn, then head of Paramount. Paramount bought it.” - Peter Bogdanovich
“Roger did what the great directors all do. He rehearsed quite a bit. then he'd get a take right away. That way, you can't plan anything and you get a spontaneous quality to it. If an actor sees a director look at his watch, he's dead. A director must never look at his watch. You think, “I’m not going fast enough, he's bored." Roger never did that. We were never aware of Roger. I knew he did his movies fast but I was never pressured. We rushed in between scenes. But he knew instinctively that what went on behind the camera was as important as in front. The atmosphere you create shows up on-screen or onstage. Hoger created a relaxed comradely situation.” - Shelley Winters
Roger had a way of setting his mind to doing something and finishing it. He’d start shooting with unfinished scripts. Put up his money to make a picture. Steal shots in (sometimes dangerous) exterior locations. Swap interiors for said exteriors and change the dialogue to justify the move. He’d reuse sets from his movies. Others movies. He’d find stories that were complete and adapt them to film (e.g. his Edgar Allen Poe films). And he didn’t obsess over continuity. He just made it work. He’s known as the King of the B Movies, but I think he should be known as the King of Getting Movies made independently. Or better yet, the King of Independent Film. It’s incredible the talent that walked through his doors in the sunrise and twilight of their careers. Vincent Price, Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Williams Shatner. Just to name a few.
This book was not an easy read. It’s highly tangential and stops to get various accounts from quotable sources there during the filming days Roger recounts, but there’s some good nuggets and motivational repetitiveness to it. Without hammering what one should do to make movies, it explains how to pivot in trying situations.
There are also some useful nuggets about the business behind independent film.
“We tried to get the majors to release it instead of AlP. Roger said we could call it Targets if it got released by a major and Blood and Candy if AlP got it. No one wanted it, so I called Arthur Knight, the critic, who taught a film course at USC. I said, "Do me a favor. Let me invite a critic from Variety and run the film for you. If you guys like it, would you review it and say we don't have a distributor? And if you don't like it, don't review it?" Arthur agreed. Both critics liked it. The story went that Bob Evans circled the review and sent it on to Charlie Bludhorn, then head of Paramount. Paramount bought it.” - Peter Bogdanovich
“Roger did what the great directors all do. He rehearsed quite a bit. then he'd get a take right away. That way, you can't plan anything and you get a spontaneous quality to it. If an actor sees a director look at his watch, he's dead. A director must never look at his watch. You think, “I’m not going fast enough, he's bored." Roger never did that. We were never aware of Roger. I knew he did his movies fast but I was never pressured. We rushed in between scenes. But he knew instinctively that what went on behind the camera was as important as in front. The atmosphere you create shows up on-screen or onstage. Hoger created a relaxed comradely situation.” - Shelley Winters
Roger had a way of setting his mind to doing something and finishing it. He’d start shooting with unfinished scripts. Put up his money to make a picture. Steal shots in (sometimes dangerous) exterior locations. Swap interiors for said exteriors and change the dialogue to justify the move. He’d reuse sets from his movies. Others movies. He’d find stories that were complete and adapt them to film (e.g. his Edgar Allen Poe films). And he didn’t obsess over continuity. He just made it work. He’s known as the King of the B Movies, but I think he should be known as the King of Getting Movies made independently. Or better yet, the King of Independent Film. It’s incredible the talent that walked through his doors in the sunrise and twilight of their careers. Vincent Price, Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Williams Shatner. Just to name a few.
This book was not an easy read. It’s highly tangential and stops to get various accounts from quotable sources there during the filming days Roger recounts, but there’s some good nuggets and motivational repetitiveness to it. Without hammering what one should do to make movies, it explains how to pivot in trying situations.
There are also some useful nuggets about the business behind independent film.
October 14, 2023
Roger Corman (currently aged 97) became well-known for his mastery of the low budget film and his entrepreneurial success in launching his own production and distribution companies. This book details his working methods and essentially his life story with a run-through of his most famous films (such as his lauded Edgar Allan Poe series, starring Vincent Price, in the 1960s). Although ghost written, Corman's self-deprecating, frank, and generous personality shows through. Interspersed throughout each chapter are comments from the many people he worked with, including famous actors and directors who got their start working for Roger (such as Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Peter Fonda, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme) and others (such as his wife Julie and famous actors like Shelley Winters and an array of technical crew) who worked with him that flesh out the picture of who he was and how he worked. Although ultimately he felt that he missed an opportunity to direct art house cinema and become a fully appreciated auteur, you can't help but marvel at the successes he did have. The title of the book says it all.
July 17, 2022
I’m not a filmmaker but I am a creative person and I loved Corman’s description of how he got things done economically and efficiently. It was fun to read about the AIP Poe pictures especially- noticed long ago while watching these movies in triple features that many of the sets, props and actual sets were reused again and again. Coleman addresses that in his book.
I’ve not seen all of his pictures but I was surprised at how many I had seen. It was fascinating to learn about went on behind the scenes.
It was also enlightening and somewhat comforting to know that someone who has accomplished so much still has that niggling self-doubt at the end of the day.
Wow. A great and inspiring read for any creative person who needs a kick in the pants!
I’ve not seen all of his pictures but I was surprised at how many I had seen. It was fascinating to learn about went on behind the scenes.
It was also enlightening and somewhat comforting to know that someone who has accomplished so much still has that niggling self-doubt at the end of the day.
Wow. A great and inspiring read for any creative person who needs a kick in the pants!
July 27, 2019
I was shocked, SHOCKED, that I had never read this before. I had been under the assumption it was fluffy regurgitations of the stories Cormanheads have heard a thousand times, but I found it was a fascinating look into the nitty-gritting of filmmaking and financing, that's rarely present it the thousandth regurgitation of stories like 'And then Peter Bogdanovich got beat up by biker' The decision to intersperse the text with musings by his collaborators, uncensored and frank, was a great way to spice up the text.
February 22, 2024
How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood by Roger Corman is a blast for low-budget and horror enthusiasts, as well as anyone with a dream. Corman's memoir is filled with fun backstories behind some of my favorite genre films, showcasing his creativity and determination. The amount. Of Hollywood greats that he has worked with and got started is outstanding. He's truly one of a kind, and his legacy will continue to inspire filmmakers for generations to come.
March 16, 2024
In this fascinating book Roger Corman tells his incredible story. Why he made all those unforgettable movies, what inspired him, the authors he worked with, the critics and of course why he succeeded in the end with all his movie projects. You'll find many great black and white photos inside and come across many household name actors like Vincent Price or William Shatner. Great background information and interesting read. Roger Corman is a legend in a class of its own. Really recommended!
July 13, 2020
A truly exceptional person whose contributions to the American and International Film Industries are so often overlooked. He sounds like a demanding, but fair guy. Super original in so many ways. One of a kind. Funny how he thought Rock and Roll High School was going to be Disco High pretty much until it was released. Time to start checking out more of his seminal work!
March 5, 2024
Read it because of QT and a shared love for some of Rogers' work. However, the entire book felt like one of those books that gym chain owners hand out, just a lot of good old stories, mostly about making money. I don't know if Rogers loved film, or loved that he could make money from it while essentially being his own boss.
A Lot of great tidbits for sure.
A Lot of great tidbits for sure.
September 9, 2024
A really interesting read about the movie business packed with fun anecdotes and side chats with some of Roger's famous proteges like Jack Nicholson and Francis Ford Coppola. Everyone seems to have kept a good sense of humor about their endeavors.
Corman comes across as a surprised genius. He mentions his accomplishments with the air of surprise rather than bragging.
Corman comes across as a surprised genius. He mentions his accomplishments with the air of surprise rather than bragging.
August 4, 2019
One of the best memoirs on guerrilla indie hustler cultural production ever. The number of graduates of the Roger Corman School of Film is stunning. Chock full of snippets from all the stars and production people he worked with. Couldn't put it down.
April 11, 2020
Feed me Seymour!!! The man who gave the world the cult classic "Little Shop of Horrors" tells you how he did it. Unlike a lot of books about filmmaking, this is by someone who actually practices what he preaches.
January 10, 2022
Me gustó muchísimo. Realmente no conocía nada sobre Roger Corman pero gracias a este libro pude entender cómo era su proceso de dirección y aún más importante de producción.
Los fragmentos de figuras notables que en el inicio de su carrera trabajaron con él son increíbles.
Los fragmentos de figuras notables que en el inicio de su carrera trabajaron con él son increíbles.
September 4, 2023
Can’t say Corman’s quite the artiste with the pen that he is with the camera (or the production budget) but still gives a nice window into how you can make money by (gasp) spending not-very-much money making movies you think people might want to pay to see.
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