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Rule breaker. Savvy business man. Trend setter. Lover of the bare female form. Forget Don Draper, legendary director/producer Roger Corman is the original Mad Man. No other man could get actor Jack Nicholson to absolutely weep (albeit from behind a sharp pair of sunglasses) as he describes the profound effect Corman has had on Hollywood and his own illustrious career. Yes, the Nicholson persona cracks and starts crying and, because it is so central to the film itself, you probably will, too. Roger Corman is certifiably The Man.
Corman’s World, a documentary directed by Alex Stapleton, traces Corman’s career in Hollywood and follows him up to his honorary Oscar – a lifetime achievement award – and his current work for Syfy. Along the way, interviews from the many, many, many people Corman has helped provide the portrait of a man. From directors Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme to actors William Shatner and Nicholson, Corman’s career is covered retrospectively with love, humor, and fascinating stories.
Film clips and era facts prove that Corman was way ahead on the teenage fad that soon dominated the 1950s and the counter culture of the 1960s. With films like The Fast & The Furious to The Wild Angels, Corman had his pulse on the needs and wants of the paying public and by the late 1970s had over 200 films produced and only lost money on one of them. Now, that’s brains.
Then, when Hollywood started pumping money and talent into the very type of movies Corman was making, Corman’s World depicts how Corman and his crew survived the blockbusters that have dominated (and ruined?) Hollywood. In every way, Corman faced the challenges – not by spending money – but by making smart business decisions. Unfortunately, the movie skips a bit of the 70s and doesn’t touch on the whole James Cameron-sized Elephant in the room. He’s a bona fide no show for this documentary. Shame, really.
Stapleton has compiled a film that is consistently engaging and visually smart. Choice cuts and some era effects (scratchy film) drop in to give the film a bit of a drive-in look. Interviews are hysterically placed and, from barber shop visits with Bruce Dern to a stroll in the neighborhood with Ron Howard, have great locations that prove to be as interesting and as honest as Stapleton’s clarity in vision. Interviews with Howard and Nicholson make for the bulk of the contributions. The other segments are from Joe Dante, Allan Arkush, Scorsese, Demme, David Carradine, Bill Shatner, Peter Fonda, and Peter Bogdanovich. Everyone is grateful and fun and engaged.
Of course, his career is not without its fair share of losses. Easy Rider was a tough one to lose, but – as documented by the documentary – not as much Corman’s decision as it was the company’s he was pitching to. Nervous about Dennis Hopper, the company balked at the price of production and Corman, refusing to invest in it anymore, suggested his co-patriots Fonda and Nicholson go elsewhere with his blessing. Corman, when it comes to money, draws a firm line in the sand and, to his credit, pretty much doesn’t budge.
Modern movies owe Corman. Hollywood owes him a bigger one. The modern business model of producing a big-budgeted movie is his alone. Stopping at the production of Syfy's Dinoshark, Corman's World proves there's no end to Corman's wild, wild reign. Four hundred (and counting) films into his filmmaking career, Roger Corman shows absolutely no signs of stopping or even considering the notion of retiring. He’s having too much fun and it shows.
Now, that’s a rebel.
MPAA Rating: R.
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