Awesome blog-post by NY Press film critic Matt Zoller Seitz about Roger Corman, in honor of the guy’s 80th birthday. (I never miss his columns anyway in the NY Press and I was really excited to discover – via Steve Silver, that he has a blog!)
One excerpt – but definitely go read the whole thing:
I mean, really, why mince words? Roger Corman is the film production equivalent of a high school cafeteria from hell, a place that might serve, say, sliced turkey breast on Monday, turkey casserole on Tuesday, turkey sandwiches on Wednesday and turkey soup on Thursday, then finish out the week with spaghetti and turkey meatballs, then tell anybody who complained, “What the hell’s your problem? It’s edible, ain’t it?” That, boys and girls, is why he’s survived a half-century in the movie business, and why people who have never seen most of his movies still treat his name as a synonym for the ability to look adversity in the face and say, “Hey, brother — wanna buy some spaceship footage?”
You ever check out his IMDB page… Produced 373 movies!!
Every MST3K fan knows Mr. Corman’s august body of work.
“Joel, today’s movie is a western called ‘Gunslinger.’ It’s from Roger Corman, so your head may explode before Frank’s does.”
But beyond that – I didn’t know MZS had a blog. Unfortunately he wrote some unkind words in the Newark Star-Ledger about American Idol, and I took umbrage – it would be interesting to see him in a different context. Thanks, Sheila.
His weekly Sopranos roundups are superb!!
Also, check out his recent post about great cartoons. He’s a fantastic writer.
Oops – just double-checked. That was not by him – but another writer. Still: SO worthwhile. Another very good writer.
I love Roger Corman. The original Little
Shop of Horrors is one of my all-time favorites.
Ah, Corman…I’ve always had a love/hate thing going with him. But his movies never fail to make me laugh, unintentional or not.
Loved his Frankenstein. When I read the book, I totally missed the part about the talking car. Good thing ol’ Roger was able to clear that up for me.