Roger Corman Won An Oscar The Other Night...

Corman still rules.

If you're mediocre at something for a REALLY long time, that doesn't mean you eventually became good at it by dint of endurance.

you're dead inside already

...chopping mall is awesome!

He deserves it for the Price/Poe stuff alone. Those flicks were the total package (even if not always very faithful to the source). Titles, scores, sets, costumes... and the dream sequences were fuckin' art!

...no coverage of this whatsoever! surely they should have launched this event a bit bigger no? well done to roger though, totally deserved. was dick miller there? leeeeeeegend!!!

Humanoids From the Deep. Classic.

Ed Wood's wiser older brother!

One of the few Corman's I actually bought on DVD (cheap).

Mostly because I didn't want to turn this into a David Thomson entry. I should've mentioned, though, that I saw the original NOT OF THIS EARTH projected at the New Bev earlier this year. There's a no-budget wonder for ya. Probably my fave of the '50s films.

I should've also thrown a little love MACHINE GUN KELLY's way. Harry kicked off BNAT with that back in... '03, I think. Really nice, surprisingly vulnerable Charles Bronson performance in that one.

As for the tool on the other site who compared him to Uwe Boll... Boll isn't fit to wipe Corman's butt.

after Terminator.

TELL ME WHY!!!! I. Neeeeeeeeeed. Toooooooooo. Sleeeeeep!!

Sorry, Womb2dooM. Asterisk gone. I think it had to do with THE TERMINATOR not being a Corman-produced film.

Turns out lack of sleep from re-imagining the too-shiny-not-to-be-unrested-dead renee zellweger from last years oscars. Still your fault you arcadian rhythm rapist!

Still WAY better than the best parts of Tim Story's two attempts put together.

Nice to see mention of ANDROID, I remember that from my cable days...Corman School of Filmmaking gave us lots of greats! He deserves the Oscar and it's long overdue.

Top horror movie that one. I believe the director (whose name escapes me) was a student of Corman's.

'X the Man with the X-Ray Eyes' is my personal favorite Corman film. The Poe series is a highlight of the '60s & the Demme/Dante/Arkush/Bartel/Ron Howard '70s material is still very, very fun and was the template for '80s mainstream film.

Even the latter-day Jim Wynorski stuff is great if you're in the right mood and I treasure my Black Scorpion TV series DVD set. Corman forever!

Also, James Cameron is NOT part of Corman's legacy -- Gale Anne Hurd is.

Would have been great to see Corman recognized on the big live program.

And THE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE is Corman's masterpiece? A clutter of stereotypes, fabrications, a narration that may have been entirely burlesque (sounds like a Stan Freeberg routine)--and Jason Robards eating the scenery (the equivalent of Rod Steiger x 10)? Yeah, it's truly the most perceptive, renascent "gangster" movie since PARDON US (Laurel and Hardy). I mean, "fresh faced" George Segal performing a pale imitation of Jimmy Cagney's "booze dominion" scene from PUBLIC ENEMY? The only "relief" is Nicholson's cameo and Dick Miller in a too-brief climactic role. But you prefer VALENTINE over BONNIE AND CLYDE? Do you fingerpaint your reviews? And have you ever seen MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH? (when I inquired about the movie's final line of dialogue, Corman just grinned). This is the man's masterpiece. Whenever you have some leisure time from name-dropping, try to catch a reel or two (13-year-old apprenticing journalists interview the same celebrities whom you have addressed--but at least they're professional and not under the delusion they're best buds with whomever they're interviewing).

-Corman is my fucking hero.

Well, you've cloned into Harry (goddam seed pods). Yeah, Margot...Bill Castle deserves some veneration (inexpensive gimmicks challenging "corruptive" TV medium). But Hollywood only worships its A-list (trashing the B-movie apprenticeship). I am relieved that Castle's intro footage has been restored to TV prints (his hamming in MR. SARDONICUS is bliss; I really love the guy). I presumed that Corman would have been honored at next year's (televised) Oscar abortion--he certainly deserves the visibility. Ray Harryhausen was also "honored" in these li'l Oscar retreats that are likely officiated at Hollywood Boulevard's Taco Bell. These guys deserve MUCH better.

actual Oscar ceremony. The dumbing down of the Oscars is complete.

Coppola, Cameron; they all know who Roger Corman is and they *do* say he gave them their first start and mentored them. I gotta go wash the taste of "Mentored by Uwe Bol" out of my mouth.

Will be Oscarnosaur

...just like nobody mentioned Gordon Willis and Lauren Bacall winning theirs, either, at that no-account pre-awards show. Good thing AICN was there to pick up the slack.

Oh wait...

These lifetime achievement awards aside, winning an Oscar outright has really become a political more than artistic triumph. I cannot sit through a whole awards ceremony as I am too overwhelmed by the shit-eating taking place. But hats off to Corman for getting some recognition, even though it's by an organization that has its head up its ass.

Classics like the recent "Cyclops." He's still churning them out. Like it or not, Roger Corman is an important part of film history, and despite the tons of trashy stuff he's put out, he's made some good flicks. And then tons of great flicks to crack open some beers and watch with friends.

He is inventive and frugal when he wants to be. But damn, it's rewarding a mostly inept career of schlock. The oscar has become the "It's my turn" award for people that know people and have been in the biz long enough. Snicker at the golden globes never again. Even Grammy didn't fuck up this bad.

go to Paris Hilton. 2030 Oscars."The Irving G. Thalberg award."

Are worthless. It's a fucking dog show designed so that a bunch of asswipes can pat themselves on the back over making a few decent movies. It's rare that a truly great movie wins best picture. The fact that Ordinary People beat Raging Bull and Dances with Wolves got the win over Goodfellas shows what a fucking joke it is. Oh and how about Forrest Gump beating Pulp Fiction or Shakespeare In Love winning over The Truman Show. FUCK THE OSCARS!!!

"Also, James Cameron is NOT part of Corman's legacy -- Gale Anne Hurd is."

Exactly how? Cameron worked for New World Pictures between 78-81, working on Battle Beyond the Stars,second unit filming on Galaxy of Terror, effects work for Escape from New York, etc. It's where he met Hurd in the first place.

'The Masque of Red Death' is a stone cold classic and, possibly, Price's greatest performance. Great sets and photography with an innate sense of 60's camp schlockery. Well deserved Mr.Corman. Congratulations.

just asked George C Scott " Hey you won Best Actor George ", "FUCK OFF!! HOCKEY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT MEAT MARKET"

...and it breaks my heart that this recognition is getting such relatively little noise. The last shot of "Man With the X-Ray Eyes" fucking pwns.

and decide to leave her off the Oscar telecast they can do it to anyone. This Oscar ratings bullshit is getting out of hand. If anything they're just going to lose the viewers they've already got. You're right there was no coverage on this. I mean I knew about it but that's because I pay attention to this stuff. But I didn't see anything on TV at all.

...was given credit for his frugality and the creative use of his low budgets on Terminator and ALIENS without mentioning Hurd. She's also built her career on producing small, genre films like Corman did. On his own, Cameron wouldn't know to save money even if he found a coupon for 10 free CG shots in his Sunday LA Times.

Like the bloated Hulk movies and Armageddon.

So, you weren't speaking liteally, it was just an asinine attempt to discredit Cameron's contribution to Corman's studios at that time (which is acknowledged by even Corman himself)? Cameron makes sure every cent gets on screen - and that's down to the frugality he learned with Corman, whatever the scale of production those principles are applied to. Nothing to do with working on high or low budgets, low tech or cutting edge tech. I also seem to recall The Abyss going over budget - which Hurd also produced, although they were certainly a great team. No one is denying that. But whatever floats your boat, eh?

I'm sorry, what were you saying? You see I got distracted by how much AICN's high horse was sparkling in the sunlight. Strange, how it sparkles and broods at the same time...

on Corman. just sayin'

so who cares.

I just saw Masque of the Red Death for the first time a couple weeks ago, and that movie is a work of art! The sets and costumes may have been left over from previous productions but Corman and his crew had fantastic eyes for how best to utilize them in their film. The acting was also fantastic. I haven't seen all of Corman's Poe adaptations yet, but I have no doubt that Masque is the best of them all. It's a shame that so many people will just lump it in with so much of his other schlocky output.

You beat me to it. Entertainment Weekly was where I learned about Corman's Oscar. Also, they reported on it a few days before it happened and not a few days after like AICN.

Humanoids From The Deep is the SHIT!!!! And it wouldn't be the cinematic classic it is had Corman not insisted on turning the humanoids into rapists.

Little Ronny Howard got the chance to direct HIS first flick thru Roger Corman. Not sure whether we should thank him or kill him...

As Beaks said, when the studio system began to fall apart in the late 1960's, Corman became the Triple-A farm system.

Let's also mention some others in more detail. Firts up Jack Nicholson. Stuff he learned working on "The Raven" and "Little Shop of Horrors" he took to "Head" and "Easy Rider." Ron Howard got his first shot behind the camera because of Corman. Robert Towne, yes the Robert Towne, worked for Corman on Tomb of Ligera.

The Poe films are the best stuff: a nice mix of Hammer and Big-Studio Hollywood. Congrats sir.-----later-----m

It also has the distinction of being the very first film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft, specifically his novella The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, which was later remade as The Resurrected by Dan O Bannon who Directed/Scripted my favorite movie of all time The Return of the Living Dead. Anyway, Corman changed the title to The Haunted Palace so he could sell it on the back of his Poe adaptations. Either way it’s a GREAT movie that drips with atmosphere and most likely the closest that we’ll ever get to a true adaptation of Lovecraft’s work.

if you don't celebrate B-movies along with the rest of cinema, you're missing the point of the industry. Corman was an amazing presence. More so than agents and executives, he created more super stars and birthed the future movie moments that have shaped the industry today. He deserves this, and i hope there's a good 5-minute montage and he gets to speak at the Oscars!!! PLEASE make it happen.

Wow, I honestly never expected to see that ever. Quick somebody tell VERN that Oscar winner Steven Seagal is still a possibility...ijs

Granted, I understand the focus on a genre movie-producer like Corman, especially seeing as he helped start the careers of plenty of respected directors. Still, there were three great movie figures who were robbed of the attention they deserve at that Oscar ceremony, and you're only making up the debt on one of them.

Eric Snyder certainly is getting the what for over at the linked site for his blasphemy comparing Roger Corman to Uwe (I can fuck up anything) Boll. I was thinking of "The Raven" Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Jack Nicholson, Vincent Price all in the same motion picture. The wizard battle, so cheaply done you want to laugh but shot with such great dexterity and inventiveness you actually find yourself drawn into a contest between TWO SEATED MEN. Corman may not be the greatest director but its a damn surety that the films we see today are part of his legacy. Without Corman there would have been no Terminator, Aliens, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, or The Departed. Thank you Roger Corman and Fuck you Paul W.S. Anderson for screwing with DEATH RACE. May your balls wither and fall.

I actuallyw rote about this the day before it happened, on a site that will be no more come Turkey Day: http://www.fearzone.com/blog/corman-oscar

When Roger Corman made THE WILD ANGELS in 1966, he set the tonal blueprint for 1970s American filmmaking. Dennis Hopper's later EASY RIDER hasn't aged nearly as gracefully. The MGM box-set THE ROGER CORMAN COLLECTION contains WILD ANGELS, X, the positively deranged BLOODY MAMA, GAS-S-S-S, YOUNG RACERS and several other films - it is a must own and very reasonably priced.

we'll be hearing that soon

Hell, Spielberg never got one until Schindler's List, while asshat George Cloony always gets nominated. Fuck the Oscars.

. . . aside from the huge article in USA TODAY earlier this week?

Corman didn't "win" the Oscar. It's not like he was in a group of nominees and got the most votes. This is an honorary Oscar. So he was "given" it...it wasn't won.

That was kind-of amazing. Fantastic article.

Omar comin.

i was reading this saying "wow, i have been hating on harry too much lately, this is coherent and eloquent" then i realized it was written by beaks. well done beaks.

I love "Humanoids From the Deep." Long live Doug McClure! I agree that the Corman directed Poe films are the artistic highlight of his career with "Masque of the Red Death" a true masterpiece. However, I love the 70s era B-movies he produced as well. "Rock n Roll High School" also deserves mention here in addition to the titles you guys have mentioned.

i think honorary oscars are a good idea, but taking them off tv is just an insult. i wouldnt show up.

dude made some awesome b-movies, too. give him an oscar.

But, as much as I think the guy's a fat sellout now, doesn't George Lucas deserve this shit more? I mean the fuck invented all sorts of fucking techniques and cameras for fuck's sake to make his toy-commercial fucking movies.

Give that guy something for fuck's sake.

Roger Corman = Fantastic Four. And Teenage Caveman...THE WORLD OF THE LAW IS THE WORD!

And on top of that, Lucas has actually made some good movies in his time. This is absolute bullshit.

I could be wrong, but isn't that considered a higher honor than the honorary Oscar? Not sure... but he won that a long time ago.

very fucking confused as to why Roger Corman won an Oscar but party on.

So many great film makers of the past 40 years got their start through him. He truly is the father of independent film in America.

Damn good indeed...

An Oscar for Roger Corman? Really? Meh.

I understand the sentiment, and I'm not a big fan of Story's two underwhelming flicks, but they are miles above Corman's laughable debacle. There's a good reason it was never released. At least Story's had some great work by Evans and Chiklis, and parts of the Surfer were done well. There's very little positive to be said about Corman's. Doom was slightly more like his comics counterpart, but what about that Jeweler character? WTF?

He made Apollo 13, and that film is frikkin' *brilliant*. Not to mention, a film with a very young Daryl Hannah swimmin around pretty much nekkid is a good thing in my book.

Not to mention that Howard gave Tom Hanks his big film break, and whether you like Hanks or not, one can't deny the success of that choice.

...didn't mean to use "not to mention" twice in the same post...damn this site's lack of an editor. DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!

what the hey...I don't get to quote Chuck Heston that often and I'm goin' for it every chance I get...

was an excellent movie man, for some reason, I just love it :)

But Kazan got an Oscar as well. Sure, Kazan made some classics, but he also fucked everyone in the ass with a hot poker during the McCarthy era. Corman made some cool movies, but not in the sense of what an Oscar should be about. Oscar=sellout now. Sad.

but i respect the article. maybe do more of these instead of your awful interviews.

needs to be on DVD.

I lived in LA for a while back in the 90s. I had some crazy fucking experiences at that time... in a way I still feel burned out by it. Anyways, the most LA moment I had was buying a fridge from an old producing partner of Roger Corman. I drove out to Pasadena with my girlfriend and it turned out the ad in the LA Times for a used fridge was from an old partner of Roger Corman's, now living in a run-down old mansion near the rose bowl. The back yard was like a set from the beginning of Empire of the Sun.. like half a mansion that looked all bombed-out and was exposed to the elements. There was all kinds of crap stored back there, in such a way that it felt like Ridley Scott had art directed the placement of things... old film-props painted with gold spray paint, dangling on hooks embedded on crumbly stone walls sprouting greenery. The guy was quite a fucking character and clearly not quite all there. He had worked with Corman. At the time I knew who Corman was, that he had launched Jack Nicholson, but little else. Too bad, would have been a more interesting conversation these days. I probably would have gone and talked to that guy regularly now. Anyhow it was a very interesting meeting, never been ina house or place quite like that again. He gave us the fridge for like $40. I ended up having to leave my GF there as collateral while I borrowed the guy's truck to drive the fridge back home into the valley.

I couldn't believe the amount of books this guy had basically sitting outside. I wish I could remember if we got an explanation as to why the place was in such a state.

IIRC, there was some legal stuff going on there. And if we're going to mention Coppola, Bogdonovich and Scorcese we probably shouldn't forget "One from the Heart," "At Long Last Love" and "New York, New York" ... if only to remind us that even the mighty can stumble once in a while and give hope to us shmucks in the trenches that lightning might strike us someday. I'm reminded of the great Rupert Pupkin line (from "The King of Comedy," an underrated masterpiece which I recently netflixed): "I'd rather be king for a night than a shmuck for a lifetime."

any way you slice it, house of usher is a great film.

STOP USING THE WORD 'WHILST'! You come off as a pompous nerd when you use that word.

you shouldn't use capslock when trying to make a point.

that's two masterpieces for ya! and don't forget the original LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Very awesome and creative take on the monster. It's the only Corman DVD I own.

This seems like an empty gesture

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