Roger Corman is perhaps the most prolific and influential Hollywood filmmaker mainstream America has never heard of. Alex Stapletonâs documentary Cormanâs World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel attempts to rectify that injustice by not only examining Corman and his filmography, but also by attempting to explain why the writer-director-producer is more than just a low-budget schlockmeister. Yes, the majority of Cormanâs filmography is populated by cheap exploitation flicks, but through Stapletonâs documentary, we get a clearer picture of Cormanâs contribution to American cinema. Cormanâs World is a great primer on Roger Corman's filmography and an uplifting celebration of an unknown Hollywood legend.Part of Cormanâs legend is that heâs credited with helping to launch the careers of well-known Hollywood luminaries like Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, and Ron Howard, and they, along with others who have worked with Corman, are more than happy to talk about the man (although Bruce Dern was apparently so busy that he had to give his interview while he was getting a haircut). They all note that Cormanâs demeanor is nothing like the films he directs, and in Cormanâs on-camera interviews, we can see his gentle nature. Itâs a charming contrast that a man who looks like he could be your kindly next door neighbor is hard at work making films like Dinoshark for the Syfy network.Despite Cormanâs reputation for exploitation films, Stapleton manages to come up with a strong argument about how Cormanâs films, while cheap and not âArt-with-a-Capital-Aâ, still have their own themes and tonality. Looking at a fraction of Cormanâs filmography (and it would be a chore to see pieces from all of the 394 films that heâs produced so far), Stapleton shows that Corman possesses a strong anti-authoritarian tone and colors it with irreverence. While itâs not surprising that someone who has chosen to work outside the studio system would be anti-authoritarian, the tone doesnât arise from a vendetta against Hollywood or any deep-seated resentment. Corman jokes that before he became a filmmaker, he spent two years in the Navy and they were the worst years of his life. While the point about Cormanâs tone isnât groundbreaking, itâs noteworthy because the audience needs to understand that exploitation films arenât necessarily soulless.The movie does a terrific job of exploring how Corman evolved over the years and why he was making certain kinds of films more than others. For example, thereâs an interesting segment on Cormanâs 1962 drama The Intruder. The film stars William Shatner as a white supremacist in the south. Far from the sci-fi and horror B-movies he was known for, Corman made a huge gamble by doing a film about race relations in the south during integration. According to Cormanâs brother Gene (who also co-produced the film), it was their best movie and itâs the only one where they lost money. From that point, Corman decided to keep the text of his movies light and fun and keep any social commentary or weighty themes confined to the subtext (although whether he succeeded in that endeavor is a question better left to critics who are more familiar with Cormanâs filmography).Stapleton then wisely expands the examination of Cormanâs contribution to cinematic history by showing how without Corman, we probably wouldnât have classics like Easy Rider or Mean Streets. The film then takes a page from Peter Biskindâs classic book on 60s-70s Hollywood, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, by arguing that Jaws and Star Wars essentially ended not only the era of New Hollywood, but also Cormanâs unique position as a master of B-movies. Corman notes that genres that were previously his forte had now become the stuff of studio tentpoles and that he couldnât compete with the gigantic budgets being used. He also notes that the prices on these blockbusters were âobsceneâ and that he could achieve the same thrills for a fraction of the cost.Folks who already familiar with Cormanâs work probably wonât have much to gleam from the documentary, but Cormanâs fans will undoubtedly enjoy seeing the filmmaker receive his due. For the uninitiated, Cormanâs World does a solid job of providing not only an overview of Cormanâs career, but also provides a thoughtful look at why audiences and Hollywood owe him a debt of gratitude.Rating: BFor all of our coverage of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, click here. Also, here are links to all of my Sundance reviews so far:
Sundance 2011: CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL Review
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel review. At Sundance 2011, Matt reviews Alex Stapleton's Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel.