Magic Lantern Video & Book StoreRoger Corman
[ 1926-2024 ]
 | short profile |
"[Roger Corman's] influence on modern American cinema is almost incalculable." — J. Riddle
"In science-fiction films, the monster should always be bigger than the leading lady."
— Roger Corman
B I O
h e r e
Roger William Corman
Nicknames: 'King of the Bs' and the 'godfather of independent movie-making'
He sold his first script in 1953, "The House in the Sea" which was eventually filmed and released as "Highway Dragnet" [1954].
Corman used his third picture, the original version of "The Fast and the Furious" [1955], to finagle a multi-picture deal with a fledgling company called American Releasing. It would soon change its name to American International Pictures (AIP), and, with Corman as its major talent behind the camera, become one of the most successful independent studios in cinema history.
With no formal training, Corman first took to the director's chair with "Five Guns West" [1955], and over the next 15 years he directed 53 films, mostly for A.I.P.
Roger Corman entry at Wikipedia
Roger Corman credits [since 1954] at Internet Movie Database
  | Roger Corman received Honorary Oscars in 2009 & 2010 |
He also has received
a retrospective at the Cinémathèque Française, 1964
the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, 1984
Life Career Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, 1988
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stockholm Film Festival, 1990
a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1991
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Raindance Film Festival, 1996
Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. in 1996
Golden Eddie Filmmaker of The Year Award from American Cinema Editors, 1997
Lifetime Achievement Award from Casting Society of America, 1997
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Florida Film Festival, 1997
Time-Machine Honorary Award at the Sitges-Catalonia International Film Festival, 1998
the first-ever Producer’s Award at the Cannes Film Festival, 1998
Independent Filmmaker Award at the Malibu Film Festival, 1999
Independent Spirit Award from the Empire Awards, U.K. in 2004
Governors' Award from the Society of Camera Operators, 2004
Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York City Horror Film Festival, 2005
P.G.A. Lifetime Achievement Award in Motion Pictures, 2006
induction into Fangoria Magazine's Horror Hall of Fame at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, 2009
and induction into the Beverly Hills High School Hall of Fame, 2010
Movies of Roger Corman
Roger Corman credits [since 1954] at Internet Movie Database
Roger Corman Filmography page at Wikipedia
 | "The Films of Roger Corman: Brilliance On A Budget" [1982] by Ed Naha Arco Publng 11x8½ pb [9/82] out of print/many used Olympic Marketing pb [1984] out of print/many used Arco Publng 11¼x8¾ hardcover [9/82] out of print/used Arco Publng hardcover [9/82] out of print/used |
 | "The Films of Roger Corman: Shooting My Way Out of Trouble" [1998] by Alan Frank "The incredible history of Hollywood's greatest maverick, Roger Croman - the director, producer, teacher, hustler" B.T. Batsford 9¾x7½ pb [10/98] out of print/used |
 | "Burning Down The House: The Poe Films of Roger Corman" [2011] by David Del Valle & Sam Umland Film historian David Del Valle and Prof. Sam Umland (University of Nebraska) have constructed a film-by-film analysis of Roger Corman's Poe films, including the Poe-inspired films made after Corman left A.I.P. Tomahawk Press pb [6/2020] for $25.03 David Del Valle's homepage at Films In Review |
 | "Roger Corman Classics Gift Set" DVD Box Set [2003]
New Concorde color DVD set [9/2003] out of prodn/used contains 4 feature films: "Death Race 2000" [1975] starring David Carradine & Sylvester Stallone; "Hollywood Boulevard" [1976] starring Candice Rialson; "Piranha" [1978]; and "Rock 'n' Roll High School" [1979] featuring The Ramones |
 | "The Roger Corman Collection" DVD Box Set [2007]
M.G.M. Home Video widescreen DVD set [9/2007] 4 disks for $26.99 "Crazed hooligans! Red-hot babes! High-speed thrills! Debauchery!"; contains 8 feature films: "A Bucket of Blood" [1959]; "The Premature Burial" [1962] starring Ray Milland; "The Young Racers" [1963]; "X" [1963] starring Ray Milland & Don Rickles; "The Wild Angels" biker movie [1966] starring Peter Fonda; "The Trip" [1967] starring Peter Fonda; "Bloody Mama" [1970] starring Shelley Winters; and "Gas-s-s" [1971] |
"The Fast and The Furious" [American Releasing Corp. Nov 1954]
  | A trucker framed for murder breaks out of jail, takes a young woman hostage, and enters her sports car in a cross-border road race hoping to get to Mexico before the police catch him • Co-produced by Roger Corman, Samuel Z. Arkoff & James H. Nicholson; directed by John Ireland & Edward Sampson; story by Roger Corman, screenplay by Jerome Odlum & Jean Howell; jazz music by The Chet Baker Quartette; starring John Ireland, Dorothy Malone, Bruce Carlisle, Iris Adrian, Marshall Bradford, Bruno VeSota, Byrd Holland, Larry Thor, Henry Rowland, Jean Howell, Dick Pinner, Robin Morse, Lou Place, 'Snub' Pollard, Roger Corman {also stunt driver}, Jonathan Haze, William Woodson
Gaiam Ent. b&w DVD [1/2005] for $7.93 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia watch full movie [1/2021 upload; 1:12:35] online at YouTube |
"I, Mobster" director [1958]
"War of The Satellites" director [1958]
"Machine-Gun Kelly" director [1958]
"A Bucket of Blood" director [1959]
"The Wasp Woman" director [1960]
"House of Usher" director [1960]
"The Little Shop of Horrors" director [1960]
"Little Shop of Horrors: A New Musical" []
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Shop-Horrors-New-Musical/dp/B001DTJIDW/
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Shop-Horrors-Musical-Corman/dp/B0006EIXL8/
"Last Woman On Earth" director [1960]
"Atlas" director [1961]
"The Pit and The Pendulum" director [1961] starring Vincent Price
"The Premature Burial" director [1962] starring Ray Milland
"Tower of London" director [1962]
"Tales of Terror" [1962] starring Vincent Price
"The Young Racers" director [1963] /tt0057706/
"The Raven" director [1963] starring Vincent Price
"The Haunted Palace" [1963] starring Vincent Price
"The Terror" director [1963] starring Boris Karloff
"X" [1963] starring Ray Milland & Don Rickles
"Dementia 13" directed by Francis Ford Coppola [1963]
"The Masque of The Red Death" [1964] starring Vincent Price
"The Tomb of Ligeia" [1964] starring Vincent Price
"The Wild Angels" 'biker movie' [1966] /tt0061189/
starring Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd
"The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" director [1967]
movie novelization by Boris O'Hara (Author), Howard Browne (Contributor)
http://www.amazon.com/St-Valentines-Massacre-Movie-Novelization/dp/B0018EA3D6/
"The Trip" director [1967] /tt0062395/
starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Susan Strasberg, Bruce Dern
Written by Jack Nicholson, starring
"Targets" directed by Peter Bogdanovich [1968]
"Bloody Mama" director [1970] /tt0065481/
starring Shelley Winters, Robert De Niro, Don Stroud
"Von Richthofen and Brown" director [1971]
"Gas-s-s" [1971] = last film for A.I.P.
"Boxcar Bertha" directed by Martin Scorsese [1972]
"Caged Heat" [1974] directed by Jonathan Demme
"Cockfighter" [1974] directed by Monte Hellman
"Death Race 2000" [1975] directed by Paul Bartel
starring David Carradine & Sylvester Stallone
"Fighting Mad" [1976] directed by Jonathan Demme
"Hollywood Boulevard" [1976] starring Candice Rialson
"Grand Theft Auto" [1977] directed by Ron Howard
"Piranha" [1978] directed by Joe Dante
"Rock 'n' Roll High School" [1979]
directed by Allan Arkush, featuring The Ramones
 | "Battle Beyond The Stars" [New World Pictures Sept 1980] A rather faithful adaptation of "Seven Samurai" [1954], except that it is on the distant planet Akir. This typical low-budget Corman feature is notable mostly for the 'watershed' nature of the film: John Sayles (script), James Cameron (SFX), James Horner (music), Gale Anne Hurd (asst. P.M.), and actor Richard Thomas all went on to bigger projects. Produced by Roger Corman; directed by Jimmy T. Murakami; script by John Sayles & Anne Dyer; starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard, Darlanne Fluegel, Sybil Danning, Sam Jaffe, Jeff Corey & Morgan Woodward New Concorde color DVD [2/2001] for $19.35 New Concorde color VHS [2/2001] for $22.79 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia |
"Galaxy of Terror" [1981] directed by Bruce D. Clark
"Forbidden World" [1982] directed by Allan Holzman
"Sweet Revenge" ]1987] directed by Mark Sobel
"Frankenstein Unbound" director [1990]
"Hellfire" [1994]
"The Fantastic Four" [Constantin Film/New Horizons - never released]
 | The film was finished in 1993 and scheduled for a 1994 release; but before the premiere, Marvel bought the film rights and destroyed the negative: the movie would never be seen; however, a single bootleg copy made during a routine transfer later leaked out and found its way to comic conventions and eventually to the internet • Co-produced by Roger Corman, Bernd Eichinger, others; directed by Oley Sassone; written by Craig J. Nevius & Kevin Rock, based on comic books by Jack Kirby & Stan Lee; starring Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staab, Michael Bailey Smith, Ian Trigger, Joseph Culp, George Gaynes, Kat Green, Carl Ciarfalio, Chuck Butto, Annie Gagen, Howard Shangraw, David Keith Miller, Robert Alan Beuth, Patrick Richwood, Ricky Dean Logan, Mercedes McNab, Phillip Van Dyke, Sandra Albornoz, Todd Blood, Michele Brown, Corey William Parys
unbranded Region B/2 color Blu-ray [undated] for $24.99 in PAL format only Region 1 Blu-ray/DVD not available • unbranded color DVD [2006] out of prodn/SOLD OUT ! full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia watch official trailer [6/2007 low-res upload; 1:26] online at YouTube watch full movie [8/2015 upload; 1:30:54] online at YouTube |
 | "Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four" documentary [indep July 2015] A collection of short films and videotaped interviews with cast & crew; crowd-financed on Indiegogo Written & directed by Marty Langford; featuring Carl Ciarfalio, Roger Corman, Joseph Culp, Jonathan Fernandez, Glenn Garland, Kat Green, Chris Gore, Sean Howe, Alex Hyde-White, Lloyd Kaufman, Oley Sassone, exec producer Mark Sikes, Michael Bailey Smith, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, John Vulich, with archive footage of Stan Lee Uncork'd Ent. color Blu-ray [11/2016] for $17.99 Uncork'd Ent. color DVD [11/2016] for $12.99 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia |
 | "Forsaken: The Making and Aftermath of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four" [2019] by William Nesbitt, Foreword by Mark Sikes Kindle Edition from BearManor Media [12/2019] for $9.95 BearManor Media 9x6 pb [12/2019] for $29.95 |
"A Bucket of Blood" remake [1995]
directed by Michael James McDonald
"Dinocroc" []
novel by Roger Corman (Jan 25, 2005) /1416504036/
"Sharktopus" [2010] directed by Declan O'Brien
"Death Race 2" video [2010]
"When Life Gives You Lemons" short [2010]
"Camel Spiders" TV movie [2011]
"Piranhaconda" TV movie [2012]
"Stealing Las Vegas" [2012]
"Attack of The 50 Foot Cheerleader" [2012]
· ·
Poe Film Remakes [New Horizons Productions 2013-2016]
Announced 12/2012: 'B-movie King' Roger Corman is making new versions of eight low-budget horror films that he adapted & directed in the 1950s and 1960s. Each is based on a story by XIXth-Century American writer Edgar Allan Poe. "House of Usher" will be followed by "The Pit and The Pendulum", "Premature Burial", "Tales of Terror", "The Raven", "The Haunted Palace", "The Masque of The Red Death", and "The Tomb of Ligeia". This time, 86-year-old Corman will produce but not direct the films; the plan is to film two movies per year on budgets of $2-2.5 million, self-financed by Corman • not yet listed at IMDb
· ·
"Virtually Heroes" [2013]
"Death Race: Inferno" video [2013]
"Palace of The Damned" TV movie [2013]
"Water Wars" [2014]
"Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda" TV movie [2014]
"Operation Rogue" [2014]
"Fist of The Dragon" [2014]
"Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf" TV movie [2015]
"Death Race 2050" video [2017]
"Shen Gong Yuan Ling" [2017]
"CobraGator" [2018]
"Abduction" [2019]
Corman's Companies
"A.I.P. (American International Pictures)
Founded 1955, renamed 1956, closed 1980; Corman was their 'anchor' producer 1956-59 and 1962-71
"Filmgroup [1959-62] co-founded with his brother Gene
"New World Pictures [founded 1970, sold 1983]
"Concorde Pictures [founded 1983]
became
"Concorde-New Horizons video distribution
became
"New Concorde [C.N.H. renamed in 2000]
"New Horizons Pictures Corp. [1983 to present]
"American International Pictures: Twenty-Five Years" [1979]
from Museum of Modern Art
New York City MoMA exhibition catalog pb [1979] out of print/scarce
 | "Fast and Furious: The Story of American International Pictures" [1984] by Mark Thomas McGee McFarland & Co. hardcover [8/84] out of print/used "Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures" [1995] McFarland & Co. pb [10/2011] for $30.00 McFarland & Co. 10x7 hardcover [12/95] out of print/used |
 | "It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures" [American Movie Classics May 2001] 60-minute TV docufilm narrated by Peter Bogdanovich and featuring founders Samuel Z. Arkoff & James H. Nicholson, and Roger Corman, Dick Dale, Joe Dante, Bruce Dern, Roger Ebert, Beverly Garland, Pam Grier, Susan Hart, Aron Kincaid, author Mark Thomas McGee & Dick Miller video/DVD/Blu-ray not available • credits at IMDb |
 | "The American International Pictures Filmography & Video Guide" [2009] by Gary Allen Smith, Foreword by Mark Thomas McGee McFarland & Co. 10x7 hardcover [5/2009] for $55.00 |
 | "Mind Warp! The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures" [2009] by Christopher T. Koetting
Hemlock Books Ltd. 9¼x6¼ pb [9/2009] out of print/used |
Books by Roger Corman
autobiography "How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood and Never Lost A Dime" [7/1990]
http://www.amazon.com/Made-Hundred-Movies-Hollywood-Never/dp/0306808749/
"Roger Corman: Interviews" [Sep 2011] by Roger Corman
http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Corman-Interviews-Conversations-Filmmakers/dp/1617031666/
"All I Need To Know About Filmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger" []
by Lloyd Kaufman, Introduction by Roger Corman
Other Works by Roger Corman
http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=13538
Works About Roger Corman
 | "The Movie World of Roger Corman" [1979] Edited by J. Philip di Franco Chelsea House Publrs pb [11/79] out of print/used Chelsea House Publrs 11¼x8½ hardcover [11/79] out of print/used |
"Roger Corman (Twayne's Filmmakers Series)" [1985] by Gary Morris
Twayne Publng hardcover [10/85] out of print/used
 | "Roger Corman: The Best of The Cheap Acts" [1988] by Mark Thomas McGee McFarland & Co. pb [10/2011] for $25.00 McFarland & Co. 9½x6¼ library hardcover [7/88] out of print/used |
 | "A.F.I. Directors Profiles: Roger Corman" [Encore Feb 1999]
Wellspring 60-minute color DVD [2/2002] out of prodn/used Winstar 60-minute color VHS [2/2002] out of prodn/used full credits at IMDb |
"Roger Corman (Pocket Essential series)" [2003] by Mark Whitehead
http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Corman-Pocket-Essential-Whitehead/dp/1904048102/
"Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers" [Dec 2003] by Beverly Gray
http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Corman-Blood-Sucking-Flesh-Eating-Cockroaches/dp/1560255552/
"Roger Corman: Metaphysics On A Shoestring" [Feb 2006] by Alain Silver & James Ursini
http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Corman-Metaphysics-Alain-Silver/dp/1879505428/
 | "Corman’s World: Exploits of A Hollywood Rebel" [Anchor Bay 2011] A&E IndieFilms acquired TV rights in January 2011; co-written & directed by Alex Stapleton; featuring Corman alumni Peter Bogdanovich, David Carradine, Julie Corman, Robert De Niro, Jonathan Demme, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, Monte Hellman, Ron Howard, Gale Anne Hurd, Traci Lords, Jack Nicholson, John Sayles, Martin Scorsese, Penelope Spheeris & Mary Woronov Anchor Bay widescreen color Blu-ray [3/2012] for $12.99 Anchor Bay widescreen color DVD [3/2012] for $8.99 full credits at IMDb • official movie site red 11"x17" poster from Amazon for $5.79 yellow 11"x17" poster from Amazon for $5.79 |
 | "Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen, and Candy Stripe Nurses: Roger Corman, King of The B Movie" [2013] by Chris Nashawaty, Introduction by John Landis
Harry N. Abrams 11x8 hardcover [9/2013] for $22.27 |
Friends & Family
Roger William Corman was born in Detroit, Michigan in April 1926; he managed a one-of-a-kind career in Hollywood
and was named 'King of The B-movies; he died at home in Santa Monica at age 98 in May 2024.
brother producer Gene Corman
wife Julie Halloran Corman, married December 1970, widowed 2024
four children - including filmmaker Catherine Corman
The 'Corman Film School'
Among those that Corman mentored in the 1960s and 1970s are:
Peter Bogdanovich, on "Targets" [1968]
actress Sandra Bullock
James Cameron, SFX on "Battle Beyond The Stars" [1980]
actor David Carradine
Francis Ford Coppola, on "Dementia 13" [1963]
Joe Dante, in "Piranha" [1978]
actor Robert De Niro
Jonathan Demme, on "Caged Heat" [1974]
actor Bruce Dern
actress Angie Dickinson
Monte Hellman, on "Cockfighter" [1974]
composer James Horner, music on "Battle Beyond The Stars" [1980]
Ron Howard, "Grand Theft Auto" [1977]
Gale Anne Hurd, asst. P.M. on "Battle Beyond The Stars" [1980]
actor Tommy Lee Jones
producer Brad Krevoy
Jack Nicholson
John Sayles, co-wrote script of "Battle Beyond The Stars" [1980]
Martin Scorsese, on "Boxcar Bertha" [1972]
actor William Shatner, in "The Intruder" [1962]
actor Sylvester Stallone
producer Andrew Stevens
and actor Richard Thomas, in "Battle Beyond The Stars" [1980]
L i n k s
Roger Corman entry at Wikipedia
Roger Corman credits [since 1954] at Internet Movie Database
browse all videos/DVDs [returns 40+ titles} at Amazon
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