Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel Page #10

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and it's very hard to stick out.

He switched over to making

slasher movies.

And that was a very limited genre,

so it was harder

to make something that was

interesting in that genre.

I met him at a dinner party

in New York in the early '80s.

And I said, "aren't you

gonna do any more?

Are you gonna

direct a few more?"

He said, "i don't think so.

The whole scene is changing--

screwdrivers going

into people's heads.

It just doesn't-- it doesn't--

i don't belong there anymore."

George hickenlooper:

I think he's become more obscure.

And I think that's too bad,

because I think

he really has a very important

legacy in Hollywood.

When a lot of his stuff

went straight to DVD,

I think he lost a little bit

of his mystique and cachet.

Penelope spheeris:

If you walked up to any

20, 25-year-old film buff

and asked if they knew

who Roger was,

I think unfortunately

they probably don't.

Gosh, I mean,

how many other people

have made 400--

385 movies, you know?

If he hadn't done

seven million other pictures,

he'd have

the same reputation

as any of the other artistes.

Snyder:
Are the people with whom

you've worked over the years

still friendly with you?

Do they like you?

Do they call you on the phone

now and again and say,

"hi, Roger.

How is it going?"

I think so. I still talk with them.

Careers move in different directions,

but most of them

are still friends of mine.

They use words with you like,

forgive me, "the schlockmeister."

Does that bother you

when they say those things?

- Yes.

- Does it?

- Yeah, it bothers me, right.

- It should. You're just trying...

Roth:
Roger corman

made it okay for all of us

to make exploitation movies.

He showed that you

shouldn't be embarrassed.

There's nothing wrong with you

for loving a movie like "piranha."

That it doesn't mean

that you're stupid

for loving a movie that seems like

a stupid exploitation movie.

And that a lot of these films

are very smart,

made with lots

of intelligence

and that it's okay

to have fun at the movies.

I think it's very important

to let the generation of today

know who he is.

We all-- we knew it

almost 40 years ago.

So it's time to reintroduce him

as a director,

but also what he represents

of American entertainment.

He represents

a side of Hollywood

sort of unto his own,

you know.

You know, there are a lot of

Samuel goldwyns,

a lot of Irving thalbergs.

There's really only one Roger corman.

That style of filmmaking,

that attitude,

that approach to filmmaking

really is unparalleled.

You know, I know it's right

to have the tie hand-tied,

but frankly the pre-tied ties

look better

because they're perfect.

I guess the whole idea is

if it's slightly imperfect,

it's considered to be

handmade.

Julie:
Yes.

There's delight in disorder.

Right.

Now...

- There you go.

- Okay.

We're gonna give the lifetime

achievement award

to Roger corman.

And they've asked me

to be part of it.

I got to call him.

And I said to him,

"the board of governors

of the motion picture academy

has voted to give you

an honorary Oscar

for your life achievement."

And there was silence.

He wasn't--

he goes, "excuse me?

That's unbelievable."

The funny part is, of course,

that Roger is,

you know, the ultimate

fierce independent.

So I told him, "yes," I said,

"i know when you get up there, you're

really gonna stick it to the man."

Howard:

Roger, if you could stand,

I'd like to offer you a toast.

For all your

progressive influence

in our medium

and for our industry,

it's our honor

to salute you tonight, Roger.

Hear, hear.

Tarantino:

The academy thanks you.

Hollywood thanks you.

Independent filmmaking

thanks you.

But most importantly,

for all the wild, weird,

cool, crazy moments you've put

on the drive-in screens,

the movie lovers of the planet

earth thank you.

He is one of the finest

personages in our field.

Roger, please come up

to accept your Oscar.

Needless to say,

I'm delighted

to accept this Oscar

personally,

but I'd also like to accept it

on behalf of my wife Julie,

who's been my--

--my producing partner

for many years.

I think that to succeed

in this world

you have to take chances.

I believe the finest films

being done today

are done by the original,

innovative filmmakers

who have the courage

to take a chance

and to gamble.

So I say to you,

keep gambling.

Keep taking chances.

Thank you.

When I think of sort of

sublime moments

in my professional life,

I think of winning

an academy award,

and right next to it

is the wrap party

for "Grand Theft Auto."

Actually everybody

grab for it.

Howard:
I'd always dreamed

of making a movie

and Roger let me

make a movie.

And not only did I make it,

I loved it more

than I ever dreamed I might.

Is this sort of like the way you get

an honorary degree at Harvard?

Am I an honorary member

of the Roger corman

school of filmmaking?

You know, I don't know.

I'm actually a little tongue-tied

when I'm with Roger.

I just have--

you know, we're completely

different kind of people.

And I have such

respect for him.

You know,

every once in a while

Roger would come

to my rescue pretty much,

you know, when things were--

nothing was happening.

Polly platt:
My husband left me

and the phone stopped ringing,

but the only person

who called me was Roger.

And he said, "you can direct

a picture any time you want.

I'll produce it for you."

So he's the only person

who called me.

Demme:
We'll put them

on our Facebook pages.

I mean, there's nobody in there

that he didn't

in the most important way support.

He was, you know,

my main connec--

my lifeblood

to whatever I thought

i was gonna be

3s a person.

And, you know,

i hope he knows

that this is not

all hot air.

I'm gonna cry now.

Not just me,

who's very sentimental,

but these other people

also love him.

50ml-

corman:
Mike, i'vejust

gotten off the phone with syfy.

They're very worried

about the climax of the script.

They believe

the Mayan dance sequence

in the jungle is not big enough.

I'm going to make the stage bigger

and bring in almost a Mayan village

rather than a temple.

He wants

to stay in the game.

To some extent, he does see

making movies as a game,

a game that you can

win or lose.

And staying in

means that you're winning.

Julie:

These are for "splatter."

- Oh, for "splatter," okay.

- Yes.

He really epitomized what's wonderful

about the American dream--

that you can succeed

no matter what.

Even if you fail,

you can reinvent yourself.

Anderson:
If you love it

and you're allowed to keep working,

or you have the energy

to keep working, as Roger does,

there is no retirement age.

No one kind of gives you

your gold watch

and tells you to go home

because your career's over.

Let's go back,

cut on the frame

after she exits the shot--

barn! Right there.

There's an arab Maxim,

which is,

"the dogs bark,

but the caravan moves on."

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