Roger Corman: An Unauthorized Biography of the Godfather of Indie Filmmaking

Film director Roger Corman isn't like anybody. Yes, he comes from a good Catholic family; he's urbane; he hires well-educated people almost exclusively; he's a devoted father. But he also makes exploitation films on a volume basis. He's produced (and/or directed) over 400 of them filled with images of blood-sucking vampires, rampaging biker gangs, vigilante strippers, and aliens who want to get close to us. (It's not that he's vulgar, by the way. When, as a sideline, he began to distribute European art films, he showed impeccable taste.) He makes these films quickly and as cheaply as he can. So it's quantity and style that set Roger Corman apart. And a third thing: Corman has made a profit on virtually every film he's produced.

Long story short, for thirty years Corman has been a legend to independent filmmakers. Corman was the first Tarantino; he made Sundance possible. And he's been more than a good example to neophytes -- he's often employed them. The list of Corman proteges reads like a Who's Who of the film industry -- John Sayles, James Cameron, Dennis Hopper, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, and Jonathan Demme to name but a few. In the new century the Internet and cable will make it much, much easier for the independent filmmaker to get an audience. Corman's speed, thrift, and timeliness will become the industry standard.