In these pages Roger Corman, the most successful independent filmmaker in Hollywood relates his experiences as the director and/or producer of such low-budget classics Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Little Shop of Horrors, The Raven, The Man with the X-ray Eyes, The Wild Angels, The Trip, Night Call Nurses, Bloody Mama, Piranha, and many others. He also discusses his distribution of the Bergman, Fellini, and Truffaut movies that later won Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. Corman alumni--John Sayles, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Vincent Price, Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Joe Dante, and Jonathan Demme, among others--contribute their recollections to give added perspective to Corman's often hilarious, always informative autobiography.
This is not a how to book. It's HOW I DID IT! Book. One of my top 10 non-fiction books. A great read. Funny. And exciting. I bought a copy for myself and read it (again) after consuming the library version. I find myself reading certain chapters (the first half of the book) and it gets my CREATIVE FORCE going FULL GEAR. THe ROCKY of movie makers and it ROCKS. THis book inspires you to think "outside" the box on making movies. It inspires you to be fearless in making YOUR own films. Roger was not only fast he was a good director. And he made millions doing what he loves. WOW. That is pretty cool. Roger is one of my creative hero's. He is up there with Jack Kirby, John Lennon and others. I highly recomend this book to anyone that wants to experience the thrill of making movies.
Mandatory reading for all retro buffs
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
Comprehensive, informative and extremely entertaining. Provides a fascinating insight into the career and personal thoughts of the world's most commercially successful independent film maker.Roger brings that whole era of classic, B-Grade sci fi and horror movies into sharp focus as he takes us behind the scenes with an endless array of wonderful stories.There's never a dull moment in this great little book which moves along with all the spontaneity ,zip and energy of a good Roger Corman movie. Mandatory reading for all retro buffs.
Fascinating, inspirational look inside indie film making.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
This book reads like one of Corman's movies plays out: fast, to the point, and when the monster's dead, the movie (or book) is over. There's not a lot of brooding, introspective material. (Mr. Corman muses some on why he never "sold out" to the majors and also why the European community has accorded him more respect, but these are fortunately brief segments.)In the meantime the reader is treated to many of the adventures Corman and his ensemble braved to make his movies, some insights on how to squeeze the most out of a small budget, and a refreshingly forthright attitude about money and movies.The book could stand an update, as Mr. C has been busy in the past decade, but it's still a worthwhile read as is.
You Can't Get Better
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
It is obvious from this book that Roger Corman is a true movie producer. He makes movies because he loves them. Many filmmakers such as Scorsese, Ron Howard, Coppolla, etc. owe their careers to this guy who has turned the B movie into an art form. I am a filmmaker, and I highly recommend this book for anyone making films or who loves the magic behind Hollywood.
The title of the book says it all.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
If you like to watch Roger Corman movies, this book is for you. It gives you behind the scenes info on all of his best known films; if you don't like his movies, this book is still for you- because even if you don't find his films very entertaining, I'm sure you'll find the stories about how they were made to be the funniest you've ever read. Maybe he should make a movie based on this book...
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.