Corman's World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel (2011)

91% of critics liked it
(47 reviews)
86% of users liked it
(727 ratings)

Blue jeans, sock-hops and drive-in movies: the Fifties were America's age of innocence. But stalking the depths of its post-nuclear bliss, mass paranoia became fuel for Joseph McCarthy's brand of Red Scare terror propaganda. Bomb shelters were a deluxe feature in every American home,… More Blue jeans, sock-hops and drive-in movies: the Fifties were America's age of innocence. But stalking the depths of its post-nuclear bliss, mass paranoia became fuel for Joseph McCarthy's brand of Red Scare terror propaganda. Bomb shelters were a deluxe feature in every American home, government-sponsored educational reels promised an imminent nuclear threat from across the Atlantic, and Hollywood, Babylon of the western world, hung on the brink of collapse. It was here, in the last-ditch machinations of a dying juggernaut, that a mild-mannered, civil engineer's son would become the most influential force in modern moviemaking. Corman's World tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood's most prolific writer-director-producer, the true godfather of independent filmmaking. -- (C) Official Site

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Alex Stapleton
Written By: Gregory Locklear
Genres: Documentary, Television

In Theaters: Dec 16, 2011 Limited
On DVD: Mar 27, 2012
Studio: Anchor Bay Films

Critic Reviews

Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Like many of the 400-odd movies Roger Corman has produced and/or directed, Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel has a title that sizzles over content that merely simmers.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Alex Stapleton's lively, engrossing and enlightening documentary about a career that can be described as surprising on multiple counts.
Jeannette Catsoulis, NPR
To fresh eyes, Corman's World may feel more like a meal; to the rest of us, it's merely a glance at the menu.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
The funniest thing about Corman -- it's a joke he's in on -- is the disparity between the movies he makes and the precise, polite, almost scholarly demeanor he projects.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
An excellent introduction to a director equally adept at following his own vision and nurturing those of others.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
A movie about Roger Corman should kind of look like a Roger Corman movie - fast and cheap and a little battered around the edges. And entertaining as hell.
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View
[I]f it doesn't offer anything new to our understanding of Corman, as filmmaker, producer, or person, it nicely encapsulates his legacy...
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
At one point in this joyful documentary, Jack Nicholson discusses the countless cheapies produced by Roger Corman and cracks, "By mistake, he actually made a good picture every once in a while."
James O'Ehley, Sci-Fi Movie Page
Along the way this documentary interviews the likes of Nicholson, Ron Howard and (of course) Corman himself. Add some scarce footage and you've got a winner that is sure to please die-hard fans as well as newbies.
Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine
A solid transfer of an affectionate, surprisingly moving ode to an increasingly neglected pioneer of American cinema.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Almost any documentary on Roger Corman would be fascinating, and Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel, directed by Alex Stapleton, is certainly that.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
...you could populate a hall of fame with the people who credit Corman with giving them their start, or the boost they needed to get their young career going.
Josh Bell, Filmcritic.com
Entertaining and informative, whetting the appetite for a more in-depth exploration of Corman's body of work.
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet
A well-earned and affectionate spotlight on a man who, let's face it, is one of the most impressive film producers who ever lived.
Mark Adams, Daily Mirror [UK]
Great clips and interviews with, among others including Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and William Shatner.
Adam Lee Davies, Little White Lies
None of it gets us anywhere truly close to the beating heart of an essentially retiring figure.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
It records the ingenuity, daring and innovation that went into his productions and drove him to create his own studio and distribution company and to take his career into his own hands.
Charlotte O'Sullivan, This is London
A frustrating documentary about a frustrating man.
Allan Hunter, Daily Express
A movie buff's delight.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
A supremely watchable documentary-tribute to the exploitation king Roger Corman.

Read all 23 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Lorenzo v

"Some men dream of conquering the world. Roger Corman created his own." A documentary on DIY producer/director Roger Corman and his alternative approach to making movies in Hollywood. <center>"Some men dream of conquering the world. Roger Corman created his own." A documentary on DIY producer/director Roger Corman and his alternative approach to making movies in Hollywood. <center>REVIEW</center>
Byron B

Entertaining and informative. I loved all the clips from Corman's works, yet he is so prolific that this still only scratches the surface. It is interesting that the makers of this doc included quotes from those who have worked with Corman saying that the Academy doesn't… More
Entertaining and informative. I loved all the clips from Corman's works, yet he is so prolific that this still only scratches the surface. It is interesting that the makers of this doc included quotes from those who have worked with Corman saying that the Academy doesn't award the sort of movies he makes (even though they are extremely popular) and then during the making of this doc Corman was honored with the lifetime achievement Oscar in 2009. The man has had a major influence in giving so many actors, writers and directors their start in Hollywood. It is obvious that all the stars who speak about their start in Corman's pictures love him. In a surprisingly heartfelt moment Jack Nicholson is even brought to tears. Corman has produced independently for decades, distributed several foreign language Oscar winners, and had to reinvent his company a number of times when drive-ins began disappearing, home video took over the market, and big budget blockbusters stole the type of genre flicks in which he used to specialize. Important for getting a fuller view of filmmaking history!
Walter M

"Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel" is an inspiring and entertaining documentary about the films of Roger Corman made during his very long and productive career as director and/or producer, specializing in monster and exploitation films.(The interviewees… More
"Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel" is an inspiring and entertaining documentary about the films of Roger Corman made during his very long and productive career as director and/or producer, specializing in monster and exploitation films.(The interviewees are honest about their lack of quality and admittedly, I have not seen many of his early films. Most of which I have seen are from his New World Pictures period during the 1970's which were in a constant rotation on HBO when I was growing up, thus explaining a lot.) With his low budget films, he has not only given the start to many filmmakers and actors(many of whom require no introduction) but also provided an education as to how make films cheaply outside of the system.(Ironically, he has also featured actors on their way down, too. Whatever works.) Even as the distribution model has changed from drive-ins to straight-to-video to the Syfy channel, he has never stopped working, as footage here shows him working on "Dinoshark" in Puerto Vallarta. Part of what makes his working outside the studio system so important is tackling the material they were unwilling to handle, starting with making films that appealed to the underappreciated youth market in the 1950's. While there was much nudity in his films, he also opened up opportunities for women to fire machine guns. That social conscience would reach its peak with "The Intruder"(which I now want to see) starring William Shatner in his first starring role, about school integration in the south when it was especially timely in 1962. Therefore, a constant refrain in the documentary is that Corman could have made the transition to more prestigious movies(like he did with his Poe adaptations) but that way requires money which leads to compromise which usually means the studios and a lack of control and there are enough cautionary tales on display here to fill a multiplex.

Cast

            Roger Corman as Roger Corman

            Peter Bogdanovich as Peter Bogdanovich

            Polly Platt as Polly Platt

            Joe Dante as Joe Dante

            Jack Nicholson as Jack Nicholson

            Eli Roth as Eli Roth

            Martin Scorsese as Martin Scorsese

            Peter Fonda as Peter Fonda

            Jonathan Demme as Jonathan Demme

            William Shatner as William Shatner

            Quentin Tarantino as Quentin Tarantino

            Pam Grier as Pam Grier

            Ron Howard as Ron Howard

            Robert De Niro as Robert De Niro

            Jonathan Kaplan as Jonathan Kaplan

            Paul W.S. Anderson as Paul W.S. Anderson

            Allan Arkush as Allan Arkush

            Eric Balfour as Eric Balfour

            Paul Bartel as Paul Bartel

            Bob Burns as Bob Burns

            David Carradine as David Carradine

            Gene Corman as Gene Corman

            Julie Corman as Julie Corman

            Bruce Dern as Bruce Dern

            Frances Doel as Frances Doel

            Jonathan Haze as Jonathan Haze

            George Hickenlooper as George Hickenlooper

            Gale Anne Hurd as Gale Anne Hurd

            Irvin Kershner as Irvin Kershner

            Todd McCarthy as Todd McCarthy

            Dick Miller as Dick Miller

            John Sayles as John Sayles

            Tom Sherak as Tom Sherak

            Penelope Spheeris as Penelope Spheeris

            Gary J. Tunnicliffe as Gary J. Tunnicliffe

            Mary Woronov as Mary Woronov

            Jim Wynorski as Jim Wynorski
See full cast