Product Details

• Actors: Roger Corman
• Directors: Alex Stapleton
• Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Dubbed: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: ANCHOR BAY
• DVD Release Date: March 27, 2012
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B006QS9OES
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,548 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL is a tantalizing and star-studded tribute to Roger Corman, Hollywood's most prolific writer-director producer, and seminal influencing force in modern moviemaking over the last 60 years. Featuring interviews with Hollywood icons and cinematic luminaries, some who launched their careers within Corman's unforgettable world of filmmaking, including, Paul W.S. Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert DeNiro, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Martin Scorcese, William Shatner and many others, this documentary chronicles how Corman created his cult film empire, one low-budget success at a time, capitalizing on undiscovered talent, and pushing the boundaries of independent filmmaking.

Director Alex Stapleton weaves archival footage following Roger's illustrious career: From his early days of genre-defining classics including the original Fast and Furious, the original Little Shop of Horrors, The Crybaby Killer, The Intruder, House of Usher, and The Wild Angels (which at that point in 1966 was his 100th film) -- with present day video of him and his wife Julie on location still at work as they continue to produce and distribute films outside the studio system: fast, cheap and out-of-this-world!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fitting And Star-Studded Tribute To A True Indie Movie Maverick March 23, 2012

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Movie-making maverick Roger Corman gets his due in the fun and enlightening new documentary "Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel." One of my contemporary pet peeves is how everyone tells me they love movies, but then those same people have no sense of cinema history. I believe that to really love something, you have to have an understanding of it beyond what plays at the local mall! Corman is the classic example of someone who has always worked on the periphery of the traditional entertainment system, but who has left an indelible legacy within the film community. And I will pay Alex Stapleton's film the highest compliment: It made me want to go back and watch and/or re-watch a lot of films. From his cheesy low-budget films of the fifties, to a counter-culture leader in the sixties, to the master of exploitation in the seventies--Corman may not have always made good films, but he definitely seemed to have a pulse on what appealed to popular audiences. I think it's fair to say that he is the definition of indie film.

If you have no idea who Roger Corman is and you claim to love movies, this is an easy recommendation. And if you are already a fan, this is an easy recommendation. While Corman's film contributions have been marginalized over recent years (now he tends to lend his name to SyFy network creature feature mash-ups. Some are campy delights, some are dreadful) he is finally getting the respect that is his due. A well deserved Honorary Oscar ceremony was attended by some of the industry's biggest names--most of which got their start with Corman. Here is a sampling of talent that owe a career debt to Corman: Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, and Peter Bogdanovich. Were it not for Corman's school of hard-knocks, some of most influential films of the late sixties and early seventies would not have been made (films that truly contributed to the evolution of the movie industry).

The sure test of Corman's enduring legacy is the fact that so many of these A-listers agreed to participate in this documentary. There are tons of insightful interviews (including an uncharacteristically emotional Nicholson), but what is better is the non-stop onslaught of film clips. Looking at the clips, I was transported to various times in my life and I both laughed and cringed at some of the dreadful guilty pleasures that I've enjoyed. But amidst the silliness, there are quite a few gems as well. "Corman's World" is a fitting tribute. Reacquaint yourself with Corman's filmography and you will surely be scavenging to catch up on titles long forgotten. I know I am. Fun all around. A 4 Star documentary with a 5 Star subject, I've got round up for Corman. KGHarris, 3/12.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars CORMAN'S WORLD? HARDLY! June 13, 2012

By Richard Masloski

Format:DVD

If someone had absolutely no idea who Roger Corman was, they would only get a fleeting and far-from-complete notion of him from this DVD. With way too much emphasis on his more recent, direct-to-video schlock one would hardly know that this amazing man is actually responsible for many, many very good movies! Why waste so much time on sleazy crap like DINOSHARK when Mr. Corman is responsible for both producing AND directing a damn good movie like FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND? We see the poster for X - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES behind Mr. Corman in several of the interview segments - yet learn zip about it - or PREMATURE BURIAL or ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE or VON RICHTOFEN AND BROWN or SECRET INVASION and so many more fine films. The Vincent Price/Poe cycle is barely touched upon. More time is spent in this documentary razzing the notoriously bad THE TERROR than praising any of the truly wonderful Poe films. On the sole basis of this documentary, Mr.Corman comes across as merely a slightly more evolved Ed Wood Jr. But the truth is Corman has true artistic talent - and not just for predicting and capitalizing on cinematic trends or being the godfather to so many talents that soared beyond the stratosphere and on to the stars that they eventually became whilst Roger Corman remained earth-bound. Make no mistake about it. The man is an artist.

The luminaries who are interviewed for this documentary are mostly wasted. The majority of them have very little to say. Robert DeNiro is gone in the blink of an eye. Why was Bob Burns even bothered? Quentin Tarantino's contribution is mostly stock. Unless I blinked and missed something, why is there no mention from Peter Bogdanovich of Mr. Corman's pivotal role in the making of TARGETS, the film that launched Bogdanovich's directing career? And where is Ron Howard walking to during his interview - and why does he end up in a graveyard? Where is a whisper of DEMENTIA 13, the film that launched Francis Ford Coppola's career? Where is a whisper of the names of Vincent Price and Boris Karloff?

Corman's World? Hardly. More like a small slice of it...and not the best slice of it at that!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Part of His World Anyway December 18, 2012

By Kort TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Any fan of the prolific B-movie mogul Mr. Roger Corman should enjoy this bio-pic/documentary about his life and career. It focuses mainly on his early films and later work, and skims over those in between. Unfortunately, some of those were some of my favorites, like Battle Beyond The Stars. Aside from that though, this was an enjoyable documentary about a film-maker who played by his own rules and did things outside the studio system that had never been attempted before. He was the first real indy film maker on the Hollywood scene as it were. There are a lot of big name actors featured in this documentary, and it was fun to discover some who I hadn't realized had got there big breaks in Roger Corman films. If that sounds at all interesting to you, then you'd likely enjoy this incomplete biography of one of Tinsel Town's most innovative and off-beat film makers.

~ Kort