Roger Corman, the King of Cult
Long Live the King
Unless you have been trapped on the Plateau of Leng for the last 70 years (or were only recently born), everyone should know who Roger Corman was… perhaps you knew him as a film director or producer or even as an actor (e.g., FBI director in the Silence of the Lambs). Roger was certainly known for his low-budget exploitation films that had the uncanny ability to turn a profit (perhaps he had consulted the witch in Shawn Linden’s short film NOBODY). But honestly, Roger was so much more. Unfortunately for his film devotees, the King of Cult departed his earthly manifestation on May 9, 2024, in Santa Monica, CA, at 98.
I last saw Roger about five years ago, when he was a spry 93-year-old guest of honor at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Oregon. We were at the VIP party at the Crystal Ballroom’s Lola Room in downtown Portland. He was terrific to talk with and full of energy as he chatted with a new generation of filmmakers… gaining energy as he lectured kindly to us pupils on the magical process of making movies.
My favorite memory of that night was when we talked about “opportunistic filming” using low-budget techniques, which Roger was infamously known for with films like Last Woman on Earth, which was part of his “Puerto Rico Trilogy” (a trio of movies shot in Puerto Rico in 1960 because it was cheap to shoot there).
In 2019, a Category 5 Hurricane called Dorian had just inflicted catastrophic damage across the Bahamas a month before. Roger told us he was sending a friend to that area to film a “B-roll” for a script he would probably write on the plane flight back to California! His gears were always turning when it came to film!
We continued to talk while standing for what seemed to be hours (as filmmakers do) until Roger finally said, “Hey guys, I need to sit down to continue our talk!” His enthusiasm for making films was contagious, and we had completely forgotten we were talking with a man in his 90s. We quickly found a place to sit.
That was the fourth and final time I talked with Roger. On each occasion, Roger was always generous and scholarly, a master of practical filmmaking (although I think director John Strysik might say I was shockingly blunt with Roger in our interviews for our book Lurker in the Lobby).
Looking back at Roger’s career, it is crystal clear that he was an incredibly prolific filmmaker. He directed more than 50 feature films before he focused on producing, where he produced over 400 movies!
Because Roger made so many films, many famous filmmakers started their careers with Corman, and that experience became informally known as “The Corman Film School.” Some of Corman’s notable alums include James Cameron (Aliens), Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), and John Sayles (The Howling screenplay), among many others.
What I also found amazing was that Roger graduated from Stanford University in 1947 with an engineering degree but switched to film! He started on the ground floor as a messenger at 20th Century Fox before getting promoted to story analyst. However, he ultimately got frustrated with the Hollywood studio system and started working with independent studios and production companies until he finally started his own, New World Pictures, in 1970.
I was undoubtedly introduced to Roger Corman and Vincent Price through Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe (and sometimes H.P. Lovecraft) based films from the early 1960s and 1970s. Corman directed eight of these, which many consider some of his best:
- House of Usher (1960)
- Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
- The Premature Burial (1962)
- Tales of Terror (1962)
- The Raven (1963)
- The Haunted Palace (1963)
- The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
- The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)
Corman’s work in horror significantly influenced the genre, inspiring future filmmakers (and festival founders such as myself) by expanding the horror cinema experience for us all. His ability to create compelling visuals using color and atmosphere on a limited budget inspired budding filmmakers and made him legendary in Holywood.
Although I am more likely to imagine an ancient, dying universe ruled by mindless, inhuman gods, I would like to imagine an afterlife where Roger Corman is at the helm, directing films to entertain all of those who have descended the steps and entered the Dreamlands.
About the Author
Andrew Migliore is the author of Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H.P. Lovecraft and the founder of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® and CthulhuCon™. During daylight hours, he is the CTO of a healthcare startup; at night, he quietly contemplates the peace and safety of a new dark age.
