The legendary film producer, director and distributor Roger Corman passed away over the weekend at the age of 98, and it’s safe to say that Hollywood and the film industry as we know it would not be what it is today without his renegade presence and independent spirit.
Under the American Independent Pictures label, and later his own New World Pictures, Corman directed, produced and distributed many low-budget independent cult films, giving opportunities to up-and-coming filmmakers who would later become great American auteurs, such as Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Joe Dante, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdonavich and many, many more actors, producers and craftspeople. He also distributed many international filmmakers’ work in the United States, including Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman.
To get a sense of Corman’s incredible influence on the industry, the 2011 documentary by Alex Stapleton, “Corman’s World,” is a great primer on the filmmaker’s extensive career and it captures his spirit as well. Rent it on all digital platforms.
It will no doubt inspire a desire to watch some of Corman’s most beloved films, which he both directed and produced, so here’s a rundown of some of the greatest hits and where to stream them.