'Little Shop of Horrors' filmmaker dies aged 98

Roger Corman, the prolific B-movie director and producer who launched numerous filmmakers and actors, has died. He was 98.

Corman’s death was confirmed in a statement posted to his official Instagram account early Saturday, saying he died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, surrounded by his family.

“He was generous, outgoing and kind to all who knew him,” said the statement, signed by his wife, Julie Corman, and daughters, Catherine and Mary. “A devoted and selfless father, he was deeply loved by his daughters. His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, reflecting the spirit of a time. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said: ‘I was just a filmmaker.’ The.’ “

Corman was known for completing low-budget films cheaply and quickly, sometimes directing as many as eight in a single year beginning in the 1950s. Perhaps his best-known work was 1960’s The Little Shop of Horrors, a cult film that was later adapted into a stage musical, which was again adapted into a film in 1986 starring Rick Moranis.

Pop Candy:A conversation with filmmaker Roger Corman

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Corman’s other films included Machine-Gun Kelly and Attack of the Crab Monsters, and he made several films based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe, including The Pit and the Pendulum. In 1970 he co-founded the independent production company New World Pictures.

A number of Hollywood directors worked for Corman early in their careers and cited him as a mentor, such as Francis Ford Coppola, whose early film “Dementia 13” was produced by Corman, and James Cameron, who worked on Corman’s “Battle Beyond the Stars.” .” Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson are among the actors who appeared in the early days of the Corman films.

Corman received an honorary Oscar in 2009 and directors Quentin Tarantino and Jonathan Demme paid tribute to him during the ceremony. Tarantino described Corman as a “producer and director like no other in Hollywood history,” while Demme praised his “staggering ability to achieve great success through incredibly low budgets and tight schedules” and noted that he was “one of the first independent American filmmakers.” who did it.” Create work on your own terms and in your own territory.

Pop Candy:Roger Corman starts a YouTube channel

In his acceptance speech, Corman said, “To be successful in this world, you have to take risks.”

“It’s very easy for a major studio or anyone else to repeat their successes and spend tons of money on remakes and special effects-based tentpole franchise films,” he said. “But I believe that the best films being made today are made by original, innovative filmmakers who have the courage to take a chance and take risks.”

“Halloween” director John Carpenter Corman recalled on Roger.”

Also Ron Howard, whose directorial debut “Grand Theft Auto” was produced by Corman remembered him on X as a “great filmmaker and mentor.”

“When I was 23, he gave me my first chance to direct,” Howard said. “He launched many careers and quietly advanced our industry in important ways. Even at 98, he remained sharp, interested and active. I’m grateful to have known him.”

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