There are any number of ways to approach the career of Roger Corman: you could focus on his groundbreakingly prolific output as a producer of fast-and-cheap genre films, or detail his mentorship of some of the greatest filmmakers of our time, or simply celebrate the artistry of his excellent Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. Corman’s been around too long and accomplished way too much for one feature-length documentary to thoroughly examine.
But if you want to give viewers a sense of the man and the profound influence he’s had on cinema, you’re not going to do any better than CORMAN’S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL. Featuring lots of well-selected film clips and interviews with the legendary likes of Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Peter Bogdanovich, Polly Platt, Joe Dante, Peter Fonda and many more, this is a rollicking look back at the highs and lows of a life spent making movies. And it works primarily because director Alex Stapleton has a knack for getting her interview subjects to reveal more than perhaps they’d intended. I’ve been reading about this era for years, and there are a multitude of stories in this film that I’ve never heard; it takes a certain kind of skill to knock some of these anecdote-machines off script, and Stapleton’s got it.
Not that I’m surprised. A couple of years ago, I spent a day talking about movies with Stapleton, Bogdanovich and Dante for the cable TV network Ovation. I rarely do on-camera work (for a variety of reasons, chief among them being that I’ve a face for print), so I was remarkably nervous as I sat down to put my “critical” opinion up against the expert considerations of two of my filmmaking heroes. But Stapleton immediately put me at ease, and gracefully worked me into the conversation. By the end of the day… I was still out of my league, but at least I was comfortably out of my league.
In the below interview, Stapleton and I discuss how she convinced Corman to give her a shot, why she chose to focus on certain films over others, and the integral role the late, great Polly Platt played in getting folks to sit down and talk about Roger.
Mr. Beaks: It’s interesting the approach you take in documenting Roger’s career. You could go in a variety of directions, but I like that it’s a very personal overview. The focus is as much on Roger’s career as it is on his role in inspiring all of these amazing filmmakers. How difficult was it to arrive at the shape of the documentary?
Alex Stapleton: The hardest thing I’ve ever bitten off. (Laughs) It was really difficult, because the movie did start out more as a journey through the world of exploitation. I originally envisioned the film to be more of a journey and a ride through all of these great genre movies, and to have fun talking about all of these low budget production stories and whatnot. But as time went on, and as I was actually sitting down with a lot of these filmmakers and a lot of Roger’s protégés I guess you could call them and Roger himself, I just realized that there was so much more to the story. I realized that I could go on and on for hours just talking about women in cages, but what I felt was even bigger was this kind of human story of how much he meant to people and how much he encouraged artists and gave them the confidence to go out there and to make something of themselves. That was priceless and something that is very rare: to have one human being be responsible for so many mentor relationships throughout Hollywood for over six decades, and is still happening right now.
Then the other big thing that happened while we were shooting was that Roger got the Lifetime Achievement from the Academy, so all of a sudden it went from this fun movie of just talking about PIRANHA and BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS to trying to say “He should be taken seriously” to the movie [industry]. He was given the biggest honor that our country gives to filmmakers, so that really changed.
Beaks: I think what’s incredibly rare about his relationship with all of these filmmakers is, in Hollywood, people are friends and then they fall out. It seems like there’s always some controversy or some bitterness. But there’s no bitterness or controversy here. Every single person was so happy to be there for him on that night, and was so happy to talk about him.
Stapleton: It’s very rare, but it makes sense. Roger is very different than maybe a lot of other low-budget, doing-it-for-the-dollar kind of producer that’s out roaming in the pits of the independent film world because Roger… is very honest. He’s very up front about what you are getting into from the beginning, and he’s always been that way. It’s always been like, “Hey, I’m going to have 98% of this pie and you are going to have 2%,” or “You’re going to make three dollars, and you are going to work fifteen-hour days.” You know whatever the setup was; he told you from day one. But what you got was a chance, and what you got was that confidence that you could go and make something. It’s kind of like when Paul Bartel says, “He’s exploiting us, but we are also exploiting him.” There is this mutual thing, and everyone was up front about it. So there’s no reason to get into drama and a negative headspace, because Roger’s not putting a gun up to your head and saying “Make this for nothing.” He’s like, “You are a willing participant.” I think that’s what makes it so different, and how can you fault the guy that gives you the chance?
Beaks: I think in a lot of ways working within those limitations makes you a better filmmaker. You have to be more inventive and resourceful.
Stapleton: And Scorsese I think has my favorite point about this. Scorsese got paid practically nothing to do BOXCAR BERTHA. It was a very strenuous shoot, but he completed a movie under a certain length of time. And what he got that was priceless was he made relationships with his entire Corman posse, so that he could take that and apply it to MEAN STREETS.
Beaks: Speaking of resourceful, how many people know that MEAN STREETS was shot mostly in LA?
Stapleton: Exactly. So those are the things that you get in return, and there’s no price tag that you can put on that.
Beaks: I know that Polly Platt was a really important figure in the making of this documentary. Can you talk about Polly’s involvement and what she meant?
Stapleton: She was a huge part of this film. I was foolishly attempting to try to do this movie on my own for a little bit, and when I first contacted Roger and he said yes, I quickly realized that that was going to be impossible. (Laughs) Yeah, it was just foolish. I got the movie set up in Los Angeles, hooked up with a production company, a real legit production company, got real financing and everything was roses. And I was literally in the airport flying to LA to get started when Roger called me said, “Well, there’s another filmmaker who wants to do a documentary about me.” And this filmmaker was an Academy Award winning filmmaker who also started with Roger and was very famous. He was like, “I think that you guys can work together. I have to go. Bye.” I’m like “Wow, okay…” I’ve just hit the jackpot and I’m going to start this movie and get it into high gear, and one of the producers from that project calls me and he’s like, “Yeah, stay in Brooklyn. You can’t compete with this guy. Are you serious?” I’m freaking out. I call Roger back, and I’m like, “Yeah, they’re not going to work with me… surprise, surprise. Roger, come on. You’ve got to let me make this film!” He tried to skirt away from it, and then I just started crying. (Laughs) I didn’t know what to do, and I was like bawling on the phone. I’m like, “Remember when you were in your late twenties, and you just needed somebody to take a chance on you? That’s where I am. I’m going to do the best movie. You will have my guts poured into this film.” It was really important that I wanted to make a movie that wasn’t just highlighting that he discovered a bunch of famous people; I kind of felt like that’s what this Hollywood version of the movie would be. And he’s like, “Okay, stop crying. I gave you my word that you could do this movie first, so it’s yours.” That was just insane, but he said “Under one condition. I really want you to meet Polly Platt. She’s involved with this other film. She’s a really great lady and I think that you and her will be quick friends.” So I met with her, and Polly of course had no idea that I was simultaneously trying to do my own thing. She was like “What do you need me to do? You’ve got me.” So she came on board and she personally wrote to like every person that we were trying to interview. She wrote to all of them and vouched for the movie; she was the person that I think really legitimized [the film]. I had no help from Roger - which is great, because there should be a separation between Church and State. But she was the person that I think really legitimized the film to this kind of Hollywood community of people that you can’t penetrate through.
Beaks: When did you get Scorsese?
Stapleton: Scorsese was an early interview actually. He was one of the first to come on board. The years are all muddled up in my head, but it was the end of 2009. He had just finished SHUTTER ISLAND.
Beaks: You’ve got to be incredibly proud of the interview you did with Jack Nicholson; it’s one of the most revealing I’ve ever seen him give. How did you land that interview, and how long was it?
Stapleton: It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I was originally set to only get twenty minutes with him, and I was freaking out. I’m like, “What do I ask this guy?” When he said yes, and it was actually happening, I kind of thought “I’ll just get a few sound bytes from him, and that’s all this is going to be.” But it wasn’t. He didn’t want to leave, so we were with him for hours. His assistant even came downstairs to try to get him, like to give him an exit plan, and he said, “No, I want to stay.” He was so excited. I think he had so much built up energy; he doesn’t ever do these on-camera interviews, so it was oozing out of him, all of these stories that he was just so into sharing. A lot of it was Roger related, and a lot of it were just stories that were happening to him during that twelve-year period leading up to EASY RIDER. Some of the stuff was him and Monty [Hellman] making THE SHOOTING and RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND that Roger produced; they ran out of money, and then Roger was like “You guys, it’s coming out of your salary. Sorry.” Then there’s this great story of him coming back from being on location and begging Roger for a little bit more money, and Roger was like, “Okay fine, but you guys better not be making some art movies.” And of course they were! (Laughs) It was just lots and lots of great stories that I’m so happy to have captured on film. The producers on this movie, we all worked tirelessly to get him to say yes. We had probably twelve different people approaching him. The Lakers won [the NBA Championship], which was awesome and I think probably had a big hand in him saying yes. I’m not sure what tipped him over completely, but once I was there… I like to keep the shoot very small; there’s only myself and two other people in the room ever, and I think he just felt very comfortable. I mean he came to the interview in his house slippers, a white t-shirt and some khakis. He was just lounging, and that’s how it feels. I think he just felt really comfortable. And towards the end, I guess the emotion just got the best of him. We were literally wrapping up the conversation, and he was like, “I hope he doesn’t think this is all hot air.” He was making a joke, and he just started crying. It was a really special moment, and I think it was his way of communicating directly. This was between him and Roger.
Beaks: Were there any films or interviews that didn’t make the final cut that you wish were still in the movie?
Stapleton: Oh my God, yeah.
Beaks: What were some of the highlights?
Stapleton: I hate talking about this, because it’s so depressing. There’s a lot of sad babies that didn’t make this movie. I think two things specifically: one is X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES. I feel like a failure that I couldn’t incorporate that movie in some way; it’s an iconic Corman film. Unfortunately, he made that movie during the part of the film when we are in the 1960s, the turbulent 1960s, and I was really trying to pick movies that coincided with where he was in life and what was happening in this country. So we start the ‘60s with THE INTRUDER, and then we go on to THE WILD ANGELS and THE TRIP, and there just wasn’t room. THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES didn’t have a lot of ‘60s social messaging in it, so it got cut.
I think the biggest story/interview that was cut from the movie that was really sad was that of David Crosby, son of Floyd Crosby who shot all of Roger’s movies. Floyd Crosby also won the first Academy Award for cinematography with TABU. Has a master in cinematography, and he could not get a job to save his life. He was blacklisted by Hollywood all because he had liberal European friends and Roger was the only guy that would hire him. That’s why the movies, even though they were low budget and Roger didn’t know what he was doing when he first started, that’s why they kind of worked. Floyd was driving TEENAGE CAVEMAN and ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS and all of these films. It’s a piece that will go into the DVD extras.
Beaks: Have you watched the film with Roger? If so, how did that go?
Stapleton: Oh god, that was scary. I watched it with one of my producers, Stone Douglass, and I dug my nails into Stone’s skin when we were watching it. I was really nervous because it took me five years to make the movie, and I kept so much away from Roger. I didn’t want him to be involved with knowing the day-to-day of who I had booked. He didn’t know any of that. I think that Roger thought that I was totally out of my mind, because it took me so many years to make the film, but I remember when the lights went up and he turned around, and… you know, he had just seen Jack cry. I think that he was really emotional. There was this really small window, very small window, where before he could even give any technical director-y kind of notes, he was speechless. I don’t think that he realized… he’s so humble, and I don’t think it’s ever been presented under one umbrella all of these people coming together to pay respect to him. I think it must have been overwhelming for him to go through and also see his wife talk about him on camera. And then go through the Academy Awards thing all over again. That lasted for like thirty seconds, and then he was like, “I think you could take ten minutes out of the film.” (Laughs)
CORMAN’S WORLD is currently playing at the Village East Cinema in New York City and the Nuart in Los Angeles. Don't miss it!
Faithfully submitted,
Mr. Beaks
