Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” premiering in theaters around the world on October 20, 2023. Courtesy of AppleTV+
In the 1920s, the people of the Osage Nation became the richest people on earth after oil was discovered under their supposedly worthless land. The money drew ambitious white men and not long after, Osage began to die in a series of suspicious deaths, some of which were clearly murder. Based on journalist David Grann’s bestselling non-fiction book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” Martin Scorsese’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON turns that non-fiction book into drama that combines elements of romance, mystery, and the history of the 1920s Osage murders, in an epic Western thriller starring Leo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone.
Grann’s non-fiction book details these killings and suspicious deaths, which occurred as fortune-hunting white men found that marrying Osage women was a way to access the Osage Nation’s wealth. Their arrival was followed by a series of brutal, mysterious deaths, first noticed in 1921, but continuing for a long time with little investigation by the local authorities charged with overseeing law enforcement on tribal lands.
Scorsese turns this horrendous bit of history into an epic tale of evil, greed and deceit set in a sweeping Western landscape with one of unexpected love, in a visually lush, moving, tragic film. The film was a hit a Cannes, where it debuted out of competition. The film has resonated with both critics and audiences, but the most positive responses seem to come from those who read the bestselling non-fiction book. There is no need to have read the book to follow the story but it seems that having done so might deepen understanding of the Osage Nation’s plight. Scorsese’s film focuses primarily on this one story, while the non-fiction book takes a broader view.
Scorsese’ movie follows the deaths in one particular Osage family, of which Mollie Kyle is one daughter of the ailing matriarch, played by legendary Native actresses Tantoo Cardinal. Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns from World War I with a war injury that limits the kind of physical work he can do, and comes to stay with his uncle William Hale (Robert DeNiro), known as King, hoping to find work. The uncle has a prosperous ranch within the Osage reservation but his land has no oil. Having lived there so long, King Hale has established friendly ties with the Osage Nation, and even speaks the language, but he is also a powerful man some fear. King sees an opportunity with his handsome but not-too-bright young nephew, and before long he is hinting that his nephew might want to marry one of the Osage women, and even offers some advice when speaking to them.
Ernest listens politely but doesn’t entirely buy his uncle’s idea. Still, in addition to doing odd jobs for his uncle while living in his mansion, Ernest also drives an informal taxi service since most of the Osage don’t drive. While richer Osage have chauffeurs but others just hire taxis like Ernest’s. Waiting for potential fares, he spots and taken by one pretty young Osage woman, Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone). She coolly rebuffs his offer, and his flirtatious advances. Yet, later when she does need a ride and he again badgers her to let him drive her, she begrudgingly gives in.
She remains stand-offish during the ride but over the next days, his persistence and good humor start to amuse her, and she softens. “He’s dumb but he’s handsome,” she tells her sister, shortly before she invites him to dinner at her home, a mansion she shares with her aging mother Lizzie Q (Tantoo Cardinal).
Ernest is truly smitten almost from the start and Mollie eventually falls for him too. The love match certainly is convenient for the uncle who has his own plan for his nephew’s new wife and her family.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro are excellent, essentially playing against type with DiCaprio’s dimwitted Ernest manipulated by DeNiro’s Machiavellian uncle. But the big revelation is Lily Gladstone, in what may be a star-making performance. Scorsese cast Native actors in several roles as Osage, including Lily Gladstone, who is of Piegan Blackfeet and Nez Perce heritage and grew up on the Blackfeet reservation, but she is also a cousin of British former prime minister William Gladstone. She gave standout performances in small roles in two Kelly Reichert films, CERTAIN WOMEN and FIRST COW, but this larger starring part gives her a chance to really shine. And shine she does, nearly stealing the movie from her more famous costars.
Robert DeNiro’s uncle King is all sweetness and solicitousness when dealing with the Osage, and even his nephew Ernest, most of the time, but he can forcefully, frighteningly pivot if he doesn’t get his way. Even in his smiling mode, DeNiro’s King has an underlying current of menace. The Osage deal with him as a friend in public but when just among themselves, there is fear and growing suspicion. Ernest isn’t the only white man to marry into Mollie’s family, and the family trait of diabetes means that Mollie, her mother and one sister are often sickly, in this pre-insulin era. DiCaprio’s Ernest gives mixed messages about who he is and his true motives, seeming to truly waver between good and bad, although we are never certain, and perhaps Ernest isn’t either.
But as people start to turn up dead, even in Mollie’s family, in freak accidents and even clear murdered but with no suspect found, things grow tense and then frantic. The Osage leaders know the community is under attack but are powerless to stop it.
Several messages and messengers are sent to the federal government back east, alerting them to the murders, with little effect. Finally a representative of the newly-formed FBI appears, in the form of seemingly mild-manner official, played well by Jesse Plemons.
Epic is the right word to describe this drama, as this film runs about three and a half hours. However, the film is so well structured, so involving and gripping, and so perfectly paced, that one does not feel the running time.
The photography is stunning, as are the costumes and careful attention to period details, making the film both an immersive experience and visually pleasing. In an opening scene, oil gushes from the ground, spewing over some Osage men transversing the windswept plain, symbolicly covering them. In another moment, a huge fire fills the screen in a nighttime scene, creating a horrifying image that mirrors the growing panic of the Osage people under attack by the hidden foe. Eventually tTension is so thick as the drama unfolds that both the characters and the audience are on edge.
Scorsese also skillfully uses a number of period-appropriate techniques to give us a strong sense of time and place for this moving drama. These include written text in a form that resembles title cards in silent movies of the era, newspaper headlines and newsreel footage in movie theaters referencing the Tulsa Massacre, which overlapped these events, and period appropriate jazz, blues and old-time country music. Towards the end, Scorsese uses a radio drama format in a thrillingly effective scene.
One does not have to have read the excellent non-fiction book to follow this tale of love, betrayal and murder, but having read the book deepens one’s understanding of the history it depicts. The film only lightly touches on details such as that Osage were among the peoples relocated to what would become Oklahoma in the Trail of Tears tragedy. Like the Cherokee, the Osage had made a decision to partly assimilate while retaining parts of their culture, in their own fashion, trading with the white economy and adopting some of white culture such as a written language. The hope was to avoid the annihilation happening to other Native peoples, by becoming “civilized” and working in partnership with whites.
The drama unfolds in stages, smoothly shifting at each step, first a romance and family drama, then a crime drama and mystery, then a courtroom drama. At each pivot point, the characters develop and transform, revealing more of their true nature or being changed by events. The end is both heart breaking and exactly as it should be. It all adds up to a stunning piece of cinema on a unjustly forgotten moment of in the long history of injustices toward Native peoples. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON is a masterpiece movie by a master filmmaker, which seems a likely Oscar winner.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON opens in theaters on Friday, Oct. 20.
At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Also starring Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, based on David Grann’s best-selling book.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions and Appian Way. Producers are Martin Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Daniel Lupi, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Sommer, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer and Niels Juul serving as executive producers.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” will premiere in theaters around the world, including IMAX® theatres, on October 20th, 2023.
Advance Screening is 6:30PM on Tuesday, October 17th at B&B West Olive – Creve Coeur (5PM SUGGESTED ARRIVAL)
Apple TV has released a brand new trailer for director Martin Scorsese’s KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON.
His upcoming film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Tatanka Means, Michael Abbot Jr., Pat Healy, Scott Shepard, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson.
At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Also starring Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, based on David Grann’s best-selling book.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions and Appian Way. Producers are Martin Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Daniel Lupi, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Sommer, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer and Niels Juul serving as executive producers.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON will premiere in select theaters on October 6, 2023 and wide on October 20, 2023 before streaming globally on Apple TV+.
Apple Original Films today unveiled the teaser trailer for Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated feature “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 20, “Killers of the Flower Moon” will be released exclusively in theaters worldwide, in partnership with Paramount Pictures, limited on Friday, October 6, and wide on Friday, October 20, before its global debut on Apple TV+.
Directed by Scorsese and written for the screen by Eric Roth and Scorsese, based on David Grann’s best-selling book of the same name, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion and Tantoo Cardinal.
At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Also starring Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is directed by Academy Award winner Scorsese from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Scorsese, based on David Grann’s bestselling book.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions and Appian Way. Producers are Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Daniel Lupi, with DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Somner, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer and Niels Juul serving as executive producers.
To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have earned 365 wins and 1,452 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese behind the scenes of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” coming soon to Apple TV+.
Here’s your first look at KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON from Apple Original Films. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone.
Gray Horse, Oklahoma 1919. DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, and Gladstone appears as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman who falls in love with Ernest. Early in their relationship, Mollie invites him in for a meal and they form a bond.
A native of Montana, Lily Gladstone is of Blackfeet and Nez Perce descent. She made her film debut in Alex and Andrew Smith’s “Winter in the Blood,” and has recently appeared on Showtime’s “Billions,” as well as Kelly Reichert’s features “Certain Women” and “First Cow.”
Hailing from Apple Studios and directed and produced by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is based on David Grann’s highly praised best-seller. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, “Killers of the Flower Moon” depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” also stars Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons as well as Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Jason Isbell, Louis Cancelmi, Scott Shepherd, Sturgill Simpson and many others.
Scorsese produces and directs “Killers of the Flower Moon” for Apple Studios from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Scorsese. Producing alongside Scorsese is Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Appian Way Productions.
This Sunday, join a Q&A with legendary director/producer Roger Corman. It celebrates the 60th anniversary of HOUSE OF USHER, which was released on June 22, 1960. The Q&A will be moderated by Vincent Price experts Victoria Price & Peter Fuller. The event is Sunday 21 June (11.30am PDT, 2:20pm EST, 1:30 CT) You can ask Roger a question. Roger Corman is known as ‘King of the B’s’, a Hollywood legend who’s discovered so much talent and gave so many future directors and actors their starts, that he has to be considered a one-man movie industry. Reseve your seat for this event with a ticket HERE
Roger Corman has directed more than 50 low-budget drive-in classics, produced and/or distributed 450 more, and helped the careers of hundreds of young people breaking into the industry. A partial list: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Irvin Kershner, Monte Hellman, Peter Bogdanovich, Gail Ann Hurd, James Cameron, Jonathan Kaplan, Joe Dante, Robert Towne. Considering Corman’s own films, Jonathan Demme has stated. “Roger is arguably the greatest independent filmmaker the American film industry has seen and probably ever will see.”
Happy 94th Birthday to a legend! Roger Corman has directed more than 50 low-budget drive-in classics, produced and/or distributed 450 more, and helped the careers of hundreds of young people breaking into the industry. A partial list: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Irvin Kershner, Monte Hellman, Peter Bogdanovich, Gail Ann Hurd, James Cameron, Jonathan Kaplan, Joe Dante, Robert Towne. Considering Corman’s own films, Jonathan Demme has stated. “Roger is arguably the greatest independent filmmaker the American film industry has seen and probably ever will see.” We Are Movie Geeks has taken a look at Corman’s career and here are what we think are the ten best films that he has directed:
HONORABLE MENTION. THE PREMATURE BURIAL
THE PREMATURE BURIAL (1962) is the ‘odd man out’ among the series of Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations because of the absence of Vincent Price (Corman began this project at a different studio while Price was under contract at American International). Ray Milland was instead cast as the paranoid and cataleptic Guy Correll, a 19th-century English nobleman convinced that hereditary catalepsy will cause him to be buried alive. While Price’s flamboyant theatrics are missed, Milland’s low-key anxiety as man teetering on the edge of mental collapse works fine for the material. A sequence where Milland, trapped immobile in a coffin looking up and hoping the mourners will see his open eyes, is particularly nightmarish as is the film’s dream centerpiece. With its lavish sets and impenetrable fog, THE PREMATURE BURIAL is unmistakably a Corman production and the stunning Hazel Court is, as always, absolutely wonderful in the female lead. Milland and Corman reteamed the following year for X, THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES, a film Corman considered among his very best.
10. BLOODY MAMA
“A family that slays together stays together!”was the tagline for BLOODY MAMA, Corman’s loose 1970 account of Ma Barker and her gang of rural depression-era criminal offspring. Shelly Winters, indulging in some bold over-the-top overacting, was born to play Ma, who, after dumping her weak husband, takes her hillbilly brood off on a brutal crime spree of killing, raping, kidnapping, and torture (Winters had played the spoofish Ma Parker on Batman three years earlier). BLOODY MAMA is a squalid whitetrash crime melodrama that packs one hell of a mean and lingering punch and is one of the most sadistic films from the Corman canon, a perverse mix of murder, incest, bloodshed, family bonding, and action. Corman inserts a good deal of social commentary on America at that time and directs a strong cast including Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, and a young Robert DeNiro who sniffs glue like there’s no tomorrow. Though historically far from accurate (the real Ma Barker never participated in her son’s crimes and her legend as the gang’s leader was fabricated by the FBI to justify her eventual killing), BLOODY MAMA is an entertaining lesson in family psychology peppered with machine gun fire.
9. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Long before the off-Broadway Ashman/Meinken musical, the Frank Oz directed film of said work, and the Fox Kids TV show there was this seventy minute 1960 black and white comedy classic. And it all kind of stemmed from a bet that producer/director Roger Corman made . A fellow at the studio showed him a storefront set that would be taken down in two weeks. Corman told him he could use it in a film. In two weeks? No way , the studio guy said. Corman bet him that not only could he come up with a movie idea in that time, but he could shoot it in two days. He brainstormed overnight with frequent screenwriter Charles Griffith, they hammered out a script , and Roger shot it in two days ( and one night ). This second entry in Corman’s ‘black humor trilogy’ begins at a run- down skid row flower shop owner by the tightwad tyrant Gravis Mushik ( you gotta love these Yiddish sounding names! ) played by Mel Welles. Sweeping the floors there is lowly employee Seymour Krelboin ( Jonathan Haze ) who yearns for the lovely cashier/clerk Audrey ( Jackie Joseph ). Aside from Burson Fouch ( Dick Miller ) who purchases single flowers that he devours with a pinch of salt, they have no customers. Seymour shows Mushnik a strange hybrid plant that he is cultivating. Maybe putting this weird plant in the front window will inspire some walk-in traffic. When it doesn’t respond to soil supplements and water, Seymour stays at the shop trying to nurture the plant to grow. When he accidentally cuts his finger, a few drop of blood falls onto the bud. Then it grows and blooms. For the next few nights, he pricks his fingers to feed it. Finally he’s all bleed out. The plant will have none of this and becomes vocal and demanding: “Feeed me! Feed me! Bring on the chow!”. Seems it, Audrey Jr. ( after his unrequited love ), has to have human flesh and blood! Corman piles on the laughs here-from the pseudo-Dragnet narration to the wild, bellowing plant to a hilarious appearance by a very young Jack Nicholson as the masochistic( had they ever been shown in movies before? ) dental groupie Wilbur Force. This is one dark ( almost pitch black ) comedy. Who’d have ever thought that this would be adapted into a musical that’s become a staple of schools the world over?
8. BUCKET OF BLOOD
In 1959 Roger Corman produced and directed the first of his ‘black humor trilogy’ for American International Pictures, A BUCKET OF BLOOD. For this black and white sixty six minute gem Corman explored the seedy world of coffee houses to take a satirical look at modern art and those proto-hippies: beatniks. Previously these bearded and bereted jazz lovers were spoofed in the musical FUNNY FACE and they would later inspire the beloved TV character Maynard G. Krebbs on the Dobie Gillis show. The movie centers on the slow-witted schlub Walter Paisley ( Corman regular Dick Miller ), a bus boy at a coffee house/ art gallery who wants to impress the beautiful Carla ( Barboura Morris ). He decides to turn to sculpting with poor results. Out of frustration he flings his modeling knife out the window accidentally killing a stray alley cat. Then a light bulb go on above his head. He covers the cat in clay and passes it off as his art. The beatniks there are impressed as is Carla. Unfortunately One of the patrons shows his appreciation by giving the art sensation a herbal gift. Undercover cop Lou ( future TV game show host Bert Convy ) sees this and follows Walter back to his apartment/studio to arrest him for possession of ‘reefer’. Paisley panics when Lou pulls out his revolver and smashes the cop with a frying pan. What to do? Another sculpture! As Walter becomes more popular he seeks out more ‘subjects’ to put together a big art show. BUCKET OF BLOOD boasts a very funny script by frequent collaborator Charles Griffith, a great jazzy score from Fred Katz ( later the pianist at Chicago’s Second City Cabaret ), and a great cast of supporting players ( Corman regulars Anthony Carbone and Ed Nelson ). Viewers expecting a brutal thriller from the title might be surprised by the delightful satire that Corman concocted. Or should I say sculpted?
7. WILD ANGELS
After years of shooting on enclosed sets for the AIP Poe films, Roger Corman needed a change; he wanted to shoot films on location, using open spaces and existing houses as sets. He got his wish with the film that’s generally credited as launching an entire genre of biker films in the 1960s and 70s. Compared to all the copies that followed, Corman’s WILD ANGELS (1966) set a high standard for chopper action, sexy motorcycle mamas, drugs, and brutal violence. Peter Fonda stars as gang leader Blues, whose one desire in life is to be “free to ride, .. get loaded, and party without being hassled by the man”. Along for the ride are fellow bikers Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, and Gayle Hunnicutt (I love that the prettiest biker chick has the scar on her face!). Some of actual members of the Venice Chapter of the Hell’s Angels also are in the movie as extras, though some of the real Angels later sued Corman after the film was released, as they perceived the movie portrayed them in a negative light. From its opening shots of Fonda riding his chopper, to its climactic funeral party, with its general tone of anarchy and rebellion, WILD ANGELS still packs a visceral punch for moviegoers. Corman regards this movie, along with THE TRIP and EASY RIDER, to be the three seminal counterculture films of the decade. Who are we to argue?
6. MACHINE GUN KELLY
Corman gave Charles Bronson his first starring role in the low budget gangster bio MACHINE GUN KELLY (1958) as a hardened criminal who always has his Thompson machine gun in hand and the fear of death on his mind. The most interesting thing about watching MACHINE GUN KELLY today is seeing a relatively young Bronson (actually he was 37) give the type of performance he wouldn’t give after he became a megastar; that of a smiling, fast-talking ladies’ man (and watch him tease a caged lion!). This was one of the first films to gain Corman international recognition and acclaim, due in part to his crisp and efficient directorial style and also a symbolism-heavy script that focused on the psychological mind of a criminal. It was Corman’s idea to film the story of Kelly, a real-life thug who coined the term ‘G-Men’ but ended up surrendering meekly to authorities and later died in prison. Susan Cabot, who played the moll who was the driving force behind Kelly’s exploits as well as the title character in Corman’s THE WASP WOMAN (1959), was bludgeoned to death by her own son in 1986.
5. X – THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES
Next to Vincent Price, one of Roger Corman’s favorite performers was Ray Milland. With his old Hollywood star power and sometimes brooding screen presence, Milland could carry a film and gave standout performances regardless of budget or studio. In X – THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES (1963), Corman’s rumination on the dangers of too much scientific knowledge, Milland does not disappoint. Appearing in nearly every scene, Milland plays Dr. Xavier, a research scientist on the verge of a breakthrough to enhance visual abilities. We watch as the obsessed Dr. Xavier descends into the depths of the world he created. Originally the Xavier character was a musician, and this gave the story an oblique anti-drug theme. Some of those elements remain, but the movie’s themes are solidly in the realm of “be careful what you wish for” science fiction, technology vs. religion, and the limits to mankind’s quest for knowledge. Don Rickles, in his screen debut, also shines as a sleazy promoter. Made during a busy time when Corman was at his creative peak (he made four other films that same year), X holds up well today. Highly regarded by many critics (Stephen King wrote about it), what Corman called his “low budget Greek tragedy” is a compelling little gem with something to say.
4. THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1962)
Not much of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story which shares its title is on screen besides the eponymous torture device, but thanks to a deft screenplay by Richard Matheson, a pitch-perfect performance by Vincent Price, sure handed direction by Roger Corman, and the inspired casting of Barbara Steele, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is an epic helping of gothic grand guignol that deserves its place on the top of this list. Vincent Price’s Don Medina is a much more lively than his Roderick Usher form the previous year. Price was often accused of overacting, but his frantic scenery-chewing was the correct style for this material. The casting of the otherworldly Barbara Steele shows that American International was properly impressed with her horror debut in the previous year’s BLACK SUNDAY (as they should have been), the Italian film they distributed and this was her stateside debut. Steele is something to behold in THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, slinking and smirking like a deranged cat around the torture chamber, driving Price and the audience to delirium. Steele wasn’t long for Hollywood though. She fled the set of an Elvis film the next year and returned to Europe where she starred in a string of unparalleled gothic horrors. Corman’s camera stays in time to the berserk performances of his two horror stars, as he experiments with odd lens techniques and hallucinatory framing and you’d never guess that THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM was shot on for only $200,000 as it is consistently dazzling to look at with spooky color camerawork by Floyd Crosby and imposing art design by Daniel Haller. Stock footage of the climactic torture sequence would later find its way into the 1966 spy spoof DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE, which also starred Vincent Price as well as GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI (also 1966). THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is a fantastic and fascinating viewing experience that just keeps getting better with age.
3. THE TRIP
Until 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was released the following year, Corman’s uniquely weird THE TRIP (1967) was unofficially the most psychedelic film ever. Taking advantage of the keen interest at the time in both the drug culture and the hippie movement, Corman received a wonderfully wacked-out script from Jack Nicholson (yes, the Oscar-winning actor) and assembled a first-rate cast of young talent (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, and Susan Strasberg). Utilizing ground-breaking effects, with in-camera lighting, image projection, and post-optical work creating wild visuals of spiraling symbols and eddys of color, plus then-novel rapid editing techniques, Corman created a snapshot of 1960s counterculture that has rarely been equaled. The plot is simple: a young director of TV commercials (Fonda) is going through a bittersweet divorce from wife Strasberg (stunningly sexy and beautiful in a nearly silent role). About 10 minutes into the film, Fonda drops acid, and the entire rest of the movie chronicles his experiences-both real and LSD-induced ‘trip’. What follows is outlandishly colorful fashions, body paint, and lots of hippie slang (the word ‘man’ ends every other sentence). Corman also continues his desire, after years of the claustrophobic Poe films, to shoot more in open, natural settings and locations, like the Big Sur scenery here. Corman even manages to sneak in some horror film imagery during Fonda’s drug-induced dreams. And if anyone doubts the reality of the 60s culture, Corman notes that the houses chosen as sets were redressed very little, if at all. In other words, people actually used to live like that! Upon its release, the film was considered controversial for its sex and nudity (tame by today’s standards), and for its perceived pro-drug themes. Corman claims he tried to balance both the positive and negative aspects of LSD, and was upset when the studio added a ‘disclaimer’ at the beginning of the film without his knowledge or consent. A must-see for both fans of Corman and 1960s cinema, this TRIP is groovy!
2. THE INTRUDER
Ironic that so near the top of this list is the only of his movies that Corman claims lost money, but THE INTRUDER, a timely look at school desegregation in the South, is his most unusual and visionary film, far too truthful and bold for U.S. audiences in 1961 and one that gets better with age. William Shatner gives a hugely charismatic performance as Adam Cramer, a cocky racist agitator who travels the South in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision, stirring up protests and riots and organizing white citizens groups with himself as their leader. Cramer arrives in a small town (filmed in the bootheel of Missouri) where the local white high school is about to get its first black students and manipulates the townsfolk, taking control of the debate and agenda, and turning an already-tense situation into a riot. THE INTRUDER flopped in its U.S. release despite reissues under the titles SHAME and I HATE YOUR GUTS. Segregation was no doubt a touchy topic at the time, but few directors would have had guts to release a film like this, and it took a maverick like Corman to do so. There’s no sugar coating of the subject of racism in THE INTRUDER. Charles Beaumont’s startling script pulls no punches and it was Europe where it was initially received as the daring and well-made film that it is. THE INTRUDER is a masterpiece by any measure and a cult classic still ripe for rediscovery.
1. THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)
The final entry in Roger Corman & Vincent Price’s six-film cycle of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, THE TOMB OF LIGEIA was never a favorite to kids because of its lack of overt horror elements and its focus on gothic romance. The years have been very good to LIGEIA, now considered to be the most ambitious and mature film in the series and Price himself is on record as saying it was the best of his eight Corman collaborations. Price played British aristocrat Verden Fell, who believes his wife Ligeia, who’d committed suicide, will return from the grave and that her spirit has entered a cat. He meets Lady Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd), her spitting image, and the two marry, opening the doorway for Ligeia’s revenge. Corman and crew returned to England after filming the previous entry, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH there, filming LIGEIA at the crumbling Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk, and the film benefits from the lack of stagy, claustrophobic studio sets that marked the rest of the series. In fact, the first twenty minutes takes place in the bright outdoors and that Fell has a medical aversion to sunlight seems appropriate, almost like they were cleverly building on what had gone on in the previous films. Elizabeth Shepherd was a beautiful and talented actress who had been hired to replace Honor Blackman on “The Avengers” TV series as the first Emma Peel but was fired and replaced with Diana Rigg before audiences were able to see her in action. Her Rowena is more fleshed out than any female character in the Price/Corman/Poe series. Unlike the morose, downcast women of the earlier films, Ms Shepherd wears a smile throughout much of the proceedings that grows more sinister as the story progresses, though her character isn’t immune from the same fate as most Poe women. It’s mostly a two-person drama and Ms Shepherd holds her own against Price, who’s at his most anguished. Screenwriter Robert Towne, who would go on to win an Oscar nine years later for CHINATOWN, provided a genuine, if suggestive, ghost story with a sense of realism missing from the earlier Poe films. Corman employed Arthur Grant, longtime director of photography for many Hammer horror films, including THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF and FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED and Grant utilizes the English countryside in ways he did not for Hammer.
Presenting Roger Corman the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Vincentennial, the Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration in May of 2011 in St. Louis
This is the ‘big one”. Really, there may be no other way to truly describe this new epic from one of the modern masters of cinema. Sure, the rumors are indeed true, it clocks in at three and a half hours. Mind you, it harkens back to the fabulous double features that played the golden age of movie palaces (theatre just couldn’t convey their splendor). But, how odd is it that this film’s main producer is the home-streaming service Netflix. However, this is a work deserving of the full screen, all-encompassing sound experience, because, after those 219 minutes pass, you’ll likely think, “More, please”. That’s the sign of a true artist. We’re talking of a filmmaker, who has been creating over 50 years: Martin Scorsese. He’s returning to some familiar territory, perhaps completing an incredible “trilogy”. And it’s all about outlaws. MEAN STREETS profiled the “low-level” street gangs, and the much later GANGS OF NEW YORK looked at the historical origins of the crime-breaking clubs of the late 1800s. But, these aren’t Scorsese’s supreme explorations of real-life organized crime lords. The trilogy really begins with 1990’s GOODFELLAS, then heads west five years later for CASINO. Now, almost 25 years later, Scorsese is back on his old “turf” with a pair of his most celebrated actors (and an iconic “newbie”) to tell the decades-spanning story of THE IRISHMAN.
The title nickname belongs to Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), who we first see in his “twilight years”, before we quickly flashback to 1975 as he begins a multi-state auto trip with his wife and his mentor/boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and his wife (Mr. B hates flying, but enjoys a long drive if he’s not behind the wheel). A gas stop sends Frank’s thoughts back another twenty years or so when he was driving an air-cooled truck full of beef and had engine troubles near the same spot. A stranger (who later turns out to be Russell) helps him get back on the road. Eventually, the lure of easy money compels Frank to sell off some of his cargo (under the table stuff). When the meat company accuses him of thievery, Franks goes to his union’s lawyer Bill (Ray Romano). After getting Frank acquitted, Bill introduces him to his not-so-distant relative Russell, who, in turn, introduces Frank to his boss, the mob “captain” Angelo Bruno (Harvey Keitel). Since Frank has a wife and daughters to feed he begins to do “after hours” jobs for Mr. Bruno as a “house painter” (mob code for hitman). Frank’s loyalty earns him a call (and “painting job”) from the powerful president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). As the years roll on, Frank and Jimmy become inseparable with Frank as his main bodyguard, while Jimmy becomes a surrogate uncle to the Sheeran girls. But Jimmy has his rivals, especially Anthony “little guy” Provenzano (Stephen Graham) who desire more power, and easy no-interest loans from the union’s coffers. After a stint in prison (AKA “going to school”), Hoffa tries to regain his old “throne”, but rumors of “squealing” to the “feds”, put Frank in a tough spot. This leads to one of the 20th century’s greatest mysteries. The film explores the impact of Frank’s actions on history and more immediately, his family, particularly estranged daughter Peggy (Anna Paquin). Can Frank return to a normal life, once he’s “out” of the house painting biz?
Scorsese puts his most frequent and oldest artistic partner (his muse, perhaps), DeNiro front and center of this tale that spans many decades. You could say that Sheeran is a gangster riff on FORREST GUMP, as he seems to be a witness (and occasional participant) in much of history, often rubbing elbows (or rubbing out) historical figures. Most of all, he is the dutiful soldier who carries out the orders and does the “dirty jobs” though he may wince and bow his head in remorse and regret. But he somehow remains true to his twisted moral code, often a stoic knight in service of his king (the mob kingpins). It isn’t until the last 30 minutes or so, the dour epilogue when De Niro truly delivers and shows us a heartbreaking vulnerability as time takes its toll. De Niro’s frequent acting partner, Joe Pesci, returns to the screen as the wizened, “calm at the center of the storm” Russell who is far from the hair-triggered “wildmen” he played in CASINO and GOODFELLAS (which nabbed him an Oscar). He’s quiet, but his stern gaze can stop any goon in his tracks. His tight-lipped demeanor works well with his equally “all business” superior Keitel as Bruno. The flashiest “showie-est” role belongs to the often bombastic Pacino, who finds just the right “balance” as the colorful “workin’ man’s best pal” Hoffa. Too often in recent years, Pacino has almost become a bellowing, growling caricature, but under the guidance of Scorsese, his actorly excesses are kept in check until we see him as Hoffa “working the crowds” into a frenzy with his pro-labor rallies. And he’s just as entertaining when showing Hoffa’s quirks, whether it’s his hatred for tardiness or his love of chocolate sundaes, washed down with a cold Canada Dry ginger ale. If there’s any justice, Pacino’s take on this “flat-topped” pitbull should nab him a Supporting Actor nom (and maybe a win). Romano does a great job as the “legal eagle” as does another comedian, Sebastian Maniscalco, as a famous mobster. Ditto for the terrific Graham who goes “mano y mano” with Hoffa. And though she has few lines, Paquin is haunting as the unblinking daughter who is a reminder of Frank’s many misdeeds.
Speaking of reminders, of course, many viewers will contrast and compare this to the director’s iconic classics. But what really resonates is how he’s put a fresh “spin” on the genre, much as Scorsese did nearly thirty years ago. We know that he’ll get the period “look” , from the classic cars to the fashions, and the pop culture nods, including tunes blaring from radios and jukeboxes, to the entertainers (including a tribute to a funnyman from a previous flick), and even an establishing shot straight out of a TV staple (we boomers will smile at that helicopter zoom over the ocean and into a Florida mecca). Oh, and that “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” adage is disproven, by this master’s embracing of new technology (aside from the film’s producers). Using the latest in computer enhancement, De Niro and company get “digital facelifts” as good as any recent Marvel movie (yeah, we’ve heard Mr. S’s comments about those recent hits), enabling the same actors to see the characters through the ages, and not have to be replaced by “look-alikes” during flashbacks, or encumbered in an “Muthusala-mask” for the final act. Which brings us to another new facet of this mob story, thanks largely to Steve Zaillian’s provocative screenplay adaptation, the idea of the “survivor”, or the last enforcer left, when time becomes an adversary they can’t “lean on” or “muscle”. We’re shown how these near-unstoppable men finally are stopped, asking for help and sympathy from family, and being denied and often forgotten with their new routines more soul-crushing than any prison (or “school”). These sequences are given an extra dramatic jolt by Robbie Robertson’s music score (stick around for his original tune over the end credits) and the superb editing of Thelma Schoonmaker. Her gifts shine especially in the riveting doses of violence, from a late-night hit at an NYC eatery to the “roughing up” of a grocer during broad daylight (think of Sonny Corleone and his brother-in-law). and it’s all given a nostalgic glow by the cinematography of Rodrigo Prieto. Add this to the long, impressive list of Scorsese classics. THE IRISHMAN is one of the year’s best.
THE IRISHMAN (2019)
Ray Ramano (Bill Bufalino ) Al Pacino (Jimmy Hoffa) and Robert De Niro (Frank Sheeran)
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s THE IRISHMAN, an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics.
Here’s your first look at the phenomenal first trailer for THE IRISHMAN.
THE IRISHMAN will be in theaters and on Netflix Fall 2019.
Happy 92nd Birthday to a legend! Roger Corman has directed more than 50 low-budget drive-in classics, produced and/or distributed 450 more, and helped the careers of hundreds of young people breaking into the industry. A partial list: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Irvin Kershner, Monte Hellman, Peter Bogdanovich, Gail Ann Hurd, James Cameron, Jonathan Kaplan, Joe Dante, Robert Towne. Considering Corman’s own films, Jonathan Demme has stated. “Roger is arguably the greatest independent filmmaker the American film industry has seen and probably ever will see.” We Are Movie Geeks has taken a look at Corman’s career and here are what we think are the ten best films that he has directed:
HONORABLE MENTION. THE PREMATURE BURIAL
THE PREMATURE BURIAL (1962) is the ‘odd man out’ among the series of Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations because of the absence of Vincent Price (Corman began this project at a different studio while Price was under contract at American International). Ray Milland was instead cast as the paranoid and cataleptic Guy Correll, a 19th-century English nobleman convinced that hereditary catalepsy will cause him to be buried alive. While Price’s flamboyant theatrics are missed, Milland’s low-key anxiety as man teetering on the edge of mental collapse works fine for the material. A sequence where Milland, trapped immobile in a coffin looking up and hoping the mourners will see his open eyes, is particularly nightmarish as is the film’s dream centerpiece. With its lavish sets and impenetrable fog, THE PREMATURE BURIAL is unmistakably a Corman production and the stunning Hazel Court is, as always, absolutely wonderful in the female lead. Milland and Corman reteamed the following year for X, THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES, a film Corman considered among his very best.
10. BLOODY MAMA
“A family that slays together stays together!”was the tagline for BLOODY MAMA, Corman’s loose 1970 account of Ma Barker and her gang of rural depression-era criminal offspring. Shelly Winters, indulging in some bold over-the-top overacting, was born to play Ma, who, after dumping her weak husband, takes her hillbilly brood off on a brutal crime spree of killing, raping, kidnapping, and torture (Winters had played the spoofish Ma Parker on Batman three years earlier). BLOODY MAMA is a squalid whitetrash crime melodrama that packs one hell of a mean and lingering punch and is one of the most sadistic films from the Corman canon, a perverse mix of murder, incest, bloodshed, family bonding, and action. Corman inserts a good deal of social commentary on America at that time and directs a strong cast including Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, and a young Robert DeNiro who sniffs glue like there’s no tomorrow. Though historically far from accurate (the real Ma Barker never participated in her son’s crimes and her legend as the gang’s leader was fabricated by the FBI to justify her eventual killing), BLOODY MAMA is an entertaining lesson in family psychology peppered with machine gun fire.
9. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Long before the off-Broadway Ashman/Meinken musical, the Frank Oz directed film of said work, and the Fox Kids TV show there was this seventy minute 1960 black and white comedy classic. And it all kind of stemmed from a bet that producer/director Roger Corman made . A fellow at the studio showed him a storefront set that would be taken down in two weeks. Corman told him he could use it in a film. In two weeks? No way , the studio guy said. Corman bet him that not only could he come up with a movie idea in that time, but he could shoot it in two days. He brainstormed overnight with frequent screenwriter Charles Griffith, they hammered out a script , and Roger shot it in two days ( and one night ). This second entry in Corman’s ‘black humor trilogy’ begins at a run- down skid row flower shop owner by the tightwad tyrant Gravis Mushik ( you gotta love these Yiddish sounding names! ) played by Mel Welles. Sweeping the floors there is lowly employee Seymour Krelboin ( Jonathan Haze ) who yearns for the lovely cashier/clerk Audrey ( Jackie Joseph ). Aside from Burson Fouch ( Dick Miller ) who purchases single flowers that he devours with a pinch of salt, they have no customers. Seymour shows Mushnik a strange hybrid plant that he is cultivating. Maybe putting this weird plant in the front window will inspire some walk-in traffic. When it doesn’t respond to soil supplements and water, Seymour stays at the shop trying to nurture the plant to grow. When he accidentally cuts his finger, a few drop of blood falls onto the bud. Then it grows and blooms. For the next few nights, he pricks his fingers to feed it. Finally he’s all bleed out. The plant will have none of this and becomes vocal and demanding: “Feeed me! Feed me! Bring on the chow!”. Seems it, Audrey Jr. ( after his unrequited love ), has to have human flesh and blood! Corman piles on the laughs here-from the pseudo-Dragnet narration to the wild, bellowing plant to a hilarious appearance by a very young Jack Nicholson as the masochistic( had they ever been shown in movies before? ) dental groupie Wilbur Force. This is one dark ( almost pitch black ) comedy. Who’d have ever thought that this would be adapted into a musical that’s become a staple of schools the world over?
8. BUCKET OF BLOOD
In 1959 Roger Corman produced and directed the first of his ‘black humor trilogy’ for American International Pictures, A BUCKET OF BLOOD. For this black and white sixty six minute gem Corman explored the seedy world of coffee houses to take a satirical look at modern art and those proto-hippies: beatniks. Previously these bearded and bereted jazz lovers were spoofed in the musical FUNNY FACE and they would later inspire the beloved TV character Maynard G. Krebbs on the Dobie Gillis show. The movie centers on the slow-witted schlub Walter Paisley ( Corman regular Dick Miller ), a bus boy at a coffee house/ art gallery who wants to impress the beautiful Carla ( Barboura Morris ). He decides to turn to sculpting with poor results. Out of frustration he flings his modeling knife out the window accidentally killing a stray alley cat. Then a light bulb go on above his head. He covers the cat in clay and passes it off as his art. The beatniks there are impressed as is Carla. Unfortunately One of the patrons shows his appreciation by giving the art sensation a herbal gift. Undercover cop Lou ( future TV game show host Bert Convy ) sees this and follows Walter back to his apartment/studio to arrest him for possession of ‘reefer’. Paisley panics when Lou pulls out his revolver and smashes the cop with a frying pan. What to do? Another sculpture! As Walter becomes more popular he seeks out more ‘subjects’ to put together a big art show. BUCKET OF BLOOD boasts a very funny script by frequent collaborator Charles Griffith, a great jazzy score from Fred Katz ( later the pianist at Chicago’s Second City Cabaret ), and a great cast of supporting players ( Corman regulars Anthony Carbone and Ed Nelson ). Viewers expecting a brutal thriller from the title might be surprised by the delightful satire that Corman concocted. Or should I say sculpted?
7. WILD ANGELS
After years of shooting on enclosed sets for the AIP Poe films, Roger Corman needed a change; he wanted to shoot films on location, using open spaces and existing houses as sets. He got his wish with the film that’s generally credited as launching an entire genre of biker films in the 1960s and 70s. Compared to all the copies that followed, Corman’s WILD ANGELS (1966) set a high standard for chopper action, sexy motorcycle mamas, drugs, and brutal violence. Peter Fonda stars as gang leader Blues, whose one desire in life is to be “free to ride, .. get loaded, and party without being hassled by the man”. Along for the ride are fellow bikers Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, and Gayle Hunnicutt (I love that the prettiest biker chick has the scar on her face!). Some of actual members of the Venice Chapter of the Hell’s Angels also are in the movie as extras, though some of the real Angels later sued Corman after the film was released, as they perceived the movie portrayed them in a negative light. From its opening shots of Fonda riding his chopper, to its climactic funeral party, with its general tone of anarchy and rebellion, WILD ANGELS still packs a visceral punch for moviegoers. Corman regards this movie, along with THE TRIP and EASY RIDER, to be the three seminal counterculture films of the decade. Who are we to argue?
6. MACHINE GUN KELLY
Corman gave Charles Bronson his first starring role in the low budget gangster bio MACHINE GUN KELLY (1958) as a hardened criminal who always has his Thompson machine gun in hand and the fear of death on his mind. The most interesting thing about watching MACHINE GUN KELLY today is seeing a relatively young Bronson (actually he was 37) give the type of performance he wouldn’t give after he became a megastar; that of a smiling, fast-talking ladies’ man (and watch him tease a caged lion!). This was one of the first films to gain Corman international recognition and acclaim, due in part to his crisp and efficient directorial style and also a symbolism-heavy script that focused on the psychological mind of a criminal. It was Corman’s idea to film the story of Kelly, a real-life thug who coined the term ‘G-Men’ but ended up surrendering meekly to authorities and later died in prison. Susan Cabot, who played the moll who was the driving force behind Kelly’s exploits as well as the title character in Corman’s THE WASP WOMAN (1959), was bludgeoned to death by her own son in 1986.
5. X – THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES
Next to Vincent Price, one of Roger Corman’s favorite performers was Ray Milland. With his old Hollywood star power and sometimes brooding screen presence, Milland could carry a film and gave standout performances regardless of budget or studio. In X – THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES (1963), Corman’s rumination on the dangers of too much scientific knowledge, Milland does not disappoint. Appearing in nearly every scene, Milland plays Dr. Xavier, a research scientist on the verge of a breakthrough to enhance visual abilities. We watch as the obsessed Dr. Xavier descends into the depths of the world he created. Originally the Xavier character was a musician, and this gave the story an oblique anti-drug theme. Some of those elements remain, but the movie’s themes are solidly in the realm of “be careful what you wish for” science fiction, technology vs. religion, and the limits to mankind’s quest for knowledge. Don Rickles, in his screen debut, also shines as a sleazy promoter. Made during a busy time when Corman was at his creative peak (he made four other films that same year), X holds up well today. Highly regarded by many critics (Stephen King wrote about it), what Corman called his “low budget Greek tragedy” is a compelling little gem with something to say.
4. THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1962)
Not much of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story which shares its title is on screen besides the eponymous torture device, but thanks to a deft screenplay by Richard Matheson, a pitch-perfect performance by Vincent Price, sure handed direction by Roger Corman, and the inspired casting of Barbara Steele, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is an epic helping of gothic grand guignol that deserves its place on the top of this list. Vincent Price’s Don Medina is a much more lively than his Roderick Usher form the previous year. Price was often accused of overacting, but his frantic scenery-chewing was the correct style for this material. The casting of the otherworldly Barbara Steele shows that American International was properly impressed with her horror debut in the previous year’s BLACK SUNDAY (as they should have been), the Italian film they distributed and this was her stateside debut. Steele is something to behold in THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, slinking and smirking like a deranged cat around the torture chamber, driving Price and the audience to delirium. Steele wasn’t long for Hollywood though. She fled the set of an Elvis film the next year and returned to Europe where she starred in a string of unparalleled gothic horrors. Corman’s camera stays in time to the berserk performances of his two horror stars, as he experiments with odd lens techniques and hallucinatory framing and you’d never guess that THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM was shot on for only $200,000 as it is consistently dazzling to look at with spooky color camerawork by Floyd Crosby and imposing art design by Daniel Haller. Stock footage of the climactic torture sequence would later find its way into the 1966 spy spoof DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE, which also starred Vincent Price as well as GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI (also 1966). THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is a fantastic and fascinating viewing experience that just keeps getting better with age.
3. THE TRIP
Until 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was released the following year, Corman’s uniquely weird THE TRIP (1967) was unofficially the most psychedelic film ever. Taking advantage of the keen interest at the time in both the drug culture and the hippie movement, Corman received a wonderfully wacked-out script from Jack Nicholson (yes, the Oscar-winning actor) and assembled a first-rate cast of young talent (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, and Susan Strasberg). Utilizing ground-breaking effects, with in-camera lighting, image projection, and post-optical work creating wild visuals of spiraling symbols and eddys of color, plus then-novel rapid editing techniques, Corman created a snapshot of 1960s counterculture that has rarely been equaled. The plot is simple: a young director of TV commercials (Fonda) is going through a bittersweet divorce from wife Strasberg (stunningly sexy and beautiful in a nearly silent role). About 10 minutes into the film, Fonda drops acid, and the entire rest of the movie chronicles his experiences-both real and LSD-induced ‘trip’. What follows is outlandishly colorful fashions, body paint, and lots of hippie slang (the word ‘man’ ends every other sentence). Corman also continues his desire, after years of the claustrophobic Poe films, to shoot more in open, natural settings and locations, like the Big Sur scenery here. Corman even manages to sneak in some horror film imagery during Fonda’s drug-induced dreams. And if anyone doubts the reality of the 60s culture, Corman notes that the houses chosen as sets were redressed very little, if at all. In other words, people actually used to live like that! Upon its release, the film was considered controversial for its sex and nudity (tame by today’s standards), and for its perceived pro-drug themes. Corman claims he tried to balance both the positive and negative aspects of LSD, and was upset when the studio added a ‘disclaimer’ at the beginning of the film without his knowledge or consent. A must-see for both fans of Corman and 1960s cinema, this TRIP is groovy!
2. THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)
The final entry in Roger Corman & Vincent Price’s six-film cycle of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, THE TOMB OF LIGEIA was never a favorite to kids because of its lack of overt horror elements and its focus on gothic romance. The years have been very good to LIGEIA, now considered to be the most ambitious and mature film in the series and Price himself is on record as saying it was the best of his eight Corman collaborations. Price played British aristocrat Verden Fell, who believes his wife Ligeia, who’d committed suicide, will return from the grave and that her spirit has entered a cat. He meets Lady Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd), her spitting image, and the two marry, opening the doorway for Ligeia’s revenge. Corman and crew returned to England after filming the previous entry, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH there, filming LIGEIA at the crumbling Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk, and the film benefits from the lack of stagy, claustrophobic studio sets that marked the rest of the series. In fact, the first twenty minutes takes place in the bright outdoors and that Fell has a medical aversion to sunlight seems appropriate, almost like they were cleverly building on what had gone on in the previous films. Elizabeth Shepherd was a beautiful and talented actress who had been hired to replace Honor Blackman on “The Avengers” TV series as the first Emma Peel but was fired and replaced with Diana Rigg before audiences were able to see her in action. Her Rowena is more fleshed out than any female character in the Price/Corman/Poe series. Unlike the morose, downcast women of the earlier films, Ms Shepherd wears a smile throughout much of the proceedings that grows more sinister as the story progresses, though her character isn’t immune from the same fate as most Poe women. It’s mostly a two-person drama and Ms Shepherd holds her own against Price, who’s at his most anguished. Screenwriter Robert Towne, who would go on to win an Oscar nine years later for CHINATOWN, provided a genuine, if suggestive, ghost story with a sense of realism missing from the earlier Poe films. Corman employed Arthur Grant, longtime director of photography for many Hammer horror films, including THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF and FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED and Grant utilizes the English countryside in ways he did not for Hammer.
1. THE INTRUDER
Ironic that topping this list is the only of his movies that Corman claims lost money, but THE INTRUDER, a timely look at school desegregation in the South, is his most unusual and visionary film, far too truthful and bold for U.S. audiences in 1961 and one that gets better with age. William Shatner gives a hugely charismatic performance as Adam Cramer, a cocky racist agitator who travels the South in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision, stirring up protests and riots and organizing white citizens groups with himself as their leader. Cramer arrives in a small town (filmed in the bootheel of Missouri) where the local white high school is about to get its first black students and manipulates the townsfolk, taking control of the debate and agenda, and turning an already-tense situation into a riot. THE INTRUDER flopped in its U.S. release despite reissues under the titles SHAME and I HATE YOUR GUTS. Segregation was no doubt a touchy topic at the time, but few directors would have had guts to release a film like this, and it took a maverick like Corman to do so. There’s no sugar coating of the subject of racism in THE INTRUDER. Charles Beaumont’s startling script pulls no punches and it was Europe where it was initially received as the daring and well-made film that it is. THE INTRUDER is a masterpiece by any measure and a cult classic still ripe for rediscovery.
Presenting Roger Corman the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Vincentennial, the Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration in May of 2011 in St. Louis
