As for being a filmmaker at the height of his career, the 60s, he gave many young talents getting into the industry that break. He also helped mentor them to be even more successful than he was. At the time of writing, the outpouring of affection from Ron Howard and John Carpenter say more than what I can put to words. There’s also bound to be more social media posts from other industry leaders. Even the heads from Shout! Studios, an early distributor of his works, have paid tribute.
Although some of his early material was lowbrow affairs, there are others which are more serious. He even attempted to make Marvel Comic’s Fantastic Four (which can easily be found on YouTube), and that deservedly needs to be buried. He even had the rights to make Spider-Man and thankfully, that project never got off the ground. His rise to fame came from his contributions to the horror genre. He adapted Edgar Allan Poe’s best tales and two of his most famous are The Pit and the Pendulum and House of Usher. In addition to those works, there’s also:
- The Premature Burial (1962)
- Tales of Terror (1962)
- The Raven (1963)
- The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
- The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)
They are all worth checking out, and even I’m hard pressed to say which version of Red Death I like more, Corman’s 1964 work or the 1989 take he produced but not direct. To see other works sort of within this cycle and remastered through Film Masters was a blast of the past; the bonus features included helped remind me why Corman is special. He was a tour de force in the entertainment industry, and he’ll be sorely missed. For anyone wanting to sample his works but don’t know where to look, Tubi has a terrific catalogue available to view for free.
Disclaimer: the following are summaries from this company’s website and the headers are linked to my reviews where possible.
The Terror
Though Corman is credited as director, several others took a turn behind the camera, including Nicholson himself, Monte Hellman, and Francis Ford Coppola. Meanwhile, Corman’s more whimsical side is on display in The Little Shop of Horrors. This legendary cult film features a bumbling florist’s assistant who creates a giant plant that craves human blood. The usual Corman stock company is on hand, including Jonathan Haze and Dick Miller, plus a cameo by Nicholson as a dental patient with a high threshold for pain.
Devil’s Partner
Special Bonus Feature: Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961), Corman’s spoof of crime films where a gangster knocks off his crew members, blaming their deaths on a legendary sea monster. These two were often paired as a double-feature during the summer and fall of 1961. Beware of the creature with ping-pong ball eyes!
Also included in this filmmaker’s release are these films:
Beast from Haunted Cave
Special Bonus: Ski Troop Attack (1960). Upon wrapping Beast from Haunted Cave, Corman directed this World War II drama using the same South Dakota location and much of the same cast and crew. For Corman, economy was key!
The Swiss Conspiracy
A Swiss Bank president hires an American investigator to ferret out a group of blackmailers that have been terrorising his clients. Meanwhile, American gangsters hit the streets of Zurich intending to kill a Chicago mob figure, one of the blackmail victims. Other blackmail victims include a beautiful Zurish resident, a Texas businessman, and a wealthy Dutchman. The investigator (David Janssen) identifies four potential suspects, including the bank vice-president’s mistress (Elke Sommer).
Adding to the intrigue is that the Swiss Federal Police suspect the American and are soon making his job more difficult. Ultimately, the investigation leads to the bank paying the chief blackmailer in uncut diamonds, which results in a dramatic showdown in the snow-covered Alps and a surprise revelation. The cast also includes John Saxon, John Ireland, Senta Berger, and Ray Milland.