Corman alumni, john sayles, martin scorsese, jack nicholson, vincent price, francis ford coppola, peter bogdanovich, peter fonda, joe dante, and jonathan demme, among others,contribute their recollections to give added perspective to corman s often hilarious, always informative autobiography. Sayles learned his dollar sense in the late 70s as a writer for new world pictures, the roger corman factory of lowbudget exploiters that produced such alumni as peter bogdanovich, jonathan demme. Roger corman, in full roger william corman, born april 5, 1926, detroit, michigan, u. John sayles the movies that made me trailers from hell. He accepted roger corman s offer to rewrite piranha, and then more genre assignments for corman s new world pictures the lady in red and. A conversation with roger corman at the overlook film festival. In these pages roger corman, the most successful independent filmmaker in hollywood relates his experiences as the director andor producer of such lowbudget classics attack of the crab monsters, the little shop of horrors, the raven, the man with the xray eyes, the wild angels, the trip, night call nurses, bloody mama, piranha, and many others. John sayles is a filmmaker who likes to take risks. An occasional actor, corman typically appeared in the films of those whose careers he had helped. Roger corman with jim jerome, how i made a hundred movies in hollywood and never lost a dime. Scripts for genre movies like roger cormans piranha earned him cash for his own, starting in 1980. John sayles declares that he wrote it because he wished such a book had been around when he was trying to learn how to make movies. Much of corman s work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of lowbudget cult films adapted from the tales of edgar allan poe. John thomas sayles born september 28, 1950 is an american independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist.
Soles and the ramones rock the hallways of vince lombardi high, it offers up dizzying bursts of quintessential corman. His early screenwriting effortsseveral of which were written for roger corman, including piranha 1978 and battle beyond the stars 1980were genre exercises that sayles loaded with literary and cinematic references. Scorsese, stallone, sayles, and other alisters talk about the. He wrote stories and submitted them to various magazines, and the atlantic monthly gave him the idea of publishing them in a novelthus pride of the bimbos 1975 was born. Robinson wes craven johns novel yellow earth robert forster s podcast episode hill street blues tv. If you write a movie for roger corman, quote by john. The money he made writing scripts for corman allowed him to fund his first film, return of the secaucus 7. Beverly gray film director roger corman, the original king of the exploitation film, has filled his movies with images of bloodsucking vampires, rampaging biker gangs, vigilante strippers, and abducting aliens. A williams grad in 1972, he shunned a corporate career to work various bluecollar jobs, moving to east boston to take a factory job. Roger corman is 92, being sued by his sons, and keeps.
Beverly gray s scholarly book on roger corman is not only a complete look at the phenomenon of this extraordinary independent film maker, it is an absorbing peek into a unique era in motion picture history. His film men with guns 1997 was nominated for the golden globe for best foreign language. May 01, 20 crab monsters, teenage cavemen, and candy stripe nurses is an outrageously rollicking account of the life and career of roger cormanone of the most prolific and successful independent producers, directors, and writers of all time, and selfproclaimed king of the b movie. John thomas sayles born september 28, 1950 is an american independent film director. Crab monsters, teenage cavemen, and candy stripe nurses. This is a very informative book about the career of roger corman king of the b movies and a must read for anybody who wishes to become a filmmaker. As the market changed, so did cormans focus, but he remains active.
Roger made sure that he could book a womens prison movie in. His movies, including the brother from another planet, the secret of roan inish, and lone star. Roger corman is the stuff of legend a oneman production army who kicked off his filmmaking career in 1948 as a messenger on the fox lot. An unauthorized biography of the godfather of indie filmmaking, a combative but insightful new book by cormans. This book is an enjoyable read with lots of terrific pictures, movie posters and screen shots from roger cormans long and still going career as of april, 2016. John sayles, american movie director, screenwriter, novelist, and actor who since the 1980s has been among the most prominent independent filmmakers in the united states.
John sayles has 37 books on goodreads with 7810 ratings. He has twice been nominated for the academy award for best original screenplay, for passion fish 1992 and lone star 1996. After making his start as an actor and published author, john sayles first entered filmmaking as a prolific screenwriter for lowbudget producer roger corman, writing the scripts for piranha 1978. John sayles before become an acclaimed screenwriter and director on his own, sayles wrote his earliest film scripts for corman 1978s piranha, 1979s the. After hollywood boulevard, i made piranha, which was written by john sayles. His early screenwriting effortsseveral of which were written for roger corman. Apr 15, 2016 by mary johnson, renfreu neff, jim mercurio and david f. By mary johnson, renfreu neff, jim mercurio and david f. He wrote stories and submitted them to various magazines, and the atlantic monthly gave him the idea of publishing them in a novelthus pride of. Martin scorsese, james cameron, joe dante, john sayles and more.
Judged as a read, as a piece of writing, sayles book is often woeful. He served his time as a galley slave for roger corman and. The only reason i give it 4 stars is because it only covers his career up to 1990. Quotations by john sayles, american director, born september 28, 1950. After making his start as an actor and published author, john sayles first entered filmmaking as a prolific screenwriter for lowbudget producer roger corman, writing the. See more ideas about john sayles, design and logos. He served his time as a galley slave for roger corman and others. From the very beginning he was a tireless worker, volunteering to come in on saturdays so that he could learn the business fast. Smiths booklength interview with independent filmmaker john sayles. This book is written in a question and answer style with gavin smith and includes discussions of 3 of his novels, 10 of his films and plus several screenplays that he did for roger corman and others. His tv work on the series shannons deal is also covered. A new e book on legendary bmovie filmmaker roger corman will soon be released.
Nov, 2009 john sayles before become an acclaimed screenwriter and director on his own, sayles wrote his earliest film scripts for corman 1978s piranha, 1979s the lady in red, and 1980s battle. Sayles first published story, i80 nebraska, won an o. Parlaying his fees as a screenwriter of mainstream hollywood films into funding for his own ambitious filmmaking. Much of cormans work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of lowbudget cult films adapted from the tales of edgar allan poe admired by members of the. The powersthatbe hire a group of mercenaries, headed by george peppard, to protect the planet from. If you write a movie for roger corman, its going to get made. Interviewing john sayles is like having office hours with a brilliant professor. John sayles california state university, sacramento. The convention on tv, it was all this, morning in america, sayles said.
In 1977, when john sayles arrived in hollywood with his script of eight men out, his only point of penetration into the film industry, despite his publications and writing awards, was through the exploitation doorway. These writings culminated in his first novel, the pride of the bimbos. The secret of roan inish, sayles started his film career working with roger corman. Scorsese, stallone, sayles, and other alisters talk. He has been called the pope of pop cinema and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. A bright child, john sayles began reading novels before age 9. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Corman shot machine gun kelly 1958 starring newcomer charles bronson in just 10 days. Theres a reason he wrote a book titled how i made a. Peter bogdanovich, jonathan demme, ron howard, john sayles, gale. Roger corman is 92, being sued by his sons, and keeps making. What is sometimes overlooked is that he was also responsible for launching the film making careers of such luminaries as francis ford coppola, martin scorsese, jonathan demme, john sayles, james cameron, jack nicholson, peter fonda, and sylvester stallone.
The powersthatbe hire a group of mercenaries, headed by george peppard, to protect the planet from harm. He accepted roger cormans offer to rewrite piranha, and then more genre assignments for cormans new world pictures the lady. Like doctorow, sayles provides numerous details of the period he depicts, culled from the research he did for his book a moment in the sun. He created an oeuvre in which the personal and the political intersect at the heart of the american experience. Bloodsucking vampires, flesheating cockroaches, and driller killers is the best book on the subject, the subject being the most unique american studio head in film history. The new republic sent sayles to detroit in the summer of 1980 to cover the republican national convention that nominated ronald reagan. Corman, as a director andor producer, is credited with starting andor mentoring the careers of many nowfamous film directors, such as jonathan demme, francis ford coppola, ron howard, john sayles, james cameron, joe dante, and martin scorsese, and writers such as robert towne and john sayles. Buy how i made a hundred movies in hollywood and never lost a dime 1st da capo press ed by roger corman, jim jerome isbn. How i made a hundred movies in hollywood and never lost a. Corman alumnijohn sayles, martin scorsese, jack nicholson, vincent price, francis ford coppola, peter bogdanovich, peter fonda, joe dante, and jonathan demme, among otherscontribute their recollections to give added perspective to cormans often hilarious, always informative autobiography.
The harshest insult in the book is to call a filmmaker workmanlike, but with american. Mel welles, who created the character of gravis mushnik in the original little shop of horrors 1960. Much of corman s work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of lowbudget cult films adapted from the tales of edgar allan poe roger corman. Piranha was written by john sayles, who had been discovered by cormans story editor, frances doel. Later forhire screenwriting projects included the howling 1981, the quick and the dead 1995, and the alamo 2004. Sayles began writing for roger cormans new world pictures, a factorylike production house known for its horror and exploitation films.
John sayles if you write a movie for roger corman, its. John sayles, book signing a moment in the sun book. He was going to make a film of couples, a novel by john updike for united artists, and in from a script by richard schupe, but. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers. It is also a great companion piece to roger cormans autobiography, how i made one hundred movies in hollywood and never lost a dime. Smiths book length interview with independent filmmaker john sayles chronicles sayless start as a novelist union dues, 1977, was nominated for a national book award, his apprenticeship writing horror scripts the howling, 1980 for producer roger corman, occasional work as an actor and a playwright, a sojourn writing television and. Roger corman is a hollywood movie making legend in his own lifetime. John sayles, book signing a moment in the sun bsc literature 1. In 1970 corman left aip and formed new world pictures, an independent company that produced and distributed the work of such young artists as john sayles, martin scorsese, joe dante, jonathan demme, and james cameron. Graduates of the corman film school include producers jon davison and gale anne hurd. Beverly gray really paints a nuanced picture of corman and never panders to the fans, the haters, or her old boss corman himself. A peaceloving planet is attacked by malevolent aliens. John sayles, in full john thomas sayles, born september 28, 1950, schenectady, new york, u.