lwe3207@acf4.UUCP (05/14/84)
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I'm surprised no one has commented on this one yet.
I saw it the other day in a nihilistic mood -- I wasn't in a sufficiently
cheerful mood to be upset by the moderate gore and tragedy -- just enjoyed
the movie for the most part.
Suburbia is a punk re-make of Rebel Without A Cause, with perhaps slight
elements of West Side Story. The RWAC similarities are that a little kid
buys it, there is a pretty girl, an identifiable anti-hero, and a cop who
plays almost exactly the same role as Fred McMurray (?) in RWAC. The WSS
similarities are the existence of fighting and music.
Of course, the movie has many original features. It is somewhat
manipulative and simple, but not entirely unrealistic, and very Californian.
The manipulative elements were on the level with a Walt Disney teen ("young
adult") film production -- what do they call their teen movie outfit? On
the other hand, has the atmosphere of a number of 60's movies I have seen
which were slightly strange and set around LA. As forthe punk, I definitely
wanted to go out find some slam-dancing somewhere.
What other movies has Roger Corman done?? The name is very familiar, I
just can't place it.
Altogether, low-budget, but kind of workmanlike and straightforward. More
like watching a play, not a slick production.
-- Lars Ericson
............!cmcl2!csd1!ericsonmsc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) (05/15/84)
> What other movies has Roger Corman done?? The name is very familiar, I > just can't place it. What indeed! Roger Corman through his company, New World Pictures, is the king of the B horror movies (Leslie Halliwell refers to them as grade Z movies). As director his credits feature such classics as: House of Usher (1960) The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) The Raven (1963) The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Since turning producer he has given many now famous directors their first chance including (if memory serves me correctly) a certain Francis Ford Coppola. Anyone remember what the film was called? -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@qubix.UUCP, decwrl!qubix!msc@Berkeley.ARPA ...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{ittvax,amd70}!qubix!msc "I'm a citizen of the Universe, and a gentleman to boot!"
upstill@ucbvax.UUCP (05/15/84)
Roger Corman is the "King of the B's", an exploitation filmmaker who
started out making drivein fodder (Monster movies, beach-blanket flicks,
Poe adaptations) in the 1950's , and has been on pretty much the same track
ever since. He stopped directing in 1970 to form New World Pictures, which
he recently sold to some SoCal consortium or other. He is well-known not
only for flagrant exploitation and doing much (relatively) with nil budgets,
but for giving a number of young filmmakers their start: Francis Coppola,
Martin Scorcese, Paul ("Eating Raoul") Bartels, Joe ("The Howling", "Gremlins")
Dante, Allan ("Get Crazy") Arkush and many others made their first pictures
with him.
Besides cheapness and sleaze, Corman made one superb, serious film,
"The Intruder", a 1960's social-consciousness film in which William Shatner
(!?!) plays a racist who comes into a small Southern town to rouse the
rabble against the integration of the local high school.
The review of Suburbia didn't mention whether Corman had directed or
just produced. If directed, this is news I'd like to hear.
Steve Upstillslag@charm.UUCP (Peter Rosenthal) (05/15/84)
I haven't seen suburbia yet, but based on Roger Corman's record I will. Roger Corman is the king of the low budget movie. For those of you interested in literary dialogue or stylish filming, Roger Corman is probably not for you. He is known best for his horror and futuristic adventure. Roger Corman was responsible for most of the classic distortions of the Edgar Allen Poe stories such as The Pit and the Pendulum, Premature burial, The fall of the House of Usher, and the Raven. The hilarious and lowbudget "Little Shop of Horrors" featuring the then unknown Jack Nicholson is one of his classics. And don't forget "Deathrace 2000" Where grannies are 20 points, babies are 50 points and men are hamburger on the fenders of big powerful american cars. This violent comedy stars Sylvester stallone and John Carradine as arch rivals. Very funny.
ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow) (05/16/84)
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>> Roger Corman is the "King of the B's"...
I thought the title was held by Samuel Fuller.
--
*** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** *****
****** ****** 16 May 84 [27 Floreal An CXCII]
ken perlow ***** *****
(312)979-7261 ** ** ** **
..ihnp4!ihuxq!ken *** ***fair@dual.UUCP (Erik E. Fair) (05/18/84)
>> From: msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) >> Subject: Re: Suburbia/Roger Corman >> Date: Tue, 15-May-84 00:17:48 PDT >> Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA >> >> [...] >> >> As director his credits feature such classics as: >> >> House of Usher (1960) >> The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) >> The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) >> The Raven (1963) >> The Masque of the Red Death (1964) >> >> Since turning producer he has given many now famous directors >> their first chance including (if memory serves me correctly) >> a certain Francis Ford Coppola. Anyone remember what the film >> was called? >> -- >> From the TARDIS of Mark Callow >> msc@qubix.UUCP, decwrl!qubix!msc@Berkeley.ARPA >> ...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{ittvax,amd70}!qubix!msc >> >> "I'm a citizen of the Universe, and a gentleman to boot!" For those who are uninitiated, The Raven is a really fun film with Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre. Go see it! Erik E. Fair ucbvax!fair fair@ucb-arpa.ARPA dual!fair@Berkeley.ARPA {ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!fair Dual Systems Corporation, Berkeley, California