Samuel Z. Arkoff
Through 463 movies, Mr. Arkoff’s philosophy of moviemaking never changed. ”Thou shalt not put too much money into any one picture,” he wrote in his 1992 autobiography, ”Flying Through Hollywood by the Seat of My Pants.” ”And with the money…
10 Ways Corman Changed Filmmaking
From Wired or nearly 60 years, Roger Corman has been making indie films with budgets that wouldn’t even cover the catering costs of multiplex fare like Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. The legendary king of B-movies has produced or directed…
Dystopia
The post-apocalyptic film DYSTOPIA: 2013 is an honest, often exciting cinematic effort, with a story that takes place after a mysterious and life-changing cataclysm on earth – or at least the Midwest. Obviously an independent film, a viewer shouldn’t go…
Camel Spiders
Camel Spiders opens with a shootout between American soldiers and a group of bad guys somewhere in the Middle East. Of course, for anyone who is well familiar with B-movies can immediately tell you, that’s not the Middle East: that’s…
Charles Lamont, Director
Charles Lamont (5 May 1895 – 12 September 1993) was a prolific film director of over 200 titles, and the producer and writer of many others. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and died in Los Angeles, California, USA….
Buck Privates
Don’t rush to see the digitally remastered main film first. Take time to savor the bonus feature in which Jerry Seinfeld narrates a 45-minute documentary (first aired in 1995) that puts into perspective the careers of Bud Abbott and Lou…
Roots Of The HeadHunter
To market its new film “Headhunters,” Magnolia Pictures is drawing on the movie’s Scandinavian roots. “America has a big appetite right now for smart, atypical thrillers,” said Matt Cowal, head of marketing and publicity for Magnolia Pictures. Both Mr. Cowal,…
The Endangered Projectonist
Four times a day, about two miles of 35mm film runs through each of the ten projectors at Flagship Cinemas in New Bedford. Every projector has its own personality and quirks. For example, Theater Nine’s projector has a distinct squeak…
It’s Alright Jack
Jack Nicholson’s own story rivals any of his films. Born in New York City, he grew up in New Jersey. He grew up thinking his grandparents were his parents, and his mother, his older sister. When years later, he learned…
Popcornflix
Up for an 11-year-old R-rated indie thriller starring the late Dennis Hopper? How about a 2006 romantic comedy featuring an ensemble cast that includes Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander and Sons of Anarchy‘s Ron Perlman? But wait, you say don’t want to…
How Microsoft Killed Halo
It was, almost literally, the video game industry invading Hollywood. Microsoft sent a legion of actors decked out in Spartan armor from the Halo series to top studio executives around Hollywood. They strode through security without saying a word, and…
The Essential Don
In the credits to his masterpiece “Unforgiven,” Clint Eastwood included a dedication: “for Don Siegel and Sergio Leone.” Leone was a no-brainer, one of the great filmmakers who worked with Clint on a trio of films (“The Good The Bad…
Die Hard in Space
The marketing department for this futuristic action flick would dearly love critics to describe it as Die Hard in space. Or, failing that, Escape From New York – in space. Producer Luc Besson has, after all, gone to the trouble…
Transit
Infused with a B-movie vibe, this fast-paced, choppily edited thriller doesn’t waste any time on character complexity or plot development, just putting an innocent, albeit troubled, family in harm’s way. But its increasingly preposterous narrative and hysterically over-violent action makes…
Inventors of Genre’s
Some people don’t just create new worlds and super-memorable characters — they give life to their own genres. There are some creators of fantastical stories whose work is so distinctive, you have a pretty good sense what’s going to happen…
Jersey Shore Shark Attack
If you like “Jersey Shore” and Syfy’s ridiculous, low-budget B-movies starring Z-listers, then prepare for your newest obsession: “Jersey Shore Shark Attack.” It’s the latest in Syfy’s pop culture-mining made-for-TV movies, and it features this line: “There are white-finned killer…
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The sun was just about to set over Lake Pontchartrain on a humid Louisiana day last May when Abraham Lincoln was summoned into action in a grassy field to wrestle to the hard, unforgiving ground the murderous nemesis who took…
Chinese Ironman 3
It’s not surprising that Hollywood studios want a bigger presence in the Chinese movie market. Chinese audiences spent $2B going to the movies last year and have shown a hunger for US movies — the 3-D re-release of Titanic made…
New Maniac Cop
Nicolas Winding Refn made his name with stylish, arthouse-friendly spins on lurid B-movie material with films like Pusher, Bronson, and, of course, Drive. Now the Daily Grindhouse (via Badass Digest) reports that he may lend some of that same postmodern…
Ginger Snaps
It’s interesting to see when a horror movie gets labeled ” legitimate” by the press. In the case of Ginger Snaps, much ballyhoo was made by the alternative weeklies about how this kind of horror movie was “acceptable” because it…