He’s Tarantino’s hero: Who is Roger Corman, who received a standing ovation at Cannes?

“I never understood the concept of guilty pleasure. Pleasure is pleasure!Director Quentin Tarantino, who came to present the Grand Prix at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, introduced one of his films with these words.hero”: Roger Corman. This 97-year-old director, screenwriter and actor is one of the biggest giants of American cinema.

Mostly known for his many horror films and his many collaborations with Vincent Price, he is also one of the most prolific producers in history. In total, he would produce nearly 500 films, and many of the iconic directors of our time—Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Joe Dante, to name a few—were noticed by him.

Introduction by Quentin Tarantino:

Among his most famous films are The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, but especially The Little Shop of Horrors, which offered Jack Nicholson one of his first roles. As an actor, Roger Corman turned in some small winks in both The Silence of the Lambs and Scream 3 .

While the posters of his films were floating behind the members of the jury, Roger Corman received a long standing ovation in the Palace of Festivals. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest moments of this 76th edition.

Roger Corman’s speech:

“Wow, the skin! finally! What a joy to share this scene with Quentin. My cinema does not know inhibition, it is full of excess, laughter and I have the impression that it is skin. This is the most exciting film festival in the world and you all are lucky to be a part of it. thanks.“

Check out his detailed biography:

After studying engineering, Roger Corman joined 20th Century in 1948 and gradually rose through the ranks of the Hollywood majors.

In the mid-1950s, he began a very prolific artistic career that saw him alternate between the roles of producer, distributor, screenwriter and actor. At the same time, he established himself as the discoverer of many talents, such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Robert De Niro and Ron Howard.

With the establishment of the American International Pictures (AIP) company, Samuel Z. Arkoff and James H. Roger Corman succeeded in Nicholson’s company.

The American approaches all genres, but he has been making his mark since 1960 with the production of horror films: Little Shop of Horrors, then eight films adapted from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, such as The Fall of the Usher House, The Torture Chamber and The. Empire of Terror.

Behind the camera, Roger Corman stood out for only fifteen years. He made his debut in the 1955 Western Five Guns and didn’t stop until 1990, after the release of Frankenstein Resurrection, alongside John Hurt and Bridget Fonda.

He then focused on his acting career. We see him in great performances such as The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Apollo 13 or Scream 3. Francis Ford Coppola also offered him the role of a senator in 1972 in The Godfather, Part 2.

As a producer, directly or indirectly involved, Roger Corman can be associated with over 400 films, an impressive number explained by the fact that AIP released one film a month or more over the years. Thus, for 1957 alone, there are 18 feature films.