Some blockbusters go really big. Another brings it back to England. But one rebel filmmaker sets the entire system in his sights... and nails it!
Weekend Movie Guide 12/16: Corman's Impossible World of Ghost Shadows
TV Junkie: PaleyFest2011 Announced; More DVDs & Podcasts
The Paley Center for Media has announced some of the lineup for PaleyFest2011. Shows to be highlighted include "The Walking Dead," "True Blood," "Freaks and Geeks"/"Undeclared" Reunion, and "American Idol." --- Read the full post to see our list of DVDs from the Roger Corman Cult Classics, new Channel Zero and Greg Proops podcasts, and the Must-Watch picks of the night.
DVD Review: Rock 'n' Roll High School
Just out from Shout! Factory is a reissue of a classic midnight movie that doesn't feature Jimmy Page ascending into ancient castles. As part of a series of films produced by B-movie king Roger Corman, Rock "n" Roll High School hits the shelves this week. The cult classic didn’t start life as a punk rock vehicle - the script was written under the working title of “Disco High.”
LAist Film Calendar: Joe Dante Returns, Wesley Willis Jams & Quentin Tarantino Mugs
Joe Dante returns to the New Bev, and this time he's brought company! Living legend Roger Corman joins Dante for a double-feature of his films St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Corman's first directed for a major studio) & Not Of This Earth (far from his first directed for a schlocky drive-in). The inferno rages all-day Saturday, with a screening of The Movie Orgy, a cut-and-paste epic of found footage & cinematic anarchy. Best of all, to quote Dante, "admission is free because even I don't know who owns the rights to all this found footage". It all climaxes with a 25th anniversary screening of Dante's classic Gremlins. You will have to pay for that, but Gizmo's so cute! Just keep your popcorn away...it's a midnight show.
Pencil This In: Roger Corman, Root Beer Launch and Green Jobs
There's an amazing number of events going tonight for a Tuesday. Check 'em out:
TALK*
Legendary film director/producer Roger Corman, whose works include the original Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and Deathrace 2000 (1975), has written his autobiography How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime. He’ll talk about his filmmaking, his book and other topics with Aïda Ruilova, a filmmaker known for her "gothic aesthetic." This free program begins at 7 pm.
Actress and Local Hotel Owner Beverly Garland Dead at 82
If you've ever driven past the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn in North Hollywood you may have wondered just who Beverly Garland was.
Jack Hill at the Egyptian
See cult-movie legend/director Jack Hill at the Egyptian tonight for a double feature celebrating the release of the scary masterpiece, Spider Baby on DVD! Tonight’s festivities include a screening of Spider Baby (1968) & Pit Stop (1969).
Weekly Movie Picks: Mama Drama, Cemetery Screenings
Big Bad Mama, a 1974, Roger Corman-produced breasts-and-bullets flick, features the brilliant tagline, "The family that slays together, stays together." This B-movie version of Bonnie & Clyde is set in 1932 Texas and stars Angie Dickinson as a bootlegging, bank-robbing mom who joins up with Tom Skerritt and William Shatner to bilk society for all they can get. In between the robbing and killing are numerous sexy romps.
COOOOOOONNNNNNNNNN!!!
Don't be alarmed at the loud title above. This is just a primer to get you in the mood for all the festivities, mayhem and otherwise cool stuff that will be happening at the Comic-Con in San Diego next week. If you don't already know, the San Diego Comic-Con is one of those events with humble roots that is now one of the premier happenings of the year, at least on this coast. However, it's not just comics and manga and people dressed in weird costumes (although there will be people dressed in weird costumes, no doubt). No, its about much more than comic books these days.

