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Thursday, April 24, 1006Page 11
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A scene from Corman's "Little Shop of Horrors."
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Courtesy of Sheldon
By Charles Lieurance
Senior Reporter ,
Producerdirector Roger Corman
began his 36-year career in film as a
messenger boy for 20th Century Fox
in the '40s. Between this humble
position at the bottom of the in-.,
dustry hierarchy and 1970, Corman
had directed 45 films and produced
30 more. His career represents the
perfect blend of commercial thrift
and personal genius.
As part of a retrospective of his
own films this weekend, Corman
will appear Saturday to discuss his
career and field questions from the
audience.
Wheeler Dixon, assistant professor
of English and art at UNL, and
Sheldon Film Theatre Director Dan
Ladely were instrumental in arrang
ing the Roger Corman film retro
spective and Corman's talk.
"Corman is on the cutting edge
between commerce and art," Dixon
said. "Even his B-movies are per
sonal statements."
Corman is most recognized for
the films he made in the '60s loosely
adapted from Edgar Allen Poe stor
ies. These films, including "Masque
of the Red Death," "The Fall of the
House of Usher" and "Tomb of
Ligeia," were major box-office hits
and are still considered to be the
pinnacle of horror filmmaking.
Two of these, "Masque of the Red
Death" and "The Pit and the
Pendulum" will be shown as part of
this retrospective.
Corman also directed a handful
of westerns and gangster films, all
produced at incredibly low budgets
and many of them done for the
kingpen studio of exploitation films,
American International Pictures.
But Corman is more than just a"
prolific low budget hack. In 1962, on
his trademark shoestring budget
culled from his personal finances,
he directed "The Intruder." Accord
ing to Dixon this film represents
Corman at his directorial and
executive best. Starring a young
William Shatner in what Dixon con
siders to be his best role, "The
Intruder" tells the Story of a racist
instigator (Shatner) sent to irritate
an already tense racial situation.
"The Intruder" is also part of the
Sheldon retrospective.
See CORMAN on 14
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