Interview Corman at Ya!

Jamie Blanks and Mark Hartley Interviewed on RRR's Film Buff's Forecast

St Kilda Film Festival's trailer tribute to the "undisputed King of the Bs", Roger Corman, will be screened this Friday from 11pm at The Astor Theatre. For the late-night session, the superbly talented Mark Hartley and Jamie Blanks have compiled the best "money shots" from Corman's long career in film. Paul Harris interviewed them on his Film Buff's Forecast radio show, to get their perspective on Corman and his film career -- with the privilege of "access to Joe Dante's archive".

The dangerous babes that inhabited Corman's world!

When creating a compilation of Corman's filmography highlights, Blanks and Hartley decided "the best way to do it, is to find the best trailers" -- to gather all the strangest snippets of arresting imagery, and accompanying swellings of music. In other words, creating a showcase of mini-films -- a cinematic licorice all-sorts if you will.

"The first half [of the program] is films Corman directed himself," says Hartley, "the second half will be those [films] he produced". They agree they're "in love with the trailers from the 70s" -- an era in which Corman was particularly active. Harris concurs that he loves"the old school trailers" because they "are in effect like going down sideshow alley -- going by all these carny spruikers, trying to get people into their tents". According to Blanks, Hartley and Harris, the intriguing, playful and teasing nature of yesteryear's trailers contrasts drastically to today's trailers which Harris says "are something to be endured" rather than enjoyed.

To expand your opinion of trailers, come along and be swept away in a high tide of DRAMA! INTRIGUE! ROMANCE!

Corman at Ya! 
@ The Astor
11pm to 12.30am 
Friday, May 25 


To listen to the interview, check out http://ondemand.rrr.org.au/  and click the link to Film Buff's Forecast
For more information about Roger Corman, go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000339/

Exciting Update!

Oh hi, Festival Followers!

We've recently received more great news for a Top 100 short film. 'The Globe Collector' (see below) and Amy Gebhardt's summer-themed 'We Were Here' has been selected to screen at the Sheffield Doc/Fest -- an event which showcases some of the best documentary talent from around the world. They're two of only three Australian documentaries to show, so The Globe Collector's director Summer DeRoche and producer Andrea Distefano are heading over to the UK with the support of Screen Australia, to take advantage of this opportunity. Much like SKFF, the Sheffield Doc/Fest not only screens great films, but has opportunities to partake in workshops/forums and networking events.

Big congratulations to all of them! The trailer for 'We Were Here' is below...

In other news...

We're only ONE WEEK (and a day) from St Kilda Film Festival 2012 and we couldn't be much more excited/anxious. Corman At Ya! is looking in fine B-movie form; our doyennes of ticketing are tapping frantically at their keyboards, arranging seats for the fast-filling sessions of Australia's Top 100 Short Films; ears are being flushed in preparation for SoundKILDA and Blaze of Glory; and this little intern should be writing some more 'Forum Fever' updates...

Adios for now!

Many Apologies,

In Turn
  

Roger Corman: King of the B’s

If you’re a mainstream movie fanatic, you might be surprised to find out that one of the most influential people in Hollywood is the prolific master of B-movies, Roger Corman.

‘Who? What? Why?’ asks a man wearing a ketchup-stained Transformers t-shirt. Well, Transformers fan, Corman is one of the great pioneers of modern cinema. Without his groundbreaking efforts in guerrilla filmmaking and expansion of genre pictures into adult territory, the first blockbusters – Jaws and Star Wars – might have been made differently, or not exist at all.

In a career spanning over 50 years, Corman has produced and/or directed around 400 films, including a series of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, the ‘first LSD movie’ The Trip, and a bikie movie starring Nancy Sinatra and Peter Fonda (Wild Angels). His influence on directors such as Martin Scorsese helped bring counter-culture into the light, and out of the shadows of post-war US conservatism.

Another indelible mark he made on the cinematic landscape was his distribution of art house films to the American masses through his small studio ‘New World Pictures’. Akira Kurasawa and Ingmar Bergman (among others) finally gained exposure and the potential of art house was recognised by other industry movers and shakers. 

But it wasn’t all subtle and arty cinemaaahh. Exploitation films of every variety, brimming with sexual liberation and advocating civil rights, were produced by Corman – a fact not lost on Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, who recently paid homage to the legend in their ‘Grind House’ double feature. 

 ‘Corman At Ya’ is the late night showcase of Corman’s very best bits – a collation of ‘B’ cinema in ‘A’ form. Compiled by Mark Hartley (director of brilliant ‘Ozploitation’ documentary Not Quite Hollywood) and Jamie Blanks (who recently remade the classic Aussie thriller Long Weekend), trailer after trailer will inspire you to raid garage sales in search for trashy treasure. 

For some interesting facts about Corman’s impact on modern Hollywood, check out this link: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/12/roger-corman/all/1

What? Corman At Ya!

When? Friday 25^th of May – 11pm 

Where? The Astor Theatre

Check the St Kilda Film Festival website for updates on ticketing information in early May!