Celebrity
Roger Corman, Hollywood Mentor And ‘King Of The Bs,’ Dies At 98
Los Angeles — Roger Corman, the “King of the Bs” who helped produce low-budget classics like “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and handed many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors their first breaks, has died. He was 98.
Corman died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, according to a statement issued Saturday by his wife and children.
“He was generous, open-hearted, and kind to all those who knew him,” the statement stated. “When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that.'”
Starting in 1955, Corman produced and directed hundreds of B-movies, including “Black Scorpion,” “Bucket of Blood,” and “Bloody Mama.” He was a fantastic talent judge, hiring promising directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese. Corman was presented with an honorary Academy Award in 2009.
“There are many constraints connected with working on a low budget, but at the same time there are certain opportunities,” Corman stated in a 2007 documentary about Val Lewton, the 1940s filmmaker of “Cat People” and other underground masterpieces.
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Roger Corman, Hollywood Mentor And ‘King Of The Bs,’ Dies At 98
“You may gamble a little more. You are welcome to experiment. “You must find a more creative way to solve a problem or present a concept,” he explained.
Corman’s films may be traced back to the 1970s when Hollywood peaked.
Jack Nicholson made his cinematic debut as the titular character in “The Cry Baby Killer,” a 1958 Corman quickie, and continued to work with the company on biker, horror, and action films, writing and producing others. Other performers who began their careers with Corman films included Robert De Niro, Bruce Dern, and Ellen Burstyn.
Peter Fonda’s participation in “The Wild Angels” foreshadowed his own iconic biker film, “Easy Rider,” which co-starred Nicholson and another Corman alum, Dennis Hopper. “Boxcar Bertha,” starring Barbara Hershey and David Carradine, was one of Scorsese’s early films.
Corman’s B-movie directors were given small budgets and frequently told to complete their films in as little as five days. When Howard, who went on to win an Oscar for best director for “A Beautiful Mind,” requested an extra half-day to reshoot a sequence for “Grand Theft Auto” in 1977, Corman informed him, “Ron, you can come back if you want, but nobody else will be there.”
“Roger Corman was my first boss, my lifelong mentor, and my inspiration. Roger was one of the greatest innovators in film history,” Gale Ann Hurd, whose famous producing accomplishments include the “Terminator” film franchise, “The Abyss,” and “The Walking Dead” television series, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Initially, only drive-ins and specialty theaters would show Corman films, but national chains gave in as youngsters began to flock. Corman’s films were unusually candid about sex and drugs at the time, such as his 1967 movie “The Trip,” an explicit story about LSD written by Nicholson and starring Fonda and Hopper.
Meanwhile, he found a profitable sideline releasing renowned foreign films in the United States, including Ingmar Bergman’s “Cries and Whispers,” Federico Fellini’s “Amarcord,” and Volker Schlondorff’s “The Tin Drum.” The latter two received Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film.
Corman began his career as a messenger boy for Twentieth Century Fox before becoming a plot analyst. After briefly leaving the company to study English literature at Oxford University, he returned to Hollywood and began his career as a film producer and director.
Despite his frugal tendencies, Corman maintained positive relationships with his directors, saying he never dismissed one because “I wouldn’t want to inflict that humiliation.”
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Roger Corman, Hollywood Mentor And ‘King Of The Bs,’ Dies At 98
Years later, some of his old underlings repaid his goodwill. Coppola cast him in “The Godfather, Part II,” Jonathan Demme put him in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,” and Howard cast him in “Apollo 13.”
Most of Corman’s films were swiftly forgotten by all except the most devoted fans. A rare exception was 1960’s Little Shop of Horrors, which starred a violent plant that ate humans and starred Nicholson in a minor but notable role as a pain-loving dental patient. It sparked a long-running theater musical and a 1986 musical adaptation starring Steve Martin, Bill Murray, and John Candy.
In 1963, Corman began a film series based on Edgar Allan Poe’s works. The most prominent was “The Raven,” which starred Nicholson with renowned horror actors Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone. Corman directed the horror spoof on a rare three-week timetable, and it received positive reviews, which was unusual for his films. The Library of Congress determined that another Poe adaption, “House of Usher,” was worthy of preservation.
“It was a privilege to know him. He was an excellent friend. “He shaped my childhood with science fiction movies and Edgar Allen Poe epics,” John Carpenter, director of “Halloween,” “The Thing,” and other great horror and action flicks, told X. “I’ll miss you, Roger.”
Near the end of his life, Karloff appeared in another Corman-backed film, the 1968 thriller “Targets,” which marked Peter Bogdanovich’s directorial debut.
Corman’s success led to bids from major studios, and he directed “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” and “Von Richthofen and Brown” on conventional budgets. Both were disappointments, and he attributed their failure to front-office influence.
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Roger Corman, Hollywood Mentor And ‘King Of The Bs,’ Dies At 98
Roger William Corman was born in Detroit and raised in Beverly Hills, but “not in the affluent section,” as he once stated. He graduated from Stanford University with an engineering degree and moved to Hollywood after serving in the Navy for three years.
Following his time at Oxford, he worked as a television stagehand and literary agent before discovering his life’s profession.
In 1964, he married Julie Halloran, a UCLA graduate and producer.
Catherine, Roger, Brian, and Mary are the four children he left behind along with his wife, Julie.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
Vanessa Hudgens ‘Disappointed’ Her Privacy Was Invaded With Paparazzi Pictures Of Her New Baby
Vanessa Hudgens is thrilled to be a new mother but wishes she had more say over how the news was announced.
Vanessa Hudgens | People Image
Vanessa Hudgens ‘Disappointed’ Her Privacy Was Invaded With Paparazzi Pictures Of Her New Baby
The “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” star wrote in an Instagram post Thursday, “We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was violated and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long-lens camera feeding the media.” Despite this, Mom, Dad, and Baby are happy and healthy.
Vanessa was alluding to reports published earlier this week that showed her leaving a hospital with her infant.
While the circumstances surrounding the announcement were not ideal, the singer and actor’s Instagram message served as her first confirmation that she had given birth to her kid, her first child with husband Cole Tucker.
CNN has contacted Hudgens’ agents to see if she has more comments.
On Oscar night in March, Vanessa disclosed that she and the Major League Baseball outfielder were expecting their first child.
Vanessa Hudgens | CNN Image
Vanessa Hudgens ‘Disappointed’ Her Privacy Was Invaded With Paparazzi Pictures Of Her New Baby
Vanessa and Tucker reportedly married in December in Tulum, Mexico, after announcing their engagement early last year.
Vanessa and Tucker were initially linked in 2020 when she tweeted a selfie of herself titled “date night” and was caught holding hands later that evening.
SOURCE – CNN
Entertainment
For ‘Love Island USA’ Superfan Ariana Madix, Hosting The Show ‘Does Not Feel Like Work’
Before the real-life infidelity scandal known as Sandoval, there was a scene in Season 10 of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” in which Ariana Madix and her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval admitted to not spending enough quality time together. Sandoval wanted to party like a rock star, but Madix preferred that he stay at home with her and watch her favorite TV show, “Love Island USA,” with pals.
“I do not have time to watch 50 (expletive) episodes of ‘Love Island.'” “No, I don’t.” he replied.
Ariana Madix | AP News Image
For ‘Love Island USA’ Superfan Ariana Madix, Hosting The Show ‘Does Not Feel Like Work’
After roughly a year and a half, Madix and Sandoval split. Sandoval had been cheating on Madix for almost six months with a “Vanderpump” co-star. Madix is presently the host of “Love Island USA” on Peacock, succeeding Sarah Hyland.
It’s a fitting development for Madix, whose nearly decade-long romance ended publicly. Since then, she has appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” and on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” Her original tenure was extended due to high ticket demand, and she will return to the position next month. Madix, a former bartender, published a best-selling cocktail recipe book and launched a sandwich business called “Something About Her” in Los Angeles with “Vanderpump” co-star Katie Maloney.
Madix has spent the past month in Fiji filming “Love Island USA.” She describes the work as a dream come true for a superfan like herself.
“I love watching how this show is made,” Madix stated in a recent Zoom interview. “There’s a crew of about 400 people who work on the show to make it happen and turn these episodes around virtually in real time. It is really stunning.”
Ariana Madix | AP news image
For ‘Love Island USA’ Superfan Ariana Madix, Hosting The Show ‘Does Not Feel Like Work’
On “Love Island USA,” a group of single men and women move to an isolated villa in the hopes of finding love. The candidates form couples based on their first impressions. These relationships are put to the test. Do they have lasting chemistry? They can also make connections with others, including a constant influx of fresh singles. At various points, viewers are allowed to vote for their favorite couples. Contestants are eliminated at various points, and the public ultimately votes for the winning couple, who receives a financial award.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking And Sexual Assault In Lawsuit By Former Adult Film Actress
Adria English, a former adult video actor who claims to have worked for Sean “Diddy” Combs from 2004 to 2009, accused the music mogul of sex trafficking and sexual assault in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
The 114-page complaint claims that Combs and other defendants in the case exploited English as “a sexual pawn for the pleasure and financial benefit of others” during “White Parties” at Combs’ mansions in the Hamptons, New York, and Miami, Florida. The case, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, also claims Combs compelled English to “engage in prostitution and sex work” from 2006 to 2009.
P diddy Combs | CNN Image
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking And Sexual Assault In Lawsuit By Former Adult Film Actress
The lawsuit is the ninth against Combs since November and the eighth expressly accusing him of sexual assault. One of the eight lawsuits filed by former girlfriend Cassie Ventura has been resolved. Another lawsuit accuses his son Christian Combs of sexual assault, while Sean Combs is accused of aiding and abetting.
“No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone,” stated Jonathan Davis, an attorney for Combs, in response to English’s claim.
“We live in a society where anyone can bring a lawsuit for any reason and without providing proof. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to determine the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident in his ability to succeed in court against these and other unfounded charges,” the attorney continued.
English’s claim wants a jury trial and undisclosed punitive damages.
Combs has aggressively refuted charges in many of the civil complaints but has not responded to them. In December 2023, after four lawsuits were filed against him, Combs issued a vehement denial on social media, claiming that “sickening allegations” were made by accusers “looking for a quick payday.”
He said, “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking And Sexual Assault In Lawsuit By Former Adult Film Actress
Federal investigators are also prepared to put Combs’ accusers before a federal grand jury, two individuals familiar with the investigation previously told CNN, indicating that the US Justice Department is considering an indictment of Combs.
Bringing those who have filed civil complaints against Combs before a grand jury would represent a significant step forward in the government’s continuing investigation into the producer and Bad Boy Records founder.
SOURCE – (CNN)
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