Legendary independent filmmaker Roger Corman cools his engines for a chat about Death Race 2050 and more!
The race is on.
ThatsDeath Race 2050, the biggest, baddest, most dangerous reality competition show on TV.
Its not just dangerous for the daredevil racing contestants.
Its not just dangerous for the racing fans.
Its dangerous for every pedestrian on the street.
Collateral damage means points.
Death Race 2000predated virtual reality, real reality, and reality TV.
The actual sequel premieres this week.Roger Cormans Death Race 2050was directed by G.J.
That would pay for a lot of body work.
The mechanic who put it together was the legendary filmmaker Roger Corman.
Roger Corman is 90 years old and shows no sign of stopping.
Hes made movies in every genre and on every timetable.
Legend has it thatThe Little Shop of Horrors(1960) was shot in two days and one night.
It was edited during a coffee break.
He worked with the Ramones on the 1979 punk classicRock n Roll High School, directed by Allan Arkush.
Corman united Boris Karloff, Vincent Price and Peter Lorre with Jack Nicholson.
The cinema legend spoke toDen of Geekon the day after the election.
Corman spoke about being a role model, but didnt expose any soft spots under that armor.
Den of Geek: Hi and thanks for doing this.
I watchedDeath Race 2050.
What would you score?
Roger Corman:If I were one of the drivers?
I would probably, on a score of one to ten, get a nine.
I believe I would be the runner-up to Frankenstein.
Frankenstein would win, but I would come in right behind him.
Have you ever run your car up a building?
No, Ive come close, but Ive never quite done it.
Yes, as a matter of fact, in the originalDeath Race 2000, Paul Martell was directing.
A bump is when a stunt person gets his regular salary.
If its a dangerous stunt, he gets a bump.
Its a bonus for the danger, over and above his regular salary.
If its really dangerous, he gets a double bump.
So, he wanted a double bump and I thought: that shot doesnt seem that dangerous to me.
I said forget it.
Get me the helmet.
Ill drive the car.
And I did drive the car for that stunt.
This is the first time you worked with Malcolm McDowell?
What kind of interaction do you have with the actors?
Im sure youre not doing line readings.
So, I was trained in a method.
The method talks about the text and the subtext.
What is the surface manifestation of the performance and what is the underneath true meaning.
So I talked generally to the actors about that.
So that were all on board with the motivation.
Thats specifically when Im talking to the actor.
After that I dont get too much involved because then I think its really the directors job.
You did start the Corman School of directors.
That does happen but I make a point of not being on the set that much.
Im there for the first few days of shooting, seeing that everything is alright.
Then I step away.
I feel that at that point its up to the director and the production manager.
I dont want the crew to look to me.
I want them to look to the director.
I look at the dailies.
Im available to talk to the director.
That was a definite part of it.
I felt it needed something else.
I thought the audience is really an integral part of this.
I would like to bring the audience in to the picture.
It occurred to me.
I couldnt really think of way to put them in.
Then the thought came to me: why not have the drivers kill pedestrians and get points from that?
Which I thought was a good idea.
But you cant take it that seriously, so I made the picture partially a black comedy.
Its been written a number of times thatHunger Gamesis very similar and may have taken some ideas.
I didnt think thats true.
As a matter of fact, the recent election makes some of the concepts here more pertinent.
For instance, the United States of America has become the United Corporations of America.
The president is now the chairman of the board of the United Corporations.
He is a flamboyant, wild-talking person, entertaining and nevertheless holding strong to his dictatorial position.
Thats not exactly what is happening, but is a possible future route.
That was your first big budget Hollywood movie.
Was there something special about gangster movies to you?
I saw gangster pictures when I grew up.
I had a thought, which I still believe is true, again pertaining to society.
Gangsters were generally the new immigrants.
People who came in and were not accepted by society and they turned to crime.
I tried to make a relationship in theSt.
Were you watching other gangster movies when you made it?
Which ones were you paying homage to?
I thought it was a brilliant film, but there were so many others.
Do you have a favorite Capone?
Was that Paul Muni?
Paul Muni, yeah, and George Raft flipped the quarter.
Theyre about to make a movie aboutThe Trip.
Well, onThe Trip, LSD was new.
I took an LSD trip.
So I talked to other people who had trips.
So I chose Jack to write the script.
We put together some experiences I had, some experiences he had and also Peter Fonda and Dennis Hoppers.
I remember saying one time, whos trip is this about and it was everybodys trip.
Have you ever thought about your legacy?
And I started as a writer.
So I would say, as my legacy, I would like to be known as a filmmaker.
I wouldnt say producer, director, whatever.
The film as directed by G.J.
