Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (Cannes 2011)

Dismissed as a schlockmeister and purveyor of B-movie trash by some film snobs, Roger Corman is the subject of Alex Stapleton's affectionate and celebratory documentary that examines the legendary producer's six-decade career. On a wider scale, it underlines his importance in the formation of modern Hollywood - both for independent cinema and the studio blockbuster factory.

With more than 400 credits to Corman's name (Death Race, Little Shop of Horrors, Piranha... the list is endless), trying to get through them all would require a doc of substantial length, but Stapleton smartly analyses the bigger picture through interviews with the A-listers who got their big breaks on Corman's low-budget quickies. It's an all-star tribute, with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Ron Howard providing recollections. Howard tells a particularly hilarious story about Corman cutting a TV deal with CBS for his directorial debut Grand Theft Auto, while Nicholson is moved to tears talking about his former boss. It's an emotional moment watching the still-formidable Jack weep as he calls Corman the man responsible for his entire career. Scorsese, who directed Boxcar Bertha for Corman, also speaks fondly of watching his productions.

Stapleton picks up on the connection between Corman's work with Peter Fonda on Wild Angels and The Trip and Easy Rider, the film that delivered a jolt to American independent cinema in the late '60s. When Jaws and Star Wars arrived, however, boasting Corman-esque concepts with lavish budgets, the filmmaker found himself out in the cold. "Obscene" is how the man himself describes the $30-odd million spent on George Lucas's space adventure. There's other disappointments too, notably the financial failure of his critically-acclaimed William Shatner-starring The Intruder, a drama about racial integration in America's deep south. It ends on a high, though, as Corman collects an honorary Academy Award surrounded by the movie industry's finest, many of whom he set on the path to success. Corman's World is a moving documentary that's essential viewing for any film fan.

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