Tremble before the rise of the Cor-man! We’re in “Be Like the Cor-man” now, up to our necks! For all his chintzy budgets, churned-out scripts, and lilliputian shooting schedules, Roger Corman hardly ever lost money on any of his pictures. Some of those pictures . . . one finds oneself asking “how?” as is the case of the 1960 now-cult-classic “Little Shop of Horrors” (not the musical, but it’s inspiration). This movie may very well hold the record for the shortest shooting time of any Corman film (tune in to find out how short) but it did have the distinction of being one of the first, if not THE first, horror-comedy movies ever. If you don’t agree with that last point, take it up with Bumpy (but really, do tell us if you can think of an earlier example). If nothing else, this movie is probably the best movie about a human-eating plant surrounded by Jewish stereotypes in Los Angeles that is supposed to be New York’s skid row that Jack Nicholson ever appeared in. Probably. Did that not make any sense? Give a listen; it’ll make even less.
Poll question: is there a movie adaptation you’ve seen that is better than the source material? If so, which one?
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I am not sure the Abbott and Costello meet… insert monster name… can be considered horror/comedies. They were much earlier.
I think Jaws was much better as a movie than as a book, the book sort of drags and has lots of extraneous elements. Blade Runner is only attached to the Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep story by a couple of thin strings and while i liked the story the movie is much more interesting to me. Stephen King’s “the body” was fine but the movie worked much better than his short story in my opinion. Some people mention the exorcist or rosemary’s baby as better than the books but i read both before seeing the movies and they were so close with so few changes they were kind of a wash for me.
It’s probably going to be no surprise that “Blade Runner” is going to be at least part of my answer. I haven’t read, “The Body,” but “Stand By Me” was a great movie. Good call on the “Abbot and Costello Meet So and So” movies. While I think the focus is different, it is still a mix. Thanks, Vince!
Just got around to this–fink, short for “rat fink” and stoolie, short for “stool pigeon” are terms for informants or sellouts popular in the late 50s/early 60s. Why that’s funny I have no idea!
You know, I knew both those terms but I didn’t put it together like that! Fink and Stoolie….. perhaps revealing Mr. Corman’s feelings about law enforcement?
Nah, he probably just thought it was funny. Nice catch, Garçon de Fromage!