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55-727: The film was developed by Roger Corman 's New Concorde Studios based on the prior commercial success of The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), and Frank, who had worked as a personal assistant to that film's director, was hired to write and direct the project. Shot in Los Angeles, Sorority House Massacre had its world premiere in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1986. It received a largely negative reception on release, often criticized for being "too similar" to Halloween (1978), while it has been retrospectively praised for its characters and feminist themes and went on to acquire

110-449: A Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering in 1947. While at Stanford University, Corman was initiated in the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon . In 1948, he worked briefly at U.S. Electrical Motors on Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles, but his career in engineering lasted only four days; he began work on Monday and quit on Thursday, telling his boss "I've made a terrible mistake." Soon after he found work at 20th Century Fox as

165-417: A cult following . It was followed by two sequels, Sorority House Massacre II and Sorority House Massacre III: Hard to Die (both 1990), directed by Jim Wynorski . When Beth is a little girl, her brother Bobby kills her whole family and attempts to kill her. When he is caught, he is committed, and she grows up with a new family. Years later, Beth goes to college , where she joins a sorority . Due to

220-455: A memory lapse , she does not remember that the sorority house was her childhood home, however her memory soon starts to return. Meanwhile, Bobby senses her presence in the house and escapes the mental asylum so he can finish the job he was unable to complete. He steals a hunting knife in a hardware shop killing the elderly owner. As Beth settles into the sorority, many of the girls leave for the weekend, leaving only her, Linda, Sara, and Tracy in

275-555: A Hollywood Rebel , directed by Alex Stapleton, premiered at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals in 2011. The film's TV rights were picked up by A&E IndieFilms after a well-received screening at Sundance. Corman was born in Detroit , Michigan , to Anne (née High) and William Corman, an engineer of Russian Jewish descent. His younger brother, Gene , produced numerous films, sometimes in collaboration with Roger. Corman

330-596: A Million Eyes (1955), then made another Western, Apache Woman (1955), starring Lloyd Bridges , written by Lou Rusoff . Rusoff and Corman reunited on Day the World Ended (1955), a postapocalyptic science-fiction film, which was popular. Corman was to make The Devil on Horseback by Charles B. Griffith about the Brownsville Raid , but it was too expensive. The Woolner Brothers , Louisiana drive-in owners, financed Corman's Swamp Women (1956),

385-479: A blockbuster film of the same name .) Corman sold the movie to a new independent company, the American Releasing Company (ARC), run by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff . Although Corman had a number of offers for the film from Republic and Columbia, he elected to go with ARC, because they undertook to advance money to enable him to make two more movies. Corman's second film for ARC

440-482: A company producing or releasing low-budget black-and-white films as double features for drive-ins and action houses. In February 1959, Filmgroup announced they would release 10 films. Their first movies were High School Big Shot (1959) and T-Bird Gang (1959), produced by Stanley Bickman. Roger seemed a driven man. Roger wanted to accomplish a lot, he had to have a lot of drive to do it, and he pushed through. He not only pushed through, he punched through! With

495-591: A girls-on-the-lam saga. He returned to ARC for two Westerns, The Oklahoma Woman (1956) and Gunslinger (1956) (with Ireland); Gunslinger was co-written by Griffith, who became a crucial collaborator with Corman over the next five years. He bought a script from Curtis Harrington , The Girl from Beneath the Sea . Harrington made it for Corman years later as Night Tide (1961). Beverly Garland , one of Corman's early regular stock players, recalled working with him: Roger made us work hard and long, I remember that! He

550-407: A historical horror piece about Richard III , Tower of London (1962), starring Vincent Price . It was meant to be the first in a three-picture deal with Small, but Corman did not enjoy working with the producer. For Filmgroup, he also bought the rights to a Soviet science-fiction film, Nebo Zovyot (1959) and had some additional footage shot for it by his then-assistant, Francis Ford Coppola;

605-451: A lot of energy, and a lot of disregard at times... What we did for Roger Corman – I mean, things that you could never do in a real studio, but you did for this guy! Everything seemed unreal with him. – Susan Cabot For AIP, Corman and Griffith made a black comedy, A Bucket of Blood (1959). Corman announced he would follow it with a similar comedy, The Bloodshot Private Eye . It does not seem to have been made. Instead, Griffith reused

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660-535: A messenger in the mail room, earning $ 32.50 per week. Corman worked his way up to a story reader. The one property that he liked the most and provided ideas for was filmed as The Gunfighter with Gregory Peck . When Corman received no credit at all, he left Fox and decided he would work in film by himself. Under the G.I. Bill , Corman studied English literature at the University of Oxford and lived in Paris for

715-534: A science-fiction film, Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). It was produced by Corman's own company, Palo Alto, and released by Robert L. Lippert . The film did well enough to encourage Corman to produce another film, the racing-car thriller The Fast and the Furious (1955), directed by its star, John Ireland , and co-starring Dorothy Malone . (Decades later, the title would be licensed from Corman for

770-537: A script by Gordon; and The Cry Baby Killer (1958), which gave Jack Nicholson his first starring role. He had his biggest budget yet for I Mobster (1958), a gangster story, co-produced by Edward L. Alperson and Corman's brother Gene for 20th Century Fox. In September 1958, he was reported as scouting locations in Australia to do a remake of H. Rider Haggard 's She . War of the Satellites (1958)

825-583: A script called The Red Baron . He bought the rights to another Soviet science-fiction film, Planeta Bur (1962), and had some additional footage added to it by Curtis Harrington . The result was Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965). Harrington used footage from Planeta Bur in another film financed by Corman, Queen of Blood (1966). He also bought the rights to a Yugoslavian film, Operation Titan (1963), and financed additional shooting by Jack Hill and Stephanie Rothman . The result

880-468: A third, which was shot at the same time: Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961). Corman was going to make Part Time Mother from a script by Griffith but it appears to have never been made. AIP wanted Corman to make two horror films for them, in black and white, at under $ 100,000 each on a 10-day shooting schedule. Corman, however, was tired of making films on this sort of budget and was worried

935-414: A time. Corman then returned to Los Angeles and tried to re-establish himself in the film industry. He took various jobs, including television stagehand at KLAC-TV and a messenger at Fox. He worked as an assistant to literary agent Dick Hyland. Corman wrote a script in his spare time and sold it to William F. Broidy at Allied Artists for US$ 2,000 (equivalent to $ 22,691 in 2023). "Dick thought it

990-613: A video master-quality extended cut of the film that was originally released exclusively in the United Kingdom. Scream Factory announced via their official Facebook page that the Blu-ray edition was approximately 75% sold on April 25, after which it fully sold out the following day. In the years since its release, Sorority House Massacre has acquired a cult following and been praised for its cinematography and feminist themes. In November 2020, Norman Reedus announced that he

1045-476: A while for the film to be released and it lost money. Corman was unhappy with his profit participation on the first two Poe films, so he made a third adaptation for different producers, The Premature Burial (1962), written by Charles Beaumont and starring Ray Milland . The film was co-financed by Pathe labs; AIP put pressure on Pathe by threatening to withdraw lab work from them and ended up buying out their interest. For producer Edward Small , Corman made

1100-808: The Woolner Brothers and Sorority Girl (1957), starring Susan Cabot for AIP. For AIP, he made The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957), shot in August 1957. He was meant to follow this with Teenage Jungle by Tony Miller. The success of Not of this Earth and Crab Monsters led to Allied offering Corman a four-picture deal for 1958. Corman received his first serious critical praise for Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), an AIP biopic of

1155-416: The tipi they set up earlier, while Linda and Sara go to bed. Bobby attacks Tracy and Craig, shredding the tipi with his knife. As they try to escape, Tracy is stabbed to death. Craig runs into the house and alerts Linda and Sara who try to phone the police but find the lines have been cut. They attempt to warn Beth and John, but both have fallen asleep. As Bobby approaches them, Beth wakes and runs upstairs to

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1210-709: The Crab Monsters (1957) for Allied, which wound up being one of his most successful early films. For his own production company, Corman made a rock-and-roll "quickle", Carnival Rock (1957), released by Howco. Rock All Night (1957) was a heist film written by Griffith expanded from a TV play, "The Little Guy", with musical acts inserted. He was meant to make Rock'n'Roll Girl for AIP in December 1957. In April 1957, Corman announced he would try to make two films back-to-back from then on to save costs. Corman made two "teen girl noirs", Teenage Doll (1957) for

1265-682: The Poe cycle—it featured Price and was made for AIP, written by Beaumont—but was actually based on a story by H. P. Lovecraft . Corman directed a war film in Yugoslavia with his brother, The Secret Invasion (1964), with Stewart Granger and Mickey Rooney , from a script by Campbell. Following this, he announced he would make The Life of Robert E. Lee as part of a four-picture deal with Filmgroup worth $ 3.75 million. Other movies were Fun and Profit by Joel Rapp, The Wild Surfers by John Lamb, and Planet of Storms by Jack Hill . None of these films

1320-679: The Red Death and announced two films, Captain Nemo and the Floating City and House of Secrets . Following The Pit and the Pendulum , Corman directed one of William Shatner 's earliest appearances in a lead role with The Intruder (a.k.a. The Stranger , 1962). Based on a novel by Charles Beaumont , the film was co-produced by Gene Corman and was shot in July and August 1961. It took

1375-472: The United Kingdom, the film was approved by the British Board of Film Classification in an extended cut running approximately 86 minutes in length. At the time of its release, the film drew numerous comparisons to John Carpenter 's Halloween (1978). In a retrospective review, Lee Gambin of ComingSoon.net praised the film for its characters, adding: "Frank is a smart filmmaker who builds upon

1430-445: The famous gangster , which gave Charles Bronson his first leading role and co-starred Cabot. Campbell wrote the script. Also for AIP, he did Teenage Caveman (1958), with Robert Vaughn , originally titled Prehistoric World . He helped produce two films for Allied Artists, both from scripts by Leo Gordon : Hot Car Girl (1958), directed by Bernard Kowalski and produced by his brother Gene (the first film they made together) from

1485-481: The first film directed by Monte Hellman . Corman went to Puerto Rico and produced another two films back-to-back: Battle of Blood Island (1960), directed by Joel Rapp , and Last Woman on Earth (1960), directed by Corman from a script by Robert Towne . Filming on these two films went so quickly and incentivized by the tax breaks on offer for filming in Puerto Rico, Corman commissioned Griffith to write

1540-428: The house but upon discovering he is still alive barricade themselves back into the room. However, Bobby comes in through the window and they flee outside. They once more encounter Bobby, who manages to repeatedly stab Sara. Meanwhile, Bobby's search party realize he will have gone to his old house and send the police there. Beth and Linda run down into the basement where Beth finally realizes what happened to her when she

1595-537: The house. As the girls enjoy having the house to themselves, Craig, Andy, and John come over. John tells the story of Beth's family murders, scaring her. She goes to bed and has a nightmare about her brother, becoming more scared. She remembers her brother hiding a knife in the fireplace, and when the group investigate, they find the knife. Realizing the time, Andy leaves in a rush, only to be confronted by Bobby and stabbed to death. Linda hypnotizes Beth, who recalls Bobby attacking her. Afterwards, Tracy and Craig go outside to

1650-504: The internet review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds a 0% approval rating as of April 2023, based on five critical reviews. The film was released on VHS in 1987 by Warner Home Video . The film has been released twice on DVD in the United States by New Concorde Home Entertainment ; once as a single film edition in 2000 and as a double feature release alongside sequel Sorority House Massacre II in 2003. The film

1705-574: The mapped-out murders by marrying them with a rich character design for each of Beth’s friends who cop it, and that is why the film succeeds in being a “dead teenager movie” with teenagers to care about and value." Writer Jason Paul Collum notes in his book Assault of the Killer B's: Interviews with 20 Cult Film Actresses (2015) that the film visually features more in common with such films as Black Christmas (1974) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), calling it "artistically directed" by Frank. On

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1760-539: The market for them was in decline. He proposed making a film in color for $ 200,000, shot over 15 days. Corman proposed an adaptation of " The Fall of the House of Usher " by Edgar Allan Poe and AIP agreed. The film was announced in May 1959. Richard Matheson was hired to do the adaptation and Vincent Price was brought in to star; Haller did the art direction. The resulting film, House of Usher (1960), shot in early 1960,

1815-408: The others, but John is murdered. The survivors barricade themselves inside a room, before Craig escapes out the window down a safety ladder. While he holds it steady for Linda to climb down, Bobby stabs Craig to death before climbing up the ladder for Linda. Linda manages to make it back through the window and the others remove the ladder, making Bobby fall. Thinking he is dead, the girls try to escape

1870-754: The result was Battle Beyond the Sun (1962). He also released The Magic Voyage of Sinbad (1962), dubbed from a Soviet film. The fourth Poe was an anthology, Tales of Terror (1962), shot in late 1961. One of the installments, "The Black Cat", was a comedy, inspiring Corman to do a whole Poe story comedically next: The Raven (1963). Later, Corman used the sets for that film for The Terror (1963), made for Filmgroup but released by AIP, and starring Boris Karloff (whose scenes were all shot in two days) and Jack Nicholson. Corman did not direct all of this film; additional scenes were shot by Monte Hellman, Coppola, and Jack Hill, among others. The Young Racers (1963)

1925-603: The same script structure and Corman employed many of the same cast in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). This film was reputedly shot in two days and one night. For Filmgroup, Corman directed The Wasp Woman (1959), starring Cabot from a script by Gordon. His brother and he made two films back-to-back in South Dakota: Ski Troop Attack (1960), a war movie written by Griffith and directed by Corman, and Beast from Haunted Cave (1959),

1980-453: The science-fiction story It Conquered the World (1956). Co-written by Griffith, it was a follow-up to The Day the World Ended . It was a big hit. He optioned a TV play, The Stake , and hoped to get Dana Andrews to star. It was never made. Instead, Walter Mirisch of Allied Artists hired Corman to make The Undead (1957), inspired by The Search for Bridey Murphy . Griffith wrote

2035-535: The script. In June, Corman made a science-fiction film for Allied Artists, Not of this Earth (1957), written by Griffith. In August 1956, AIP financed a Corman heist movie shot in Hawaii, Naked Paradise (1957), co-written by Griffith. Corman shot it back-to-back with a movie made with his own money, She Gods of Shark Reef (1958). Corman wound up selling the movie to AIP. Corman and Griffith reunited in Attack of

2090-686: The tales of Edgar Allan Poe , and which collectively came to be known as the " Poe Cycle ". In 1964, Corman became the youngest filmmaker to have a retrospective at the Cinémathèque française , as well as in the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art . He was the co-founder of New World Pictures , the founder of New Concorde and was a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . In 2009, he

2145-520: The world of independent film . Many of the more than 500 features directed or produced by Corman were low-budget films that later attracted a cult following, such as The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), The Intruder (1962), X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (1963), and the counterculture films, The Wild Angels (1966) and The Trip (1967). House of Usher (1960) became the first of eight films directed by Corman that were adapted from

2200-419: Was Blood Bath (1966). He also had an investment in the beach party films Beach Ball (1965) and It's a Bikini World (1967). Corman said, "For ten years as an independent I could get financing for $ 100–$ 200–$ 300,000 pictures. Everything had been interesting, artistically satisfying, economically satisfying. But I decided I was going nowhere and wanted to move directly into the business. So I accepted

2255-466: Was a critical and commercial hit. Following this, Corman bought two scripts, Sob Sisters Don't Cry and Cop Killer . In March 1960, Corman announced that Filmgroup would be part of an international production group, Compass Productions. He directed a peplum in Greece, Atlas , (1961) in August. He was going to direct a thriller from a script by Robert Towne , I Flew a Spy Plane Over Russia . It

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2310-469: Was always fascinating to me, a fascinating man – and a good businessman! He had such incredible energy, it was tremendous – he was a dynamo to be around. I always knew he was going to be a huge success because there was no stopping him. He just made up his mind that he was going to be a success and that was it. ARC changed its name to American International Pictures. Corman was established as their leading filmmaker. They financed Corman's next film as director,

2365-599: Was awarded an Academy Honorary Award "for his rich engendering of films and filmmakers". Corman was also famous for handling the U.S. distribution of many films by noted foreign directors, including Federico Fellini (Italy), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), François Truffaut (France) and Akira Kurosawa (Japan). He mentored and gave a start to many young film directors such as Francis Ford Coppola , Ron Howard , Martin Scorsese , Jonathan Demme , Peter Bogdanovich , Joe Dante , John Sayles , and James Cameron , and

2420-797: Was conceived and shot in record time to take advantage of the Sputnik launch; it was his first collaboration with art director Daniel Haller . Corman also produced, but did not direct, Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), directed by Irvin Kershner , Night of the Blood Beast (1958), directed by Kowalski for AIP, using leftover costumes from Teenage Caveman , and Crime and Punishment U.S.A. (1959), directed by Dennis Sanders with George Hamilton in his first lead role. In January 1959, Corman announced he would be moving into distribution. In 1959, Corman founded The Filmgroup with his brother Gene,

2475-462: Was developing a television series adaptation of the film in conjunction with Shout! Studios . Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood ", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in

2530-490: Was directed by Carol Frank, and financed by Roger Corman 's New Concorde studio based on the success of The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), on which Frank had served as director Amy Holden Jones 's personal assistant. The film was given a limited theatrical release in the United States by Concorde Pictures , having its world premiere in Pittsburgh on October 10, 1986. It later screened in Los Angeles in March 1987. In

2585-418: Was funny and let me pay myself a commission," said Corman. Originally called House in the Sea , it was retitled Highway Dragnet (1954) and starred Richard Conte and Joan Bennett . Corman also worked as associate producer on the film for nothing, just for the experience. Corman used his script fee and personal contacts to raise US$ 12,000 (equivalent to $ 136,149 in 2023) to produce his first feature,

2640-630: Was highly influential in the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He also helped to launch the careers of actors like Peter Fonda , Jack Nicholson , Dennis Hopper , Bruce Dern , Diane Ladd , and William Shatner . Corman occasionally acted in films by directors who started with him, including The Godfather Part II (1974), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Philadelphia (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), and The Manchurian Candidate (2004). A documentary about Corman's life and career titled Corman's World: Exploits of

2695-485: Was made, nor was The Gold Bug , a Poe adaptation written by Griffith. Corman made two Poes in England starring Price, the much-delayed The Masque of the Red Death (1964), with Campbell rewriting Beaumont's scripts, and The Tomb of Ligeia (1965), from a script by Robert Towne. Corman made no further Poes; AIP started up a fresh Poe cycle in the late 1960s, but Corman was not part of it. Corman got Towne to write

2750-541: Was not made; neither were two comedies he was to make with Dick Miller and Jon Haze, Murder at the Convention and Pan and the Satyrs . House of Usher had been so successful that AIP wanted a follow-up, and Corman, Haller, Matheson and Price reunited on The Pit and the Pendulum (1961). It was another sizable hit, and the " Poe cycle " of films was underway. Corman hired Charles Beaumont to write Masque of

2805-446: Was one he decided to direct, Five Guns West (1955), a Western, made in color for around $ 60,000, with Malone and John Lund . The script was written by Robert Wright Campbell , who worked with Corman on several more occasions. Corman announced he would make four more projects for ARC: High Steel , Cobra , Fortress Beneath the Sea , and an untitled film from Campbell. Instead, Corman did some uncredited directing on The Beast with

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2860-477: Was produced and directed by Corman in Europe for AIP, starring and written by Campbell. Working on the film was Francis Ford Coppola, whom Corman financed to make his directorial debut, Dementia 13 (1963). Back in the U.S., Corman made X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (1963), a contemporary science-fiction film for AIP starring Ray Milland . He followed it with The Haunted Palace (1963), ostensibly part of

2915-594: Was raised in his mother's Catholic faith. Corman went to Beverly Hills High School and then to Stanford University to study industrial engineering. While at Stanford, Corman realized he did not want to be an engineer. He enlisted in the V-12 Navy College Training Program with six months of study to complete. After serving in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, he returned to Stanford to finish his degree, receiving

2970-554: Was remastered and released on Blu-ray in a limited 1,200 copy run through Scorpion Releasing in November 2014. On April 20, 2023, Scream Factory released a new special edition Blu-ray scanned from the original camera negative, which was limited to 1,500 units and made available through their online store. Along with the bonus materials contained on the Scorpion release, the disc also features newly commissioned interviews, as well as

3025-408: Was younger. When Bobby once more attacks them, the girls run upstairs. Bobby corners Beth but Linda manages to hit him with a shovel. Thinking he is dead, they begin to leave the house, but Bobby stabs Linda before attacking Beth who over powers him and stabs him in the neck, killing him. The police arrive. Beth is taken to the hospital where she continues to have nightmares about her brother. The film

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