B-Movie King Roger Corman Gets A-List Celebration

Roger Corman, the filmmaker affectionately known as King of the B’s, will be receiving an honorary Oscar for a lifetime of achievement that includes being mentor to some of the most famous names in Hollywood: Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard.

The news was a surprise to the 83-year-old director, who spoke to reporters at New Horizon Pictures: “I predicted that I would not win because I make low-budget films, and I felt the academy would not give an award to someone who made low-budget films.” Corman will receive his award at a ceremony Saturday night along with fellow honorary recipients actress Lauren Bacall and cinematographer Gordon Willis.

His film credits include some of the best low budget lovelies (of horror and beyond) including The Masque of the Red Death, X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes, Galaxy of Terror, The Little Shop of Horrors, Piranha and Dementia 13. Corman gave many young, unknown actors like Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone their first break. His autobiography, How I made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime, humorously documents his experience in the film industry–though Corman has made over 100 titles and lost a few bucks along the way.

The winners will also be acknowledged during the full Academy Awards ceremony on March 7, 2010.

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