First it was the Oscars, now it’s Fantastic Fest giving Roger Corman his due. The legendary director/producer will be feted along with his wife Julie at the fan-favorite Austin, Texas film festival. Better yet, the honor will come right after Corman’s latest triumph, SHARKTOPUS, has its world premiere! Sweet damn, wish I could be there…
From the press release: The 6th annual Fantastic Fest will honor Roger and Julie Corman with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Premiere of their new Syfy movie SHARKTOPUS, starring Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables) and Sara Malakul Lane (Belly of the Beast) on Friday, September 24, 2010 at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX. Sponsored exclusively by Syfy, the film will play as the second part of a double feature with the U.S. premiere of Machete Maidens Unleashed!, a documentary about Philippine exploitation films from the 70’s and 80’s directed by Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood), which features Roger Corman prominently. The Lifetime Achievement award ceremony will take place between the two shows, each of which will include classic Corman trailers and surprises.
“Roger and Julie Corman have been the single greatest inspiration in the development of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema,” says Fantastic Fest director Tim League. “Fostering independent cinema, employing all manner of ballyhoo to accentuate the theatrical experience and trying to make sure audiences have a blast at the cinema every time; these are the cornerstones of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and my wife and I have drawn inspiration from the very beginning from Roger and Julie Corman. I am deeply humbled and honored to be bringing them to Austin and the Alamo Drafthouse for the first time since we opened.”
Right on! As for SHARKTOPUS, it will premiere the next day, the 25th, on the Syfy channel. In it, Eric Roberts plays a research scientist who, with his talented daughter (Sara Malakul Lane), develops a secret military weapon — a hybrid shark/octopus that can be controlled by electrical implants. But when the controls break down, the monster goes on a killing rampage at the resort beaches of Mexico.
Sara Malakul Lane