Shout! Factory TV, the digital entertainment streaming service, is set to launch its first original digital docuseries CULT-TASTIC: TALES FROM THE TRENCHES WITH ROGER AND JULIE CORMAN. Created, written and co-produced by Ashley Sidaway and Robert Sidaway, the 13-part series about the life and work of Roger and Julie Corman, provides viewers an extraordinary look inside the Cormans’ cinematic universe and features extensive in-depth interviews. The series will premiere November 15th on Shout! Factory TV’s Amazon Prime Video Channel and via Roku Channel’s Premium Subscription.
In the series, the Cormans draw upon their vast filmography and footage from over 130 films spanning seven decades. Within each episode, the legendary filmmakers share insightful stories and defining moments from their movies, recall talent and young filmmakers they fostered, as well as provide behind-the-scenes perspectives on how they produced some of the smallest budget films that went on to achieve box-office gold.
Known for their acute ability to recognize young talent, the Cormans’ lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers, and actors they have cultivated. Throughout the series, Roger and Julie recount working with iconic industry talent including Jack Nicholson, Bryan Cranston, Ron Howard, James Cameron, William Shatner, Martin Sheen, Joe Dante, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tommy Lee Jones, Angie Dickenson, Francis Coppola, Will Ferrell, Sandra Bullock, among many others.
One of the most prolific and successful film producers in the history of cinema, Roger Corman’s impact on modern American film is prodigious. Referred to as “the King of the Cult film” and “The Pope of Pop Cinema,” Corman has produced more than 350 films and directed 60 others. Honored with an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2009, Corman continues to reign supreme as one of Hollywood’s most masterful and influential filmmakers.
Julie Corman’s film career spans nearly five decades, first as a producer alongside Roger Corman at New World Productions and later as co-founder and Executive Vice President of their production banner New Horizons Pictures Corporation. With over 35 film credits to her name , she has worked with industry heavyweights Martin Scorsese,Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Catherine Hardwicke, Robert King, Bill Pullman, Martin Sheen, Peter Billingsley, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Jason Priestley and Mario Van Peebles, among others. Julie was previously Chair of the Graduate Film Department at NYU and is currently a member of Women in Film, where she advocates for the advancement of women in the screen industries, gender parity and inclusion, and to ultimately transform culture and policy for women in entertainment.
“It makes total sense to be Shout! Factory TV’s first original streaming series,” said Roger and Julie Corman. “Over the course of seven decades, we have had the great fortune to work on incredible independent film productions with some of the most distinguished actors, writers, and filmmakers of our time. Shout! Factory TV is the perfect place to share our memories, allowing us to bring our stories to life and share them with a passionate audience. Shout! Factory TV’s focus on cult classic film and TV programming makes them the perfect home for this rich history of independent film.”
d with the Cormans for nearly a decade, we are thrilled to have Shout! Factory TV be the home for ‘CULT-TASTIC.’ Roger and Julie’s influence in the independent film space is immeasurable, and the Shout! Factory TV digital streaming service was built on serving fans of cult films and television,” said Gene Pao, SVP, Digital Enterprises. “With a number of Corman films already available on our service, we pushed hard to secure the opportunity to complement existing content with a series featuring enthralling behind-the-scenes anecdotes from Roger and Julie. We see immense opportunity in developing more original programming inspired by the Cormans’ film archive.”
‘CULT-TASTIC’ joins an extensive collection of Corman cult classics available across Shout! Factory TV’s platforms. Films discussed in the series, from genre gems Battle Beyond the Stars, Suburbia and Caged Heat, to horror favorites The Slumber Party Massacre, The Wasp Woman and Forbidden World, are also available in their entirety on Shout! Factory TV.
Shout! Factory, a multi-platform media company and parent company to Shout! Factory TV, alongside China-based Ace Film HK Company Limited (ACE) acquired the New Horizons Picture library in 2018. The acquisition encompassed 270 Corman films and an action sci-fi TV series. CULT-TASTIC: TALES FROM THE TRENCHES WITH ROGER AND JULIE CORMAN is the first series to be developed from the acquisition and is produced by Ace Film in association with Friendship Films.
