To celebrate what would have been Roger Corman’s 100th birthday on April 5, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is dedicating every Friday night in April 2026 to the man who built modern Hollywood on a shoestring budget.
Corman, who passed away on May 9, 2024, was far more than a “King of the Bs.” His fearless, low-budget approach helped shape the landscape of independent film and launched the careers of some of Hollywood’s most iconic directors. TCM’s April lineup honors the “Corman Film School” by pairing his own directorial cult classics with the early works of the legends he mentored.
The celebration begins on Friday, April 3, just two days before Corman’s centennial. The evening starts with a deep dive into his history before showcasing a trio of early Corman-directed films:
- 8:00 PM: “Roger Corman: The Pope of Pop Cinema” – A definitive documentary exploring his six-decade career.
- 9:30 PM: “A Bucket of Blood” – A dark, satirical look at the beatnik scene.
- 10:45 PM: “The Little Shop of Horrors” – Famous for being shot in just two days; keep an eye out for a very young Jack Nicholson in a scene-stealing supporting role.
- 11:45 PM: “Teenage Doll” – A quintessential Corman exploitation classic.
As the month progresses, TCM will highlight some of the extraordinary filmmakers who got their first big break under Corman’s wing. The tribute features a curated selection of early works from directors he championed, including Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dementia 13,” Martin Scorsese’s “Boxcar Bertha,” and Peter Bogdanovich’s “Targets.”
The programming also showcases the visual evolution of Corman’s own directing, moving from gritty black-and-white indies to his lush, atmospheric Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, such as the Technicolor masterpiece “The Masque of the Red Death.” It is a fitting 100th-birthday salute to a man whose influence remains visible in every corner of the film industry today.
