Roger Corman, trailblazer of independent filmmaking, dead at 98

Roger Corman, a man with many titles, including The Pope of Pop Cinema, The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood, and The King of Cult, died at the age of 98.

Corman passed away on Thursday, May 9, at his residence in Santa Monica, California, with family members by his side, Variety reported on Saturday, May 11.

In a statement, his family recounted how the legendary king of B movies, wanted to be remembered, "His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said I was a filmmaker, just that.'"

The late filmmaker directed and produced hundreds of low-budget films and discovered future industry stars such as Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Jack Nicholson.

The pioneer of low-budget films specialises in genres including horror, science fiction, action and even some family fare.

According to IMDb, Corman directed 55 films and produced about 385 from 1954 to 2008. His notable work includes Little Shop of Horrors, Atlas, The Raven, The Fast and the Furious, Machine Gun Kelly, The Intruder, and many, many more.

Corman is survived by his wife, Julia Corman, a producer, and two daughters, Catherine and Mary.