Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Better Late Then Never

Best movie of this year hands down!

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures (2001)*** 1/2 (out of 4) Peter Bogdanovich narrates this 56-minute documentary that takes a look at the impact Jim Nicholson and Sam Arkoff had on Hollywood when their tiny studio AIP broke through and captured the spirit and dollars of the American teenager. Arkoff as well as Roger Corman, Roger Ebert, Bruce Dern, Joe Dante, Pam Grier, Susan Hart, Dick Miller, Aron Kincaid, Beverly Garland, David Del Valle and Herman Cohen are among the people interviewed.If you're a fan of AIP then this here is a must-see documentary because it features so many people that were involved in the actual production of these movies. The film does an excellent job at talking about how Nicholson and Arkoff managed to start with nothing and grow the company into such a big item. It also does a wonderful job at talking about the type of films that they were making and how stuff like I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF and BEACH PARTY were just what paying teens wanted.The interviews are all extremely good and especially the stuff dealing with Corman as well as Ebert talking about these movies. There's no question that the documentary could have been longer but this here is the perfect way to be introduced to the studio. It'll also make you want to go back and watch the films that these two men created.

This documentary evokes the finest memories of the Second Golden Age of Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film of the Fifties & Sixties. Along with Hammer Films of the UK and various efforts (mainly in Italy) AIP were churning out little miracles which kept many Baby Boomers scared half out of our wits with delicious little nightmares. There is one problem with the documentary: it is too short and the omission of Vincent Price and the Roger Corman cycle of Poe films is criminal negligence. All of the personalities interviewed are splendid: David Del Valle ushers in the psychedelic direction of AIP in the late Sixties and other film scholars and the surviving actors and actresses are right there giving their added insights. A must anyway! Kudos to all who did this, but an extra 30 minutes devoted to the Poe cycle and perhaps a bit more about Mario Bava or a few comments by Italo horror queen Barbara Steele would have been stellar. Exceptional, entertaining, insightful documentary thanks to the people at Planet Grande!

It's nice to see American Internationsl Pictures get their due like this. AIP truly resurrected the movies business during a time when TV was making inroads and Hollywood was severely threatened. The teenage market had been all but ignored and AIP filled that gap and the rest, as they often say, is history. Many clips are included, old beloved trailers and interviews with many people including Roger Corman, Bruce Dern and the surviving half of the team at the helm, Samuel Z. Arkoff present a great picture of the studio and it's place in movie history. This documentary is almost too short and is definately worth seeking out and seeing. It would go well sandwiched in between a couple of AIP's 1950s classic movies to make a mini-film festival in your home.

This documentary covers about 25years worth of films made by American International Pictures. It is fantastic to see now famous film stars in some of their earliest roles, and old stars on their way down. AIP gave the young actors like jack Nicolson, and Bruce Dern a testing ground, or start point in their soon to be, versitile careers. Stars like Vincent Price, and Ray Milland can also be seen in the films of AIP. Roger Corman made many of his funny, cheap, horror Drive in classics at this studio. They mass produced the films as fast as they could find actors, the films would go on to gross quite alot of money.