![]() Now, this wasn’t exactly the Lionsgate studio we know about today, but it’s sort of tangentially related in a way that I can’t make sense of beyond the fact that showbusiness can be pretty convoluted at times. They then went on something of an acquisition spree, first purchasing Lions Gate Studios in 1986. Kupin, Sloan, and Thompson had some pretty bold aspirations for the studio, starting in 1984 when they created three new divisions to reflect the more diverse approach they wanted to take: New World International, New World Television, and New World Video. This is where things start to get really wild and, alas, kicked off a sequence of events that would eventually lead to New World’s downfall. ![]() Then, in January of 1983, he decided to move on, selling the studio for $16.5 million to lawyers Larry Kupin, Harry E. Somewhere in the middle ground between the homegrown exploitation and foreign prestige were 1977’s Rabid and 1979’s The Brood, a pair of films that introduced the world to the gooey body horror breakout director David Cronenberg.Ĭorman’s tenure at the helm of New World gave us all sorts of horror and genre cult classics, including pure exploitation fare like Death Race 2000, teen films like Rock 'n' Roll High School, and playful homages like Saturday the 14th and Slumber Party Massacre. from Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kurosawa. ![]() ![]() And as was Corman’s style, he leveraged a bevy of up-and-coming talent in his films, including John Sayles, Martin Scorsese, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, and James Cameron.Īdditionally, New World worked to distribute more prestigious international fare in the U.S. These extended beyond nudie flicks into other flavors of grindhouse, Blaxploitation, and horror films. New World produced four more Nurses films in as many years, but Rothman also notes that Corman encouraged directors to continue including social commentary in their films. While it’s hard to say if the film’s success was based on the narrative elements or the extensive nudity, Corman seems to have bet on both. The film was a hit, making over $1 million off a $120,000 budget. Director Stephanie Rothman had creative control to mold the story as she saw fit, so among the copious amounts of nudity were stories about immigration, abortion, and other social issues. They distributed their first film, the biker flick Angels Die Hard, in June of that year, but their first big splash came two months later with the help of a reliable formula: nudity! The Student Nurses was an R-rated romp aimed at putting enough butts on screen to also put them in the seats, but Corman was insistent on incorporating more than flesh. New World was founded by Roger Corman and his brother Gene in 1970. New World’s history is all about taking chances, an approach that would ultimately lead to its downfall. But I’ve always wondered what kind of film studio had the gumption to produce a movie at the height of the AIDS crisis that was directed by an openly gay man and revels in kink, incorporates copious amounts of blood, and dares us to indulge in our darker nature? It turns out that for a studio like New World Pictures, this tact was pretty much par for the course. Look, those of you who know me likely already know why I have an affinity for New World Pictures (hint: they’re responsible for a movie I think is really “swellraiser”).
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