You know those stereotypes of cigar chomping movie moguls? Well, that's Sam Arkoff.
Arkoff was originally a lawyer and a shark at that. He decided to get into the movie biz and teamed up with James H. Nicholson and a very young gent by the name of Roger Corman. For those who don't know who Roger Corman is, he's the guy who helped turn b-grade movies into an empire and through that launched some of the greatest talent working in movies today. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, John Sayles, Ron Howard are just a few of the heavy hitters. But this story is about Arkoff.
Arkoff and Corman formed what would become American International Pictures (AIP) and off to the races they went. They'd start off with some very successful adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe's works then move into helping define the beach party film and motorcycle gang extravaganza. Arkoff was one of the kings of exploitation and produced over 125 movies in his life, 18 with Corman. The company would fold in the early eighties, but Arkoff has helped leave a mark in low budget cinematic history.
Arkoff believed his success was due to what he humbly coined, "The Arkoff Formula". It defined what makes a sucessful low budget movie.
Here's the recipe:
1. Action (exciting, entertaining drama)
2. Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas)
3. Killing (a modicum of violence)
4. Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches)
5. Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience)
6. Fornication (sex appeal, for young adults)
With that kind of mind, how could you not have a star?
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