Samuel Zachary Arkoff (June 12, 1918 – September 16, 2001) was an American producer of B-movies. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double
Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa to a Russian Jewish family, Arkoff first studied to be a lawyer. Fort Dodge is a City and County seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, situated on the Des Moines River. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Along with business partner James H. Nicholson and producer-director Roger Corman, he produced eighteen films. James Harvey Nicholson ( September 14 1916 &ndash December 10 1972) was an American film producer. Roger William Corman (born April 5 1926) sometimes nicknamed "King of the Bs" for his output of B-movies (though he himself rejects this as inaccurate In the 1950s, he and Nicholson founded the American Releasing Corporation, which later became known as American International Pictures and produced over 125 films before the company's demise in the 1980s. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive American International Pictures was a Film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing American International Pictures was a Film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. These films were mostly low-budget, with production completed in a few days, though nearly all of them became profitable.
Arkoff is also credited with starting a few genres, such as the Beach Party and outlaw biker movies, and his company played a substantial part in bringing the horror movie genre to a novel level with successes such as Blacula, I Was a Teenage Werewolf and The Thing with Two Heads. A motorcycle club (MC is an organized club of dedicated Motorcyclists who join together for Camaraderie, strength of numbers companionship education rider training Horror films are Movies that strive to elicit Fear, Horror and terror responses from viewers Blacula is a 1972 Blaxploitation Horror film produced for American International Pictures. I Was a Teenage Werewolf is a 1957 Horror film starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager and Whit Bissell as the primary adult The Thing with Two Heads is a 1972 film starring Rosey Grier and Ray Milland, directed by Lee Frost, and written by Wes Bishop American International Pictures movies starred many established actors in principal or cameo roles, such as Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester and Vincent Price, as well as up-and-comers who later became household names, including Don Johnson, Nick Nolte, Diane Ladd, and most notably Jack Nicholson (no relation to James Nicholson). Boris Karloff ( 23 November, &ndash 2 February,) was an English actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (born October 28, 1902 - December 26, 1986) was an Oscar -nominated English character Vincent Leonard Price Jr ( May 27 1911 &ndash October 25 1993) was an American Film Actor, remembered Don Johnson (born Donnie Wayne Johnson, December 15 1949 Personal life Relationships and family At 22 Johnson began a four-year liaison Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an Academy Award -nominated American Actor, Film producer and ex- model Diane Ladd (born November 29, 1935) is an American television film and stage actress. John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22 1937) is an American Actor, internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals James Nicholson or Jim Nicholson could be James Nicholson (naval officer, an United States navy captain Jim Nicholson A number of actors shunned or overlooked by most of Hollywood during the 1960s and 1970s, such as Bruce Dern and Dennis Hopper, also found work in one or more of Arkoff's productions. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an Academy Award -nominated American Screen Actor. Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award -nominated American Actor and Film -maker Arkoff's most financially successful film was the 1979 adaptation of Jay Anson's book The Amityville Horror. Jay Anson ( 4 November, 1921 - 12 March, 1980) was an American Author whose first (and most famous work was The Amityville Horror - A True Story is a best-selling book by author Jay Anson, published in September 1977
Not long after American International Pictures went out of business, Arkoff founded Arkoff International Pictures.
In 2000, Arkoff was featured alongside former collaborators including Roger Corman, Dick Miller and Peter Bogdanovich in the documentary SCHLOCK! The Secret History of American Movies, a film about the rise and fall of American exploitation cinema. Roger William Corman (born April 5 1926) sometimes nicknamed "King of the Bs" for his output of B-movies (though he himself rejects this as inaccurate Richard "Dick" Miller (born December 25, 1928) is an American Character actor who has appeared in many films particularly those produced by Peter Bogdanovich ( Serbian Cyrillic: Петар Богдановић Latin: Petar Bogdanović (born July 30, 1939, is an American
Arkoff died in 2001, within weeks of his wife's own death.
The ARKOFF formula
During a 1980s television talk show appearance, Arkoff related his "ARKOFF Formula" for a successful, memorable movie. A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to This states that a successful low-budget movie should include:
- Action (exciting, entertaining drama)
- Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas)
- Killing (a modicum of violence)
- Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches)
- Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience)
- Fornication (sex appeal, for young adults)
External links
- Article about Samuel Arkoff on the Horror-Wood Webzine
- Samuel Z. Arkoff at the Internet Movie Database
- Samuel Arkoff's biographic sketch at Find A Grave
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