Released: August 2018
Director: Steve Mitchell
Not Rated
Run Time: 110 Minutes
Genre: Documentary
When it comes to reviewing movies, there are very few genres that I tend to avoid. It doesn’t mean that I don’t watch them, it’s just that I find it rather difficult to review them given my particular mindset and how I approach movies. Straight-up comedies I flat-out refuse to review, because the humor in those films completely subjective. What I find funny in one movie is not going to be funny to someone else. Documentaries are another genre that I have a problem with. It’s not because I hate them, far from it. I’m going to be completely honest: Documentaries are difficult for me. They’re difficult for me, because they tend to fall outside of the regular format that I use to review movies. Most of the movies I review tend to have certain qualities like a plot, story, special effects and other small things. Documentaries generally don’t have those, as they tend to be far more non-fictional than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I love documentaries and I am open to new challenges on this site, but you’re not going to see a whole lot of documentaries reviewed on this website for some of the reasons I mentioned. That being said, King Cohen is a documentary that I have been very interested in covering here, so I’m willing to step out of my comfort zone for this one.
In the world of film-making, especially Hollywood, you have filmmakers that adhere or are forced to adhere to certain rules and restrictions in order to get their films made and out to audiences. Filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and James Cameron are all amazing filmmakers, but even they tend to kowtow to the Hollywood system. However, every once in a while you come across a filmmaker that is not only willing to disagree with the system, they are willing to step outside of said system and say, “Fuck you, I’m doing this my way.” Filmmaker who take that stance either see their careers cut short, or are forced into a very small clique where they don’t bother the big-wigs in Hollywood. Larry Cohen is one such filmmaker. Born in New York in 1941, Larry Cohen would go on to become a major player in the independent film scene. He’s even had a huge hand in making blaxploitation a significant genre during the 70s. What makes Larry Cohen so unique as a filmmaker is not just his movies, but his unyielding stance on the Hollywood system and it’s blatant corruption. His attitude towards Hollywood has gotten him into trouble over the years, but it also has allowed him to make the films that he wanted to make….mostly.
King Cohen is a very interesting documentary in terms not only entertainment, because let’s face it, watching Larry talk about his experiences within and outside of the Hollywood system are not only entertaining, but they are very informative. He doesn’t hold back in his criticism of the established system. He understands the system better than most people which allows him to share some insight into how the system works, as well as its benefits and detriments. If you really want to get into mindset of the Hollywood system, this is the guy you might want to talk to. Not only does the documentary feature extensive interviews with Mr. Cohen himself, but it also has interviews from film historians and other filmmakers themselves, like Martin Scorsese and actors like Eric Roberts and Fred Williamson. Each person interviewed has their own unique anecdotes that gives a look into the mind of Larry Cohen and what its like to work with him.
I’ll be truthful: I haven’t actually seen any of Mr. Cohen’s work in their entirety, but I have seen bits and pieces: Black Caesar, The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent, and the Masters of Horror episode, Pick Me Up. I don’t think you really need to have seen any of his films to understand the contributions that he’s made to the indie film scene. This is a guy that refuses to take large amounts of money to make a movie. Instead of 50 million bucks for a movie, Larry would rather take 1 million for a movie so he can have total control over how its made. One of the things that he has said, and I absolutely agree with, is that the more money that you get for a movie, the less control you end up having, because you have to allow producers and the higher-ups to have more of a say in your film. Mr. Cohen hates that idea with a burning passion, which is why nearly every movie that he’s made is a low-budget feature. That’s because with a smaller budget, he has more control over what shots are made, the lighting, the locations and overall story. Mr. Cohen also writes, produces, and directs, usually at the same time. That’s not a skill set that many filmmakers have, not even today. Most modern filmmakers tend to focus up to two of those, but not all three. Directing is a very physical and tough job as it is, but to throw writing and producing into the mix? That’s absolutely nuts. But he’s done it, and he was good at it, even though now he tends to focus more on writing.
Larry Cohen is such a unique personality that you really can’t help but get behind what this guy has done over the years. Say what you will about some of the films that he’s made, some good, some bad, there is no denying the passion he has for filmmaking. Not only is he very passionate about the medium, but he’s also incredibly smart about it. He knows more about the system and how to navigate than most people could ever imagine. That’s how he’s managed to be successful at what he does. Getting back to the documentary, it’s extremely well-paced and very informative. It goes from how he started out to being an icon of the horror and indie film scene. Larry Cohen is a maverick in every sense of the word, it even says so on the poster for the film, but it is a quality that has garnered him a pretty large fan base, while pissing other people off. If you’re a fan of horror movies, the indie film scene, or documentaries in general, you owe it to yourself to check out King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen. It’s a fantastic documentary on one of the most unique filmmakers that the film industry has ever seen.
My Final Recommendation: 9.5/10