King Cohen is the documentary so good, that the site died for nearly 3 days. Seriously, if you’re seeing this…thanks for hanging with us. Originally discussed on the site last Fall, our pal Jim covered the documentary and interview some of the key players. Now, we’re getting that wider release coverage now that the film has left the festivals and into general rotation. So, what is there left to learn about Larry Cohen?
Serving as one of the surviving Writer/Director/Producer talents of the Drive-In/Grindhouse circuit, Cohen continues to exist as a true American film talent. Over the 50 years of his career, he’s been at nearly every studio and has gathered a ton of friends. All of the living ones are here to discuss the man under Steve Mitchell’s direction. Personally, I can’t imagine a time without Cohen. Film fans always have those defining moments when they realize they prefer certain writers, actors, directors, etc. Growing up as a Video Village/VHS hound…I discovered a ton of Cohen classics at a young age.
Hell, I got escorted out of a theater for seeing Original Gangstas by myself. What does it all mean? Well, your enjoyment of the documentary will come from your familiarity with Cohen? I’m a fan, but I also felt that they spent way too much time covering the Hoover movie. Plus, why did John Landis seem to talk more about Q than Cohen? I get that Landis can’t conduct an interview under 4 hours in length, but c’mon!
While this is the kind of movie that a lot of readers wait for home video to watch, I’d recommend giving it a chance. Especially if you’re in those coastal cities that get the indie pictures that usually bypass the real America. Support Larry! Support Steve Mitchell! Watch a great documentary about film.
KING COHEN SPECIAL FEATURES
BONUS SOUNDTRACK CD: Original score by acclaimed composer, Joe Kraemer (WAY OF THE GUN, JACK REACHER, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION). Kraemer brings the story of Larry Cohen’s career to vivid life with a rich and eclectic original score that encompasses everything from the infectious disco-retro main titles, funk and jazz, to even classic scoring motifs. The album is produced by the composer and mastered by James Nelson. (57 min)
And more than 100 minutes of additional King Cohen SPECIAL FEATURES!
AN AUDIENCE WITH THE KING: Raw interview footage of Larry Cohen telling more great stories (47 min)
MORE STORIES FROM THE KING’S COURT: Raw interview footage featuring Barbara Carrera, Eric Roberts, Traci Lords, Eric Bogosian, Laurene Landon, Tara Reid, Michael Moriarty, Fred Williamson, Spiro Razatos, Paul Glickman and Daniel Pearl, A.S.C. (37 min)
MONSTERS ON THE TABLE: Larry at home with some monstrous friends. (4 min)
HELLO, WORLD!: Film Festival greetings by Larry Cohen (14 min)
THEATRICAL TRAILER (2.5 min)
