king cohen Larry cohen

Larry Cohen is one of the most prolific of the pioneering independent filmmakers of the last half-century. His films have garnered international recognition and earned millions of dollars. Just last year, Cohen received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fantasia Film Festival. It came as no surprise someone decided to make a documentary about his films and career. That person was filmmaker Steve Mitchell, who co-wrote the cult classic Chopping Mall with director Jim Wynorski. This was Mitchell’s first feature film as director, and King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen is much like watching an actual Cohen film, an absolute blast.

Through a series of interviews with fans, filmmakers, and colleagues, Mitchell takes us on a tour through Cohen films, everything from It’s Alive to Original Gangstas is explored with insight, as well as through hilarious stories told by people who have worked with and from Cohen himself. One thing for certain, they don’t make them like Cohen anymore.

The first thirty minutes or so of the documentary take a look back to Cohen’s beginnings when he started working on television as a writer. We get to see footage and photos of a very young Cohen just getting started in the biz and how his need to control led him to being a triple threat- a writer, director, and producer.

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It’s great to see faces like Martin Scorsese, Eric Roberts, Traci Lords, and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson. They have great stories to tell, especially Williamson. He recalls filming a scene where he would have to jump from a moving cab. Cohen’s version of the story, he jumps from the cab first to prove that it can be done, while Williamson has no recollection of that event. The way the two men tell two different versions of the same story is hysterical.

The film also takes time to talk about how Cohen was notorious for stealing shots. Working on limited time with limited funds, he would take it upon himself to find a location, hide the cameras, and shoot whatever he needed and hoped he didn’t get caught. He threw Andy Kaufman in a parade, shot a fight scene in a crowded airport, and fired automatic weapons from the top of the Chrysler Building. He never had a single permit.

If you’re a fan of Cohen’s work, King Cohen is a must-see. It offers up a massive amount of information while being entertaining as all hell from start to finish. With a running time of just under two hours, my only complaint was that it could have been much longer. I also would have liked to have seen more of Michael Moriarty; it was interesting to hear how he and Cohen crafted some of the characters they brought to the screen.

As a Cohen fan myself, the film is a pure joy to watch. King Cohen is a true testament to the legacy of one of our finest genre filmmakers. Check the official site for upcoming screenings.

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