Oscar Producer/B Moive Producer - the Crossover

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IslandFilmmaker

Member
So I've been thinking about this for a while. I have scripts that I believe can go on to become critical and commercial successes. But every now and again I come up with other ideas (think Teen Sex Comedy) and would be like "Wow, that'd be an awesome B-Movie!"

I've been told that once you make a critically acclaimed film, it would be a career killer to produce B films or that once you've produced a B film, you never be taken seriously.

My question - Can you do both? Are there any Directors who not just "cross over" from one side to the next, but is able to consistently produce quality critically successful movies as well as B-Movies from the same studio?
 
Sam Raimi comes to mind. If Army of Darkness isn't a B movie, then I don't know what is. The original Evil Dead was actually really well received critically.

Peter Jackson's first feature was a really low budget gore-fest too ("Bad Taste"), and I seem to remember him finding a bit of success in the last ten or so years.

Oliver Stone did "The Hand", which involves a disembodied hand chasing Michael Caine (the former owner) around and killing people. Enough said.

James Cameron gave us Piranha 2.

I'm sure there are many more examples.
 
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Unless you already have said Oscar, you've got nothing to worry about. Make whatever you film you can get the money for, if you make a profit you will gain respect, if you make enough profit you can do whatever you want. In actuality in the current film culture I'd say the genres are reversed, the teen sex B-movie has a better chance of being financed and successfully released at the studio level, and the script with critical potential would have to struggle through the indie ranks, hoping to get an A-list actor between jobs on the strength of the script.
 
stefancolson said:
Oliver Stone did "The Hand", which involves a disembodied hand chasing Michael Caine (the former owner) around and killing people. Enough said.
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I saw that when I was like 10. It was awesome. I think I'm gonna go add it to the netflix list. Thanks for the reminder!
 
IslandFilmmaker said:
Right, but what I'm asking is are you "allowed" to do both and still be respected in the industry?
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Respect in the industry in earned. Get those scripts you mentioned produced into ACTUAL movies. The marketplace will either respect you or it won't, but only doing it for real will provide substantive answers and hopefully to your satisfaction. Just remember to enjoy yourself along the way.
 
James Cameron made the best damn movie about flying killer pirahnas he could. Later, he made the highest grossing movies of all time.
 
As noted above, there have been quit a few directors that have made a low budget exploitation type movies then moved on to make films that became critical and financial successes. I don't know of many who made a critical/financially successful movie and then followed up with a low budget exploitation type thing. The closest to something similar to that I can think of is probably Steven Soderbergh, who moves from high profile dramas to low budget experimental films to high concept genre movies. Even with that, I don't think he would have moved from "Traffic", lets say, to "Sharktopus III"...
 
I reallly need to get back to my Sharktopus vs. Atomic Mechasquid script. If you recall, captain Rod Steele was desperately hunting the great mutant beast, but S.v.A.M. promises to take captain Rod to the very depths of hell in order to save Washington, London, Tokyo and Bon Temp.

But this time Cap'n Steele will need serious backup, with a school of Ninja/Samurai super schoolgirls filling in for his usual crew. But he'll now need to keep a close watch on the budding Japanese warriorettes who are on the cusp of exploring their sexuality. In such close quarters as the nuclear powered squid shaped submarine, the girls are in danger of inadvertantly stumbling onto the dreaded lesbianism. Cap'n Rod's intricate network of hidden video surveillance cameras are strategically placed in the showers, the saunas, hot tubs and chocolate fudge wrestling arena, in order to better maintain discipline among the girls. As a consolation, the captain issues a clothes-optional standing order until the great Sharktopus is spotted devouring any of the aforementioned cities.

The Ballad of Sharktopus will be a fitting soundtrack addition if only we can get Devo and Weird Al to work together.

SHARKTOPUS VS. ATOMIC MECHASQUID
"Radioactive Mutated Blood Will Squirt"
 
As others have mentioned, plenty of successful Director's started out in B-movies, and eventually proved themselves and got bigger films.

I have two points about this.

First of all, I feel this might be unique to Director's. It's the same thing as directing crappy local commercials or music videos for crappy local bands, in essence you have to start somewhere. Directing is a much more practical profession than some people realize, and in an early career you really have to just take what you can get (though admittedly this has changed slightly with the advent of crowd-funding). You prove yourself in those, and work your way up the ladder. Producing a film doesn't seem to be as practical, as you can't necessarily point to a film and be like "wow, that film had a great producer"

Secondly, it generally goes in one direction. Once a director advances to making big A-films, you don't see them go back to B-films unless their career tanks. There is an attitude of once you make a film of a certain "seriousness", to go back to making smaller films is a regression.

Honestly though, in the end, if you're making money I doubt anyone will complain. Maybe some critics, but who cares.
 
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