5 Low-Budget Wonders

The Little Shop of Horrors (Roger Corman, 1960)

Roger Corman made The Little Shop of Horrors in two days using sets left over from a previous production. The low-budget comedy was made for $30,000 and tells the story of a florist worker who grows a plant that feeds off human flesh. Given the tight shooting schedule Corman (often referred to as the ‘King of B-movies’) reportedly did most of the scenes in one take. There’s even a small cameo by a young Jack Nicholson which has given the film something of a cult status in recent years.

El Mariachi (Robert Rodriguez, 1992)

Rodriguez raised most of the $7000 needed to shoot his first film by signing up for experimental clinical drug trials. That’s certainly one way to finance your film. The risk paid off though and El Mariachi was picked up by Columbia Pictures for American distribution. The film is renowned for its inventive filming techniques; for example Rodriguez didn’t have the money to hire a dolly to create moving camera shots so instead he got one of his cast members to push him around in a wheelchair during filming.

Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1977)

Killer of Sheep was Burnett’s thesis project for his Masters degree at the University of California. It was filmed for less than $10,000, most of which was grant money (though in order to secure proper commercial release in 2007, the rights to the music featured in the film had to be bought for $150,000). Filmed in black and white with a loose narrative structure it gives a snapshot of a family living in the black ghetto of Watts in Los Angeles. Restored in 2007 it has been hailed by critics as one of the finest examples of American independent filmmaking.

The Apu Trilogy (Satyajit Ray, 1955-1959)

Regarded as some of the most important films in world cinema, the three features which make up The Apu Trilogy tell the coming-of–age story of a young boy growing up in rural Bengal. Made with an amateur cast and crew and on a budget rumoured to be in the region of $3000 it marked the emergence of what was to become one of India’s most renowned filmmakers (Ray went on to make more than 30 films in his lifetime). Unlike Le Donk the filming of the trilogy took many years, often delayed because of lack of funding. Nevertheless, it went on to win awards at film festivals the world over and is a testament to what can be created within tight financial constraints.

Colin (Marc Price, 2009)

It’s barely reached our cinema screens (or even DVD players) yet British zombie movie Colin is already causing a stir. Most of the buzz appears to be due to the fact that the film reportedly cost a mere £45 to make, most of which we imagine was spent on the fake blood which features quite heavily in the film. Horror fans have already responded positively to the flick which showed at last month’s FrightFest and during October it will be showing at London’s indie film festival, Raindance.