It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures (2001)

A 60-minute salute to American International Pictures. Entertainment lawyer Samuel Z. Arkoff founded AIP (then called American Releasing Corporation) on a $3000 loan in 1954 with his partner, James H. Nicholson, a former West Coast exhibitor and distributor. The company made its mark by targeting teenagers with quickly produced films that exploited subjects mainstream films were reluctant to tackle. From monsters to beach parties to cycle gangs to the psychedelic youth, many film clips are shown, highlighting the company's successful twenty-five year run in Hollywood. Interviewees include Arkoff, Nicholson (archive footage), Peter Bogdanovich, Bob Burns, Herman Cohen, Roger Corman, Dick Dale, Joe Dante, David Del Valle, Bruce Dern, Roger Ebert, Beverly Garland, Pam Grier, Susan Hart, James L. Honore, Al Kallis, Aron Kincaid, Mark Thomas McGee, Dick Miller, and Burt Topper.