Biography

Allan Arkush was born on April 30, 1948 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Heroes (2006), Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) and Crossing Jordan (2001).

Took an NYU course that was taught by Martin Scorsese.

The son of a painter, Allan Arkush got his start in the film business by working in the trailer department of Roger Corman's New World Pictures.

Bad movies don't start out as bad movies. They start out as everyone's working really hard, and what happens is sometimes they *go* bad.

[about what's required for low-budget filmmaking] In order to do a movie for a really defined budget, a small budget, you can't wing it. You've got to come in with a real plan, 'cause you have so little time, so few hours, and your resources are so limited, that you really have to know exactly what you're doing.

[about making Deathsport (1978)] When Roger Corman calls you up and says, "I want you to do something about those mutants", it boggles the mind.

[on The Hot Box (1972)] Roger Corman will just say exploitation pictures don't need plots. They need sensational things like girls shooting Filipinos out of trees. That works.