Samuel Z. Arkoff, American Producer of B Movies

2018-06-12

Samuel Z. Arkoff, American Producer of B Movies

During my younger years I was a fan of the "B Movie" ... because they were mostly that "weird and wonderful" variety of my favorite horror and scifi flicks which would engage my interest in the outlandish or macabre for hours on end — sometimes interrupting my sleep as the result of a powerful imagination.

Samuel Zachary Arkoff
June 12, 1918 – September 16, 2001

I would often times see "Samuel Z. Arkoff presents ..." or some variant thereof in the title or ending credits and I began to associate this name with a movie I could sit and watch.

His formula for low budget movie making included:

Action (excitement as a factor for entertainment)
Revolution (controversy or unique thematic elements)
Killing (violence)
Oratory (noteworthy dialog and epic speech)
Fantasy (common fantasy themes acted out for the viewing audience)
Fornication (sex as a component of interest in younger audiences)

I think the primary attractions for me were the monster/scifi themes because they are what I remember most about his work. Sometimes I encounter his work nowadays while channel surfing and I am amused with the fright he could induce in me when I was younger.

I suppose that my ability to suspend disbelief has beome jaded with all the cgi and over-the-top special effects we now have compared to that with which he was able to work. Regardless, the Samuel Z. Arkoff movies still have me watching; albeit somewhat less "enthralled" than I was in my youth.

He passed this life in 2001 shortly after his wife. He leaves two children, producers in their own right.