In 1974, two men came together to create something magnificent and revolutionary. It was the start of Troma Films, now one of the longest-running independent film studios in the world. Friends Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz met when both were attending Yale University. More than 40 years on, the dream team of Troma continues. FILMHOUNDS takes a look back at the impact Troma has had on cinema.
Let’s start at the beginning of the sultry seventies. Cinema shifted away from the studio system, which had previously defined Hollywood. The Hays Code, in place since the 1930s, ended in 1968. The resulting freedom led to movies focusing on gritty, real-life scenarios. Locations left studio confines, spilling out into streets and towns. Characters became flawed, in shades of grey rather than clear saints or sinners. Violence seeped over from the Vietnam War and into screens. (Joe (1970) was a natural start to this wave of cinema). And T&A was everywhere.
So it is of no surprise that Squeeze Play (1979) was Troma’s first real foray. The plot is more threadbare than a forty-year-old winter coat. Many of the jokes are juvenile. The acting talent is amateur. To be fair, there’s an equal amount of gratuitous female and male nudity. Reviews were brutal, with Gene Siskel walking out of the cinema. Against the odds, it earned millions off its low budget, paving the path for Troma’s future.
A succession of forgettable films followed. Three of them (Waitress!, Stuck on You!, The First Turn-On!) were raunchy sex comedies that were very of their era. One of them was a slasher film. All continued the tradition of hiring beautiful young people with limited acting skills. These films were very low-budget, and it showed. Even with these limitations, the movies continued to do well at the box office.
Some important patterns begin to take shape with Troma films. First was their clear dislike for food service, portraying kitchens as as chaotic pits of hell. Second, we saw actors such as Kevin Costner, Chris Noth and Vincent D’Onofrio get their start. Madonna auditioned for, and lost out, on a role in The First Turn On! More actors than one would expect made their way through the production company. Troma films began to get a reputation as a conduit to Hollywood.
In 1984, Troma themselves broke into the big league with The Toxic Avenger. Taking place in the fictional New Jersey town, Tromaville, it became a media-franchise. The movie is about a bullied janitor who falls into a pit of toxic waste. This act transforms him into a mutant with super-strength, determined to take on evil. As a result of the success of this film, Troma dropped sex-comedies as a focus. Rather, Troma was now in the business of horror.
This would be Troma’s most commercial era. The Class of Nuke Em High (1986) followed. High schoolers plus the toxic waste theme popular in the 80’s meant that the film was a hit. The VHS tape would become their highest seller. Spurred by this success, and their hatred of President Reagan, Troma’s next film was Troma’s War.
As with other Troma films, the cast and crew look like they had a lot of fun making the movie. It is almost entirely shoot-out scenes and expensive ones at that. The plot borders on war parody. The budget was $3 million and the company never recouped the money. After this wobble, the production company tried once more with Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
A joint venture with video-game company Namco, it too failed at the box-office. Creative differences meant that the film never figured itself out. Six years would go by before theatrical distribution. Troma would no longer do big budget films, instead refocusing on smaller productions.
Tromeo & Juliet (co-written by future director James Gunn), Terror Firmer and several sleepy Toxic Avenger sequels followed. With a desire to support independent film-making, Troma also focused on distribution. Notably, Cannibal! The Musical by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (of South Park fame) was one such distribution.
Going further with this, in 1999 Troma began its TromaDance festival. Taking place at the exact same time as Sundance, it billets itself as the opposite to Sundance. Entries are free and the focus is only on independent cinema. It is commendable that Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz stay centered on this, even as the company is financially strained.
Recently, Troma’s The Toxic Avenger has undergone a remake. It stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon. Now under Legendary Pictures, it is not an amateur production. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz have taken a hands off approach on the new film, instead trusting the vision of writer/director Macon Blair. The film will be released in UK and US cinemas on August 29, and reviews already have been good.
Troma may never win over mainstream Hollywood. And perhaps its commercial days are mostly over. The films are unrefined, rough and gory. But its scrappy, fearless style of independent cinema stays strong fifty years on. Troma remains a proving ground for future stars and a haven for low-budget filmmakers. And most importantly, everyone is still having fun and making movies.
The Toxic Avenger will be released on 29 August.
