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Troma Entertainment

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Troma Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryFilms
Founded1974;50 years ago(1974)
HeadquartersNew York, New York
Key people
Websitewww.troma.com

Troma Entertainmentis an American independent filmproductionanddistributioncompany founded byLloyd KaufmanandMichael Herzin 1974.[1]The company produces low-budget independent films, or "B movies",primarily of thehorror comedy genre,all geared exclusively to mature audiences. Many of them play on 1950s horror with elements offarce,parody,gore,andsplatter.[2]

Troma has produced, acquired, and distributed over 1,000 independent films since its creation.[3]Films produced and distributed by Troma includeThe Toxic Avenger(1984) andits sequels;Class of Nuke 'Em High(1986) andits sequels;Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.(1990);Tromeo and Juliet(1996);Terror Firmer(1999); andPoultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead(2006).

In 2012, the company officially released many of its films onYouTube.[4]However, their YouTube channel was eventually terminated for not meeting community standards.[5]

As of 2023, Troma's slogan is "50 years of Disrupting Media." Its slogan in 2014 was "40 years of Disrupting Media".[6]Before that, the slogan was "30 Years of Reel Independent Cinema". Another slogan the company has used is "Movies of the Future."[7]The company also has its own streaming service called Troma Now.[8] The name "Troma" is a neologism derived from the Greek word "tromos" (τρόμος), meaning "horror," which comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "trem-," meaning "to tremble."

Company information[edit]

Troma films areB-moviesknown for theirsurrealisticorautomatisticnature, along with their use of shocking imagery; some would categorize them as "shockexploitation films".They typically contain overt sexuality, nudity, and intentionally sadistic, gory, and blatantgraphic violence,so much so thatTroma filmhas become a term synonymous with these characteristics.[citation needed]

Troma reuses the same props, actors, and scenes repeatedly, sometimes to save money. At a certain point, however, this became yet another hallmark of Troma. Examples include a severed leg, apenismonster, and the flipping and exploding car filmed for the movieSgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.,which is used in place of any other car that needs to crash and explode.[citation needed]

Troma has produced or acquired early films featuring several rising talents, before they were discovered, including:

The studio prides itself on its self-imposed "Rules of Production":

  1. Safety to humans
  2. Safety to property
  3. Make a good movie! (written in smaller font than the first two)[9]

Their latest production has beenShakespeare's Shitstorm(2020).[citation needed]

History[edit]

In the mid-1970s, Kaufman and Herz began producing, directing, and distributing raunchy sex comedies such asThe First Turn-On!andSqueeze Play!.Troma provided production support forLouis Malle'sMy Dinner with Andre,for which Kaufman served as a production manager.[10][11][12]

In 1984, Troma had a hit with the violentcomedy horrorsuperhero filmThe Toxic Avenger.The film went on to become Troma's most popular, spawning sequels and an animated television program. However, following the financial demise of the company Troma itself, the sequels to the film werebox office bombs,and the cartoon adaptation quickly ended. The Toxic Avenger character is now Troma's officialmascot.

Kaufman's follow-up film toThe Toxic AvengerwasClass of Nuke 'Em High,co-directed with Richard W. Haines. The film was a hit nearly as successful, though it inspired two unsuccessful sequels, both following the financial demise of Troma. At one time, it was the highest-selling VHS release for Troma.

The Toxic Avengerwas turned into a musical which debuted at theGeorge Street PlayhouseinNew Brunswick, New Jersey,and opened in New York in the fall of 2008.The Toxic Avenger Musicalbook by Joe DiPietro, the author of the long-runningI Love You, You're Perfect, Now ChangeandAll Shook Up,was released the same year. The music is byDavid Bryan,keyboardist of the rock bandBon Jovi.[13]

Soon afterClass of Nuke 'Em Highwas completed and distributed, Kaufman directedTroma's War.Intended as a criticism of what it saw asRonald Reagan's attempt to glamorize war, the story concerns a group of everyday people who crash land on a remote island, only to find it populated by an isolationist militia that intends to overthrow the US government.Troma's Warwas a box office bomb. In the aftermath of the film's poor performance, despite another stab at the superhero genre withSgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.,Troma experienced financial hardship and tried to reestablish itself as a smaller company mostly out of necessity.

Work since 1995[edit]

From 1995 to 2000, Troma had a period of creativity and produced some of their greatest work. Kaufman directed three independent films, all distributed in limited theatrical releases:Tromeo and Juliet,a loose parody ofShakespeare's play;Terror Firmer,aslasher filmloosely based on Kaufman's bookAll I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger,and an independent film sequel toThe Toxic AvengertrilogytitledCitizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV.

Troma's financial hardship worsened after the botched funding of a low-budget video feature titledTales from the Crapper,which cost $250,000 despite most of the footage being completely unusable.[14]India Allen,one of the producers, backed out of the film halfway through, and sued Troma, citingbreach of contract,slander, sexual harassment, trade slander, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Kaufman supervised a reshoot in an attempt to salvage the film, dividing the footage into two parts and recasting the film as a double feature.Tales from the Crapperwas released on DVD in September 2004.

Currently, Troma produces and acquires independent films, despite financial hardships and limitations. Troma Films has distributed many films from third parties includingTrey Parker'sCannibal! The Musical.Lloyd encouragesindependent filmmaking,makingcameo appearancesin many low-budget horror films, occasionally without fee. Among his more recent appearances is in former collaboratorJames Gunn's directing debut,Slither,andGuardians of the Galaxy.

Kaufman's long-time editor Gabriel Friedman co-directed and wrote the screenplay to his follow-up film,Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead,a musical zom-com which made its official New York premiere on May 9, 2008 (although the film had previewed numerous times on single screens for over a year). The film opened to positive reviews fromEntertainment WeeklyandThe New York Times[15]and was released in 2006 in theaters and in 2008 on DVD.[16]

During the winter of 2010/2011, Troma produced a feature-length filmFather's Day,which Kaufman calls "a response film to Mother's Day".[17]The film was written and directed by the Canadian filmmaking teamAstron-6,debuting October 21, 2011, at theToronto After Dark Film Festivalwhere it took home the top prize of BEST FILM, as well as five other awards.[18]In 2012Father's Daywas featured on the cover ofRue Morguemagazine[19]and won Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Male Performance, and Best Special Effects atThe Fantastic Planet/A Night of Horror International film festival.[20]This is rare for a film that cost only ten thousand dollars to make.[21]On October 31, 2012,Father's Daywas refused classification in Australia, which makes it effectively illegal to sell or exhibit the film.[22]A second censored version was eventually passed with an R18+ rating.[23]

In August 2012, Troma released over 100 of its back catalog films onYouTube,many for free, some for 48-hour paid viewing.[24]However, their YouTube channel was terminated in 2020 and 2023 for not meeting community standards, but has since been reinstated.[25]

Hollywood[edit]

On April 7, 2010, Kaufman confirmed that aPG-13remake ofThe Toxic Avengerhad been greenlit and was to be produced byAkiva Goldsman.It actually has not been the first attempt at a general audience-friendly version of the franchise, asMake Your Own Damn Movieidentified a previous deal with New Line in the early 1990s for a live-action take on theToxic Crusaders.[citation needed]

Another 1980s Troma classic,Mother's Day(1980), was also to receive a remake, expected to be directed byDarren Lynn Bousmanand produced byBrett Ratner.At the time, Kaufman also said that he was negotiating a deal for a remake ofClass of Nuke 'Em High.Shortly thereafter, Troma and Starz Entertainment entered into an agreement for the production ofReturn to Nuke Em Highas a two-volume title. The first volume was released in theaters and on home video.[26]The second volume, delayed due to funding issues, was stated on itsKickstarterwebsite in January 2017 to be nearing completion.[27]

Troma Now[edit]

In 2015, Troma launched a streaming service called Troma Now, which offers many of the films distributed by Troma to subscribers.[8]The service offers subscribers a free trial month, after which they need to pay a monthly fee of US$4.99.[28]

Other work[edit]

Protesters outside the2013 Cannes Film Festival,demanding an award for Troma

TromaDance[edit]

Troma holds an annualTromadance Festival,[29]originally taking place inPark City,Utah[30]at the same time as theSundance Festivalto accentuate their true independence from the mainstream. The festival screens submitted movies from independent filmmakers from around the world, the best of which are usually released on DVD by Troma or compiled in the Best of Tromadance series. In parallel, Troma acts as adviser to aspiring filmmakers with Kaufman teaching classes, contributing cameos and often releasing the finished films on DVD.

2009 marked the last time Tromadance was held in Utah; the festival was subsequently relocated toAsbury Park, New Jersey.[30]In 2014, the festival moved to New York City, and since 2020 has been held at TheMahoning Drive-In Theater.[30]

Lloyd Kaufman, Toxie, and Sara at Troma-Thon ‘22

Kaufman's books[edit]

Kaufman has also had some success with several non-fiction books and anovelizationofThe Toxic Avenger.Released in 1998,All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avengeris an autobiography of sorts co-written withJames Gunn.This book chronicles the history of the company, its films, and its iconic figurehead. Kaufman continued to draw on his experiences as Troma chief in the "how-to" filmmaking booksMake Your Own Damn Movie!,Direct Your Own Damn Movie!,Produce Your Own Damn Movie!andSell Your Own Damn Movie!.A DVD box set has been released to coincide with release of each of the first three books. In the video series, Kaufman interviews famous and infamous filmmakers about various filmmaking subjects.

In 2006, a novelization ofThe Toxic Avengerwas released. It was co-written by Kaufman and long-time Troma employee Adam Jahnke.[31]

Films distributed[edit]

Main article:List of Troma films

Also seeList of Troma Team Video titlesfor a complete list of films distributed by Troma Entertainment. Below is a list of some Troma distributed films.

Films formerly distributed[edit]

Some titles which have at one time, or another, been distributed by Troma Inc. have left the catalog. For instance,My Neighbor Totorowas originally released by Troma's subsidiary 50th Street Films, but only for a short time, and only for U.S. theatrical release. Others were briefly licensed for distribution on VHS such asFemme Fontaine Killer Babe for the C.I.A.which was one of Troma Team Video's original launch titles along withSgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.andClass of Nuke 'em High Part III: The Good, The Bad and The Subhumanoid.Some titles, such asManiac Nurses Find Ecstasy,are included on this list because they were previously listed but no longer appear in Troma's catalog.[32]

Sub-divisions[edit]

Troma has also created/acquired specialty distributors for its films.

  • 50th Street Films: distributes independent films aimed at a mainstream audience; distributedMy Neighbor Totoroin theaters
  • TromaDance:distributes films from Troma's film festival
  • Roan films
    • Roan Archival Group Entertainment: distributes digitally remastered releases of classic films
  • EG Sports: distributes golf instructional films by Michael Jacobs

Tromaville[edit]

Most of the films made by Troma Entertainment take place in the fictionalNew Jerseycity ofTromaville,known as the "Toxic Chemical Capital of the World." Examples include theToxic Avengerfilms and theClass of Nuke 'Em Highfilms. Another film worth mentioning takes place in apost-apocalypticTromaville titledA Nymphoid Barbarian In Dinosaur Hell.The following is a list of films that either take place in, or mention, Tromaville.

References[edit]

  1. ^"Horror Showman".New York.November 27, 2000.Retrieved2009-07-24.
  2. ^"TROMA".The Daily Horror; Horror Film Splatter Gore News DVD Bluray Reviews.
  3. ^"Films".Troma.com.2020.RetrievedSeptember 29,2020.
  4. ^"Troma Celebrates Upcoming 40th Anniversary by Giving Fans Free Movies on Troma YouTube Channel".Troma.com.December 6, 2012.Retrieved2014-01-01.
  5. ^Accomando, Beth(August 22, 2020)."Cinema Junkie Podcast 201: Troma Entertainment 'Disrupting Media For 45 Years'".KPBS.org.RetrievedAugust 27,2020.
  6. ^Robin, Miranda (April 7, 2016)."FILM: First-Person Review: B.C. Butcher".Topanga Messenger.RetrievedFebruary 8,2017.
  7. ^"Kung Fu Necktie".KungFuNecktie.com.Troma Entertainment. 2016.RetrievedFebruary 8,2017.
  8. ^abBraley, Walt (March 14, 2020)."Troma Now: 10 Hidden Gems You Can Watch Right Now On The Genre Streaming Service".Screen Rant.RetrievedAugust 23,2020.
  9. ^Sass, Jeffrey (2018-07-01)."Chapter 18: Playing By The Rules".Everything I Know About Business and Marketing.Retrieved2021-12-19.
  10. ^Kaufman, Lloyd; Jahnke, Adam; Haaga, Trent (2003).Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director.L.A. Weekly Books. p. 196.ISBN978-0-312-28864-8.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  11. ^Rausch, Andrew J. (2008). Dequina, Michael (ed.).Fifty Filmmakers: Conversations With Directors from Roger Avary to Steven Zaillian.McFarland. p. 118.ISBN978-0-7864-3149-6.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  12. ^"Kings of the B's".Spin.3(6): 70. September 1987.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  13. ^Ouzounian, Richard(2009-12-06)."Toxic Avenger found his bard in Bon Jovi".Toronto Star.Retrieved2010-10-28.
  14. ^"The Art of Ploys: Four Terrific Troma Documentaries, PopMatters".8 October 2007.
  15. ^Lee, Nathan (2008-05-09)."Going for the Finger-Licking Gusto".The New York Times.Retrieved2010-05-11.
  16. ^"Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead".Entertainment Weekly.May 22, 2008.Retrieved2009-07-24.
  17. ^"Lloyd Kaufman on Father's Day movie! (part one)".YouTube. 2010-08-06. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-02-15.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  18. ^"Award Winners 2011".torontoafterdark.com.Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011. 2011-11-04.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  19. ^Rue Morgue March 2012 cover(JPG). Listal.com.
  20. ^"Fantastic Planet/A Night Of Horror - Award Winners 2012".Fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  21. ^"Father's Day".Astron-6.com.2011-10-21.Retrieved2012-09-03.
  22. ^Quinn, Karl (November 2, 2012)."'Dad rape, maple syrup and friendship' movie banned ".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax Media.RetrievedFebruary 8,2017.
  23. ^"Film Censorship: Father's Day (2011)".refused-classification.com.RetrievedDecember 29,2013.
  24. ^Sharwood, Simon (August 31, 2012)."Schlockmeister Troma's back catalog hits YouTube".The Register.Retrieved2012-09-02.
  25. ^Accomando, Beth(August 22, 2020)."Cinema Junkie Podcast 201: Troma Entertainment 'Disrupting Media For 45 Years'".KPBS.org.RetrievedAugust 27,2020.
  26. ^Raffel, Lawrence P. (2010-04-07)."He Finally Hit Puberty! 'The Toxic Avenger' Remake Confirmed".fearnet.com.Horror Entertainment, LLC. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-04-05.Retrieved2017-02-08.
  27. ^"Update from Tromaville! We're nearly there!".Kickstarter.com.Troma Entertainment. 2017-01-20.Retrieved2017-02-08.
  28. ^Winfrey, Graham (2016-07-29)."Troma Lives! Inside the Wacky, Repulsive and Weirdly Meaningful World of a B-Movie Legend".IndieWire.Retrieved2020-08-23.
  29. ^Abrams, Simon (2021-07-09)."The Schlock-Horror Drive-In That Rose From the Grave".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2021-12-04.
  30. ^abcBiese, Alex."TromaDance is Brooklyn-bound".Asbury Park Press.Retrieved2021-12-04.
  31. ^"Fiction Book Review: The Toxic Avenger: The Novel by Lloyd Kaufman, Author, Adam Jahnke, Author. Thunder's Mouth Press $13.95 (273p) ISBN 978-1-56025-870-4".PublishersWeekly.com.April 2006.Retrieved2021-12-04.
  32. ^"Films".Troma.com.
  33. ^Kaufman, Lloyd; Gunn, James (2008).All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger.Berkley Boulevard Books.ISBN978-0-425-16357-3.

External links[edit]

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