Lloyd Kaufman
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Kaufman is an American
film director
, producer
, screenwriter
and occasional actor
. With producer Michael Herz
, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment
film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including The Toxic Avenger
and Tromeo and Juliet
. Kaufman also serves as chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance
. Kaufman has also advertised for New Zealand's Tylor TV.
, New York
, the son of Ruth (née Fried) and Stanley Lloyd Kaufman, Sr. a lawyer.
with the class of 1968, where he majored in Chinese studies. His Yale classmates included Oliver Stone
and George W. Bush
. Originally intending to become a social worker, he became fast friends with student filmmaker Robert Edelstein and Eric Sherman (son of filmmaker Vincent Sherman
), who introduced him to his future lifelong obsession, cinema. Some of Lloyd's favorite filmmakers include John Ford
, Kenji Mizoguchi
, Ernst Lubitsch
, Stan Brakhage
and Franklin Schaffner
. Like the members of Monty Python
troupe, who were a big influence on him, Kaufman read Punch magazine and enjoyed the theatrical performances of Beyond the Fringe
, Flanders & Swann, etc.
In 1966, Lloyd went on a hiatus from his studies and spent a year in Chad
for USAID as a pathfinder for the Peace Corps
.
Returning to Yale, he produced Robert Edelstein's low-budget film Rappaccini and directed his own first feature film, an experimental black and white film titled The Girl Who Returned
. The film was presented at film societies at Yale, Harvard, and other east coast institutions. Following his graduation, Kaufman went on to work for Cannon Films, where he met John G. Avildsen
(future Academy Award-winning director of Rocky
and The Karate Kid). The two collaborated for several years, making low-budget films including Joe
and Cry Uncle!
During this period, Kaufman also directed and starred in his second feature film, The Battle of Love's Return
, which garnered positive reviews in publications such as The New York Times
, wrote and produced the lesbian
thriller Sugar Cookies
(with Oliver Stone
), and wrote and directed another film, the Israel
i comedy flop Big Gus, What's the Fuss?
. Kaufman also served as executive in charge of locations for Saturday Night Fever
, and was influential in choosing 2001 Odyssey as the nightclub in the film.
From 1973-1979, Kaufman produced and directed a handful of adult films in New York under the pseudonym "Louis Su." He directed at least three movies: The Divine Obsession, The Newcomers, and Sweet & Sour, and has been credited for producing at least three more.
founded Troma Entertainment
and began producing and distributing independent action and comedy films. In order to pay the bills, Kaufman did some freelance work for major Hollywood productions, including Rocky
(edited on Troma's flatbed machines), Saturday Night Fever
, and The Final Countdown, which he also produced (Kaufman has said that it was his experience on this film that made him never want to deal with a major studio again). From 1979 to 1981, the two wrote, produced and directed a series of profitable "sexy comedies" including Squeeze Play!
, Waitress!
, Stuck on You! and The First Turn-On!
. On most of these early films, Kaufman is credited as "Samuel Weil." Kaufman also made a small appearance in Rocky and served as the production manager on Louis Malle
's My Dinner With Andre
.
In 1985, Troma experienced mainstream success with the violent, darkly comic superhero film The Toxic Avenger
. Toxic went on to become Troma's most popular movie, inspiring three sequels, a Saturday morning children's television show
, comic books and tons of merchandise. The Toxic Avenger, or "Toxie," is now Troma's official mascot.
Kaufman's follow-up to The Toxic Avenger
was Class of Nuke 'Em High
, which he co-directed with Richard W. Haines
. Riding on the success of the Toxic Avenger, Nuke 'em inspired two sequels and a healthy run on late night cable shows such as USA Up All Night
. At one time, Class of Nuke 'Em High
was the highest-selling VHS
for Troma.
Troma's popularity waned after the box office failure of Troma's War
; Kaufman attributed the film's lack of success to cuts made to the movie after the MPAA refused to release it with an R-rating in its intended form.http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780240810454/84 Troma's attempt to reboot its popularity with the super hero satire Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
was unsuccessful, failing to make an impression at the box office. From 1995 to 2000, Kaufman retrofitted the studio into an independent film company, finding success amongst cult movie fans and critics with the independent film Tromeo and Juliet
(1996), a loose parody of Shakespeare's play
. Other independent films that followed were the less successful Terror Firmer
(1999), a slasher film set on the set of a Troma movie (with Kaufman playing a caricature of himself), and the fourth installment in the Toxic Avenger franchise Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV
.
It would not be long, however, before Troma would once again experience financial hardship, this time after the botched funding of a low-budget video feature titled Tales from the Crapper
, which cost $250,000 despite most of the footage being unusable. Lloyd 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 Crapper was released on DVD in September 2004.
Troma still produces and acquires independent films. Troma Films has distributed many films from third parties including Trey Parker
's Cannibal! The Musical
. Lloyd himself encourages independent filmmaking, making cameo appearances in low-budget horror films, often for free. Recent appearances include screen time in former collaborator James Gunn's directing debut, Slither, as well as Gunn's Super and Mark Neveldine
and Brian Taylor
's Crank
and Gamer.
Kaufman's latest film, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
, made its official New York premiere on May 9, 2008 (although the film had previewed numerous times on single screens for over a year). On its opening weekend, it had the second highest per-screen average ticket sales, beating out the big-budget Speed Racer
, and opened to positive reviews from Entertainment Weekly
, The New York Times
, and was made a critics pick by New York Magazine
and Salon.com
.
In September 2008, a staged musical version of The Toxic Avenger opened at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey
. Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, The Toxic Avenger Musical features music from Bon Jovi founding member, David Bryan
. On 17 September 2009, Kaufman announced he would have a cameo in the remake of the Charles Kaufman/Troma movie Mother´s Day
alongside his brother Charles.
Kaufman is the subject of the forthcoming book Toxic Schlock: Conversations with Lloyd Kaufman by Andrew J. Rausch and Chris Watson. An author himself, Kaufman has most recently been working on adding to his Your Own Damn Movie! series. Having completed Make Your Own Damn Movie!, Direct Your Own Damn Movie! and Produce Your Own Damn Movie!, he is now working on Sell Your Own Damn Movie!.
As of July 2010, Kaufman is set to direct the upcoming The Toxic Avenger 5: The Toxic Twins. Los Angeles-based writer Collyn McCoy has been hired to pen this newest Toxic Avenger installment. Troma is also preparing for both the remake of The Toxic Avenger
by Akiva Goldsman
, Richard Saperstein and Charlie Corwin
, and the upcoming Father's Day, a shocking film from Canadian powerhouse Astron-6 which Troma is producing.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. With producer Michael Herz
Michael Herz (producer)
Michael Herz is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. With Lloyd Kaufman, the two are the co-founders of Troma Entertainment, the world's longest running independent film studio, known for their comedic horror films, including the cult favorite Toxic Avenger series and the...
, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974.The company produces low-budget independent movies that play on 1950s horror with elements of farce...
film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. Virtually ignored upon its first release, The Toxic Avenger caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed...
and Tromeo and Juliet
Tromeo and Juliet
Tromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment...
. Kaufman also serves as chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance
Independent Film & Television Alliance
The Independent Film & Television Alliance is the trade association that represents companies that finance, produce and license independent film and television programming worldwide. The association is headquartered in Los Angeles but has a worldwide membership and scope of services and advocacy....
. Kaufman has also advertised for New Zealand's Tylor TV.
Early life
Kaufman was born Stanley Lloyd Kaufman, Jr. in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the son of Ruth (née Fried) and Stanley Lloyd Kaufman, Sr. a lawyer.
Early career
Kaufman graduated from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with the class of 1968, where he majored in Chinese studies. His Yale classmates included Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Originally intending to become a social worker, he became fast friends with student filmmaker Robert Edelstein and Eric Sherman (son of filmmaker Vincent Sherman
Vincent Sherman
Vincent Sherman was an American director, and actor, who worked in Hollywood. His movies include Mr. Skeffington , Nora Prentiss , and The Young Philadelphians ....
), who introduced him to his future lifelong obsession, cinema. Some of Lloyd's favorite filmmakers include John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
, Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...
, Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch was a German-born film director. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch."In 1947 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his...
, Stan Brakhage
Stan Brakhage
James Stanley Brakhage , better known as Stan Brakhage, was an American non-narrative filmmaker who is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th century experimental film....
and Franklin Schaffner
Franklin Schaffner
Franklin James Schaffner was an American film director best known for such films as Planet of the Apes , Patton , Papillon , and The Boys from Brazil .-Early life:...
. Like the members of Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
troupe, who were a big influence on him, Kaufman read Punch magazine and enjoyed the theatrical performances of Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe was a British comedy stage revue written and performed by Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller. It played in London's West End and then on New York's Broadway in the early 1960s, and is widely regarded as seminal to the rise of satire in 1960s Britain.-The...
, Flanders & Swann, etc.
In 1966, Lloyd went on a hiatus from his studies and spent a year in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
for USAID as a pathfinder for the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
.
Returning to Yale, he produced Robert Edelstein's low-budget film Rappaccini and directed his own first feature film, an experimental black and white film titled The Girl Who Returned
The Girl Who Returned
The Girl Who Returned is a 1969 American comedy film, notable as the directorial debut of Lloyd Kaufman, future co-founder and president of Troma Entertainment. It was made during his sophomore year at Yale University....
. The film was presented at film societies at Yale, Harvard, and other east coast institutions. Following his graduation, Kaufman went on to work for Cannon Films, where he met John G. Avildsen
John G. Avildsen
John Guilbert Avildsen is an American film director.-Life and career:Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Ivy and Clarence John Avildsen...
(future Academy Award-winning director of Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and The Karate Kid). The two collaborated for several years, making low-budget films including Joe
Joe (film)
Joe is a 1970 drama film starring Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, and Susan Sarandon in her film debut. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen.-Plot:...
and Cry Uncle!
Cry Uncle!
Cry Uncle! is a 1971 film in the Troma library. It is directed by John G. Avildsen and stars Allen Garfield. The story, based on the Michael Brett novel Lie A Little, Die A Little, follows the misadventures of a slobbish private detective who is hired by a millionaire to investigate a murder...
During this period, Kaufman also directed and starred in his second feature film, The Battle of Love's Return
The Battle of Love's Return
The Battle of Love's Return is a 1971 comedy film written, directed, produced, and starring Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, his first major film after his student production The Girl Who Returned....
, which garnered positive reviews in publications such as The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, wrote and produced the lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
thriller Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookies (film)
Sugar Cookies is a 1973 soft-core crime film directed by Theodore Gershuny. It was co-written by future president of Troma Entertainment Lloyd Kaufman and produced by future director Oliver Stone....
(with Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
), and wrote and directed another film, the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i comedy flop Big Gus, What's the Fuss?
Big Gus, What's the Fuss?
Big Gus, What's the Fuss? was a 1973 Israeli comedy film directed by Ami Artzi and American director Lloyd Kaufman, the president of Troma Entertainment...
. Kaufman also served as executive in charge of locations for Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
, and was influential in choosing 2001 Odyssey as the nightclub in the film.
From 1973-1979, Kaufman produced and directed a handful of adult films in New York under the pseudonym "Louis Su." He directed at least three movies: The Divine Obsession, The Newcomers, and Sweet & Sour, and has been credited for producing at least three more.
Troma Studios
In 1974, Kaufman and his business partner Michael HerzMichael Herz (producer)
Michael Herz is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. With Lloyd Kaufman, the two are the co-founders of Troma Entertainment, the world's longest running independent film studio, known for their comedic horror films, including the cult favorite Toxic Avenger series and the...
founded Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974.The company produces low-budget independent movies that play on 1950s horror with elements of farce...
and began producing and distributing independent action and comedy films. In order to pay the bills, Kaufman did some freelance work for major Hollywood productions, including Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
(edited on Troma's flatbed machines), Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
, and The Final Countdown, which he also produced (Kaufman has said that it was his experience on this film that made him never want to deal with a major studio again). From 1979 to 1981, the two wrote, produced and directed a series of profitable "sexy comedies" including Squeeze Play!
Squeeze Play!
Squeeze Play! is a 1979 comedy film from Troma Entertainment directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz. It was Troma’s first major hit before The Toxic Avenger, and the first in a line of four "sexy comedies", followed by Waitress!, Stuck on You!, and The First Turn-On!.-Plot:A group of New Jersey...
, Waitress!
Waitress!
Waitress! is a 1981 comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment. It was the second in Troma's line of "sexy comedies", preceded by the 1979's Squeeze Play! and followed by 1982's Stuck on You! and 1983's The First Turn-On!.-Premise:The film follows an aspiring...
, Stuck on You! and The First Turn-On!
The First Turn-On!
The First Turn-On! is a 1983 comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment. It was the last in a series of four "sexy comedies" that helped establish Troma as a film studio, starting with 1979's Squeeze Play!, 1981's Waitress! and 1982's Stuck on You!.The First...
. On most of these early films, Kaufman is credited as "Samuel Weil." Kaufman also made a small appearance in Rocky and served as the production manager on Louis Malle
Louis Malle
Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. His films include Ascenseur pour l'échafaud , Atlantic City , and Au revoir, les enfants .- Early years in France :Malle was born into a wealthy industrialist family in Thumeries,...
's My Dinner With Andre
My Dinner with Andre
My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 film starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle.-Plot:...
.
In 1985, Troma experienced mainstream success with the violent, darkly comic superhero film The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. Virtually ignored upon its first release, The Toxic Avenger caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed...
. Toxic went on to become Troma's most popular movie, inspiring three sequels, a Saturday morning children's television show
Toxic Crusaders
Toxic Crusaders is an animated series based on The Toxic Avenger films. It features Toxie, the lead character of the films leading a trio of misfit superheroes who combat pollution. This followed a trend of environmentally considerate cartoons of the time, including Captain Planet and the...
, comic books and tons of merchandise. The Toxic Avenger, or "Toxie," is now Troma's official mascot.
Kaufman's follow-up to The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. Virtually ignored upon its first release, The Toxic Avenger caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed...
was Class of Nuke 'Em High
Class of Nuke 'Em High
Class of Nuke 'Em High, also known as Atomic High School, is a 1986 film made by cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment. It was directed by Richard W. Haines and Lloyd Kaufman under the pseudonym Samuel Weil...
, which he co-directed with Richard W. Haines
Richard W. Haines
Richard W. Haines is an American independent genre filmmaker and film historian best known for his cult movies Space Avenger in Technicolor, Run for Cover in 3-D, and Splatter University, and the book Technicolor Movies....
. Riding on the success of the Toxic Avenger, Nuke 'em inspired two sequels and a healthy run on late night cable shows such as USA Up All Night
USA Up All Night
USA Up All Night is an American cable television series that aired weekly on Friday and Saturday nights on the USA Network. The show aired from 1989 to 1998.-Synopsis:...
. At one time, Class of Nuke 'Em High
Class of Nuke 'Em High
Class of Nuke 'Em High, also known as Atomic High School, is a 1986 film made by cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment. It was directed by Richard W. Haines and Lloyd Kaufman under the pseudonym Samuel Weil...
was the highest-selling VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
for Troma.
Troma's popularity waned after the box office failure of Troma's War
Troma's War
Troma's War, also known as 1,000 Ways to Die in the United States, is a 1988 action/adventure film written by Lloyd Kaufman and Mitchell Dana and directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman...
; Kaufman attributed the film's lack of success to cuts made to the movie after the MPAA refused to release it with an R-rating in its intended form.http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780240810454/84 Troma's attempt to reboot its popularity with the super hero satire Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. is a 1990 comedic superhero film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and distributed by Troma Entertainment.-Synopsis:...
was unsuccessful, failing to make an impression at the box office. From 1995 to 2000, Kaufman retrofitted the studio into an independent film company, finding success amongst cult movie fans and critics with the independent film Tromeo and Juliet
Tromeo and Juliet
Tromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment...
(1996), a loose parody of Shakespeare's play
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
. Other independent films that followed were the less successful Terror Firmer
Terror Firmer
Terror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment company, known for distributing campy exploitation films...
(1999), a slasher film set on the set of a Troma movie (with Kaufman playing a caricature of himself), and the fourth installment in the Toxic Avenger franchise Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV
Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV
Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part IV is a 2000 American superhero comedy film released by Troma Entertainment, directed by Lloyd Kaufman...
.
It would not be long, however, before Troma would once again experience financial hardship, this time after the botched funding of a low-budget video feature titled Tales from the Crapper
Tales from the Crapper
Tales from the Crapper is a 2004 straight-to-video anthology film that was a spoof of the Tales from the Crypt comics. The film was released by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:...
, which cost $250,000 despite most of the footage being unusable. Lloyd 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 Crapper was released on DVD in September 2004.
Troma still produces and acquires independent films. Troma Films has distributed many films from third parties including Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
's Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder...
. Lloyd himself encourages independent filmmaking, making cameo appearances in low-budget horror films, often for free. Recent appearances include screen time in former collaborator James Gunn's directing debut, Slither, as well as Gunn's Super and Mark Neveldine
Mark Neveldine
Mark Neveldine is an American film director, film producer, screenwriter and camera operator. He is best known for frequently collaborating with Brian Taylor as Neveldine/Taylor.-Life and career:...
and Brian Taylor
Brian Taylor (filmmaker)
Brian Taylor is an American film director, cinematographer, camera operator, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for frequently collaborating with Mark Neveldine as Neveldine/Taylor....
's Crank
Crank (film)
Crank is a 2006 American comedy movie, written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, and starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, and Dwight Yoakam...
and Gamer.
Kaufman's latest film, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
Poultrygeist
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is a 2006 musical-comedy horror exploitation film from Troma Entertainment, directed by Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Gabriel Friedman and Daniel Bova....
, made its official New York premiere on May 9, 2008 (although the film had previewed numerous times on single screens for over a year). On its opening weekend, it had the second highest per-screen average ticket sales, beating out the big-budget Speed Racer
Speed Racer (film)
Speed Racer is a 2008 American live action film adaptation of Tatsuo Yoshida's 1960s Japanese anime series of the same name, produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The film is written and directed by the Wachowskis...
, and opened to positive reviews from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and was made a critics pick by New York Magazine
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
and Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
.
In September 2008, a staged musical version of The Toxic Avenger opened at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, The Toxic Avenger Musical features music from Bon Jovi founding member, David Bryan
David Bryan
David Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
. On 17 September 2009, Kaufman announced he would have a cameo in the remake of the Charles Kaufman/Troma movie Mother´s Day
Mother's Day (2010 film)
Mother's Day is an upcoming American horror- thriller film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. It is a remake of Charles Kaufman's 1980 film of the same name and was written by Scott Millam.-Plot:...
alongside his brother Charles.
Kaufman is the subject of the forthcoming book Toxic Schlock: Conversations with Lloyd Kaufman by Andrew J. Rausch and Chris Watson. An author himself, Kaufman has most recently been working on adding to his Your Own Damn Movie! series. Having completed Make Your Own Damn Movie!, Direct Your Own Damn Movie! and Produce Your Own Damn Movie!, he is now working on Sell Your Own Damn Movie!.
As of July 2010, Kaufman is set to direct the upcoming The Toxic Avenger 5: The Toxic Twins. Los Angeles-based writer Collyn McCoy has been hired to pen this newest Toxic Avenger installment. Troma is also preparing for both the remake of The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. Virtually ignored upon its first release, The Toxic Avenger caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed...
by Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
, Richard Saperstein and Charlie Corwin
Charlie Corwin
Charlie Corwin is the founder and CEO of Original Media, a subsidiary of Endemol USA, which is headquartered in New York. He has produced a variety of critically acclaimed movies, television, and digital programs and was named one of Variety's "10 Producers to Watch" in 2006.Corwin co-founded...
, and the upcoming Father's Day, a shocking film from Canadian powerhouse Astron-6 which Troma is producing.
As director
All films from Waitress to Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. were co-directed with college friend and Troma Vice President Michael Herz- The Girl Who ReturnedThe Girl Who ReturnedThe Girl Who Returned is a 1969 American comedy film, notable as the directorial debut of Lloyd Kaufman, future co-founder and president of Troma Entertainment. It was made during his sophomore year at Yale University....
(1969) - The Battle of Love's ReturnThe Battle of Love's ReturnThe Battle of Love's Return is a 1971 comedy film written, directed, produced, and starring Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, his first major film after his student production The Girl Who Returned....
(1971) - Big Gus, What's the Fuss?Big Gus, What's the Fuss?Big Gus, What's the Fuss? was a 1973 Israeli comedy film directed by Ami Artzi and American director Lloyd Kaufman, the president of Troma Entertainment...
(1973) - Squeeze Play!Squeeze Play!Squeeze Play! is a 1979 comedy film from Troma Entertainment directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz. It was Troma’s first major hit before The Toxic Avenger, and the first in a line of four "sexy comedies", followed by Waitress!, Stuck on You!, and The First Turn-On!.-Plot:A group of New Jersey...
(1979) (as Samuel Weil) - Waitress!Waitress!Waitress! is a 1981 comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment. It was the second in Troma's line of "sexy comedies", preceded by the 1979's Squeeze Play! and followed by 1982's Stuck on You! and 1983's The First Turn-On!.-Premise:The film follows an aspiring...
(1981) (as Samuel Weil) - Stuck on You! (1982) (as Samuel Weil)
- The First Turn-On!The First Turn-On!The First Turn-On! is a 1983 comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment. It was the last in a series of four "sexy comedies" that helped establish Troma as a film studio, starting with 1979's Squeeze Play!, 1981's Waitress! and 1982's Stuck on You!.The First...
(1983) (as Samuel Weil) - The Toxic AvengerThe Toxic AvengerThe Toxic Avenger is a 1984 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. Virtually ignored upon its first release, The Toxic Avenger caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed...
(1984) (as Samuel Weil) - Class of Nuke 'Em HighClass of Nuke 'Em HighClass of Nuke 'Em High, also known as Atomic High School, is a 1986 film made by cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment. It was directed by Richard W. Haines and Lloyd Kaufman under the pseudonym Samuel Weil...
(1986) (as Samuel Weil; co-directed by Richard W. Haines) - Troma's WarTroma's WarTroma's War, also known as 1,000 Ways to Die in the United States, is a 1988 action/adventure film written by Lloyd Kaufman and Mitchell Dana and directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman...
(1988) (as Samuel Weil) - The Toxic Avenger Part IIThe Toxic Avenger Part IIThe Toxic Avenger Part II is a 1989 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment. It was directed by Lloyd Kaufman and features The Toxic Avenger in an adventure to Japan to meet his father. The film has received cult status among a new audience almost a generation after it was first released...
and The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of ToxieThe Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of ToxieThe Toxic Avenger III: The Last Temptation of Toxie was released in 1989 by Troma Entertainment. It is effectively a direct sequel to The Toxic Avenger Part II because when director Lloyd Kaufman made that movie he realized he shot too much material for one film.-Plot:After getting Apocalypse Inc....
(1989) - Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. is a 1990 comedic superhero film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and distributed by Troma Entertainment.-Synopsis:...
(1990) - Tromeo and JulietTromeo and JulietTromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment...
(1996) - Terror FirmerTerror FirmerTerror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment company, known for distributing campy exploitation films...
(1998) (based on his book All I Need To Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic AvengerAll I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic AvengerAll I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger is the autobiography of Lloyd Kaufman, published by Berkely Boulevard, a subsidiary of Penguin Putnam, in 1998. Kaufman is the co-founder of B-movie company Troma Entertainment and the director of such films as The Toxic Avenger,...
) - Troma's Edge TV (1999–2001) (26 half-hour episodes)
- Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IVCitizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IVCitizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part IV is a 2000 American superhero comedy film released by Troma Entertainment, directed by Lloyd Kaufman...
(2000) - All The Love You Cannes (2002)
- Parts of the Family (2003) (as Gabriel Lloyd)
- Tales from the CrapperTales from the CrapperTales from the Crapper is a 2004 straight-to-video anthology film that was a spoof of the Tales from the Crypt comics. The film was released by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:...
(2004) - Make Your Own Damn Movie!Make Your Own Damn Movie!Make Your Own Damn Movie is both a book and a DVD set about Troma Entertainment and independent film in general.-Book:Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director is written by Lloyd Kaufman published by St. Martin's, in 2003...
(2005) - Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken DeadPoultrygeistPoultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is a 2006 musical-comedy horror exploitation film from Troma Entertainment, directed by Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Gabriel Friedman and Daniel Bova....
(2006) - Splendor & Wisdom (2008)
- Direct Your Own Damn Movie (2009)
- Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (2010)
- Lenge: Ledgends of Troma (2011)
- Toxic Twins: The Toxic Avenger V (2011)
As producer only
- Sugar CookiesSugar Cookies (film)Sugar Cookies is a 1973 soft-core crime film directed by Theodore Gershuny. It was co-written by future president of Troma Entertainment Lloyd Kaufman and produced by future director Oliver Stone....
(1973) - Silent Night, Bloody NightSilent Night, Bloody NightNot to be confused with a more controversial and popular film called Silent Night, Deadly Night.Silent Night, Bloody Night is a low-budget 1974 psychological horror film directed by Theodore Gershuny. It stars Patrick O'Neal and cult actress Mary Woronov in leading roles, with John Carradine in a...
(1974) - Mother's Day (1980)
- The Final Countdown (1980)
- The Dark Side of MidnightThe Dark Side of MidnightThe Dark Side of Midnight is a 1984 thriller written and directed by Wes Olsen. The plot follows a detective on the trail of a serial killer known as 'The Creeper', whose relentless string of murders are terrorizing the residents of a small town.The film is currently distributed by Troma...
(1984) - ScreamplayScreamplayScreamplay is a 1985 American horror film directed by Rufus Butler Seder.-Plot:Aspiring screenwriter Edgar Allen arrives in Hollywood carrying his most valuable possessions: a battered suitcase and a typewriter. Edgar Allen's best attribute is his wild imagination...
(1985) - Igor and the LunaticsIgor and the LunaticsIgor and the Lunatics is a 1985 horror film directed by Billy Parolini and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The film follows Igor, a maniacal cult leader, and his group of murderous followers who, after being sent to prison after a killing spree, are released sixteen years later, only to return...
(1985) - Girls School ScreamersGirls School ScreamersGirls School Screamers is a 1986 horror film co-written and directed by John P. Finnegan. The plot follows a group of young college girls who are taken up to an abandoned mansion to help renovate it, only to later be dispatched one by one by an unseen assailant. The film was distributed by Troma...
(1986) - Combat ShockCombat ShockCombat Shock is a 1986 drama film written and directed by Buddy Giovinazzo and distributed by Troma Entertainment.The plot of the film takes place in Staten Island, and follows an unemployed Vietnam veteran living in total poverty with his nagging wife, his deformed baby due to Ricky having been...
(1986) - Fortress of AmerikkkaFortress of AmerikkkaFortress of Amerikkka is a 1989 action film directed by Eric Louzil and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The movie follows John Whitecloud, a criminal rebel who's out for revenge against a corrupt Sheriff and a militia run by a crazed General...
(1988) - Dialing for DingbatsDialing for DingbatsDialing for Dingbats is a 1989 light-hearted romantic comedy directed by Peter Slodczyk and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The film follows the adventures of nerdy Randy, who, unable to score a girl in the real world, tries his hand at a '900' party line number.Unusual for Troma comedies at...
(1989) - Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid MeltdownClass of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid MeltdownClass of Nuke 'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown is a 1991 sequel to the 1986 minor-hit Class of Nuke 'Em High. Notably there are no characters carried over from the first film .-Plot:Tromaville's nuclear reactor has been rebuilt and the Nukamama Corporation...
(1991) - Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the SubhumanoidClass of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the SubhumanoidThe Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid is a 1994 comedy, horror, science-fiction film directed by Eric Louzil and distributed by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:...
(1994) - Blondes Have More Guns (1995)
- DeCampitatedDecampitatedDecampitated is a 1998 independent American horror comedy film directed by Matt Cunningham and distributed on video by Troma Entertainment....
(1998) - Sucker: The Vampire (1998)
- The Rowdy Girls (2000)
- Parts of the Family (2003)
- Slaughter Party (2005)
- Mother's DayMother's Day (2010 film)Mother's Day is an upcoming American horror- thriller film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. It is a remake of Charles Kaufman's 1980 film of the same name and was written by Scott Millam.-Plot:...
(2010) - Teenape Vs. the Nazi Monster Apocalypse (2011)
- Mr. Bricks: A Heavy Metal Murder Musical (2011)
- Father's Day (2011)
- Hack JobHack JobHack Job is an American horror-thriller film directed by James Balsamo and produced by Lloyd Kaufman. It stars Dave Brockie, Lloyd Kaufman, & Debbie Rochon. Nightmare Sonata provides music for the film...
(2011)
As actor
- The Battle of Love's ReturnThe Battle of Love's ReturnThe Battle of Love's Return is a 1971 comedy film written, directed, produced, and starring Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, his first major film after his student production The Girl Who Returned....
(1971) - Abacrombie - Cry Uncle!Cry Uncle!Cry Uncle! is a 1971 film in the Troma library. It is directed by John G. Avildsen and stars Allen Garfield. The story, based on the Michael Brett novel Lie A Little, Die A Little, follows the misadventures of a slobbish private detective who is hired by a millionaire to investigate a murder...
(1971) - Hippie #2 - The Love Thrill Murders (1971) - Squeegee
- RockyRockyRocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
(1976) - Drunk - Slow Dancing in the Big CitySlow Dancing in the Big CitySlow Dancing in the Big City is a 1978 film directed by John G. Avildsen. It stars Paul Sorvino and Anne Ditchburn.This was the first film made by Avildsen after 1976's Rocky captured Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. It has never been released on video or DVD.-Plot:Lou Friedlander...
(1979) - Usher - The Final Countdown (1980) - Commander Kaufman
- Rocky VRocky VRocky V is an American film released as the fifth film in the Rocky series in 1990. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Stallone's real life son Sage, and real life boxer Tommy Morrison as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer...
(1990) - Drunk (Scenes Deleted) - Cannes ManCannes Man (film)Cannes Man is a 1996 independent comedy film directed and composed by Richard Martini. The film stars Seymour Cassel and Francesco Quinn. The film also features more than 15 famous Hollywood actors including Johnny Depp, Jon Cryer, Benicio del Toro, John Malkovich, Dennis Hopper, Kevin Pollak, Jim...
(1996) - Troma Chief - Tromeo and JulietTromeo and JulietTromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment...
(1996) - Bar Patron (Uncredited) - OrgazmoOrgazmoOrgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:...
(1997) - Doctor - Terror FirmerTerror FirmerTerror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment company, known for distributing campy exploitation films...
(1998) - Larry Benjamin - Tales from the CrapperTales from the CrapperTales from the Crapper is a 2004 straight-to-video anthology film that was a spoof of the Tales from the Crypt comics. The film was released by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:...
(2003) - The Crap Keeper - LolliLoveLolliLoveLolliLove is a mockumentary co-written by, directed by and starring Jenna Fischer. The film satirizes a hip, misguided Southern California couple who decide to make a difference in the lives of the homeless by giving them lollipops with a cheery slogan on the wrapper.-Production:The film stars...
(2003) - Father Lloyd - Slither (2006) - Sad Drunk
- Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) - Old Arbie
- Crank: High Voltage (2009) - Maintenance Guy#2
- Gamer (2009) - Genericon
- Incest Death Squad (2009) - Mr. Reamburg
- Heavy MentalHeavy MentalHeavy Mental is the debut album by rapper Killah Priest, an associate of hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and a member of the group Sunz of Man. It was released on March 10, 1998, on Geffen Records....
(2009) - The Beaver - Super (2010) - 911 Man
- Killer Hoo Ha (2010) - Man in road
- Hatchet IIHatchet IIHatchet II is a 2010 American slasher film written and directed by Adam Green. It is the sequel to Green's film, Hatchet.Picking up right where the first film ended, Hatchet II follows Marybeth as she escapes the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling, killer Victor Crowley...
(2010) - Hunter - Caesar and Otto meet Dracula's Lawyer (2010) - Judge Stoker Browning
- Caesar and Otto's Deadly XMasCaesar and Otto's Deadly XMasCaesar and Otto's Deadly XMas is an upcoming American comedy-horror film currently in production in the Los Angeles area. It stars Dave Campfield, Paul Chomicki, Felissa Rose, Deron Miller, Lloyd Kaufman, Ken Macfarlane, Avi K. Garg, Linnea Quigley and Brinke Stevens. It is written and directed by...
(2011) - Grandpa Denovio - HangerHangerHanger or hangers may refer to:* Clothes hanger, device in the shape of human shoulders or legs used to hang clothes on* Hanger steak, a tender cut of steak* Casing hanger, part of a wellhead assembly in oil drilling...
(2009) - Melvina The Tranny - Tetherball: The Movie (2010) - Larry Lewinski
- Lenge: Ledgends of Troma (2011) - Himself
- Hack JobHack JobHack Job is an American horror-thriller film directed by James Balsamo and produced by Lloyd Kaufman. It stars Dave Brockie, Lloyd Kaufman, & Debbie Rochon. Nightmare Sonata provides music for the film...
(2011) - Himself
Books
- All I Needed To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger (with James Gunn)
- Make Your Own Damn Movie (with Adam Jahnke and Trent Haaga)
- The Toxic Avenger: The Novel (with Adam Jahnke)
- Direct Your Own Damn Movie (with Sara Antill and Kurly Tlapoyawa)
- Produce Your Own Damn Movie (with Ashley Wren Collins)
- Sell Your Own Damn Movie (with Sara Antill)
See also
- Michael HerzMichael Herz (producer)Michael Herz is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. With Lloyd Kaufman, the two are the co-founders of Troma Entertainment, the world's longest running independent film studio, known for their comedic horror films, including the cult favorite Toxic Avenger series and the...
- Joe FleishakerJoe FleishakerJoseph Isaac Fleishaker is an American actor most famous for his small but memorable roles in various low-budget horror and science fiction movies, usually produced by Troma. Weiging more than 500 pounds, Joe Fleishaker is, the "biggest Troma Action Star". When doing a Troma promo, Fleishaker...
- James Gunn
External links
- Lloyd Kaufman Daughters' Memoir
- Spencer Fornaciari and Greg Upton for The MacGuffin Film Podcast Episode 4 - In Bed With Lloyd Kaufman, June 2009