Tromeo and Juliet
Encyclopedia
Tromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive
comedy film
adaptation of William Shakespeare's
Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment
. The film was directed by Lloyd Kaufman
and co-directed by James Gunn, who also wrote the film's screenplay.
The film is more or less a faithful adaptation of the play except with the addition of extreme amounts of Troma-esque sexuality and violence, as well as a revised ending. The title of the film is a portmanteau of "Troma" and "Romeo & Juliet".
, the film begins with the narrator
(Lemmy of Motörhead) introducing two families: the Capulets and the Ques.
At the center of these families is Tromeo Que
and Juliet Capulet
. Tromeo lives in squalor with his alcoholic father Monty and works at a tattoo parlor with his cousin Benny
and friend Murray
. Juliet is sequestered in her family’s mansion, watched over by her abusive father Cappy, passive mother Ingrid, and overprotective cousin Tyrone
, all the while being sexually satisfied by family servant Ness (Debbie Rochon).
Both Tromeo and Juliet are trapped in cases of unrequited love: Tromeo lusts for the big-bosomed promiscuous Rosie
; Juliet is engaged to wealthy meat
tycoon London Arbuckle
as prelude to an arranged marriage
.
In the meantime, a bloody brawl between Murray and Sammy Capulet catches the attention of Detective Ernie Scalus, who gathers the heads of the two families together and declares that they will be held personally accountable for any further breaches of peace. Almost immediately afterwards, Monty and Cappy start threatening each other with weapons. Sammy gets caught in the window of Monty’s speeding car, where he is thrown head-first into a fire hydrant and (very slowly) dies.
On the insistence of Murray and Benny, Tromeo attends the Capulets' masquerade ball in the hopes of meeting Rosie, only to find another man performing cunnilingus
on her. Tromeo staggers around the party in disillusion until he locks eyes with those of Juliet. The two instantly fall for each other and share a dance until an angry Tyrone chases him out of the house.
Tromeo and Juliet continue to be enamored by one another from afar. Cappy, disgusted at his daughter’s active libido
, forcefully imprisons her in a plastic cage as punishment. Tromeo sneaks into the house of Capulet and the two meet once again. After proclaiming their love for each other both verbally and physically
, they agree to be married. Juliet breaks her engagement with Arbuckle and, with the help of Father Lawrence
, the two are married in secrecy the next day.
Tyrone, upon discovering Juliet‘s secret affair, gathers his gang together and challenges Tromeo to a duel. Now a kinsman to the Capulets, Tromeo refuses to fight, suggesting to both sides to bring the life-long feud to an end. Murray accepts the duel on Tromeo’s behalf and, in the ensuing brawl, is mortally wounded by Tyrone‘s club. Tromeo, enraged by his friend’s death, pursues Tyrone and slays him (through a series of car crashes which dismembers him) and goes into hiding from the police.
Learning that she is involved with Tromeo, Cappy savagely beats Juliet and forces her to reconcile with Arbuckle. Arbuckle accepts her re-proposal and the marriage is set. Juliet visits Father Lawrence, who reunites her with Tromeo and enlists the help of Fu Chang, the apothecary
, who sells Juliet a special potion which will aide her predicament.
On the day of her wedding, Juliet swallows the apothecary’s potion, transforming her into a hideous cow monster, complete with a three-foot penis
. The mere sight of her causes Arbuckle to leap out of Juliet’s window in fright, committing suicide. Enraged over the loss of his would-be son-in-law and meat inheritance, Cappy attempts to rape and murder Juliet, but Tromeo arrives just in time, knocking Cappy unconscious and bringing Juliet’s appearance back to normal by a single kiss. Cappy awakens, taking both lovers captive by crossbow
-point. While distracted, Juliet performs one last act of defiance against her father and electrocutes him.
As Tromeo and Juliet leave the house of Capulet, they are confronted by Ingrid and Monty, who reveal to them the real reason behind the Capulet/Que feud: long ago, Cappy and Monty were the owners of the successful Silky Films production company. Ingrid, married to Monty at time, struck up an affair with Cappy, eventually birthing a son which Monty raised as his own. Faced with a divorce from Ingrid and the threat of having his son taken away from him, Monty was forced to sign over all the rights of Silky Films to the Capulets in exchange for his son. After the initial shock at the revelation that they are siblings, Tromeo and Juliet are determined not to let their whole ordeal be for naught; they passionately embrace
and drive off into the sunset.
The film picks up six years later in Tromaville, New Jersey, where Tromeo and Juliet, now married, have become suburban yuppie
s with a house and (deformed) children of their own.
The film ends with the narrator’s brief poem for the lovers: "And all of our hearts free to let all things base go/As taught by Juliet and her Tromeo". A brief shot of William Shakespeare laughing uproariously is shown before the end credits.
|-
! Actor !! Character in Tromeo and Juliet !! Character in Romeo and Juliet
|-
| Will Keenan
|| Tromeo Que || Romeo Montague
|-
| Jane Jensen
|| Juliet Capulet || Juliet Capulet
|-
| Maximillian Shaun || Cappy Capulet || Lord Capulet
|-
| Valentine Miele || Murray Martini || Mercutio
|-
| Earl McKoy || Monty Que || Lord Montague
|-
| Stephen Blackehart
|| Benny Que || Benvolio
|-
| Patrick Connor || Tyrone Capulet || Tybalt
|-
| Wendy Adams || Ingrid Capulet || Lady Capulet
|-
| Steve Gibbons
|| London Arbuckle || Count Paris
|-
| Debbie Rochon
|| Ness || Nurse
|-
| Tiffany Shepis
|| Peter || Capulet Servant
|-
| Flip Brown || Father Lawrence || Friar Lawrence
|-
| Gene Terinoni || Detective Ernie Scalus || Prince Escalus
|-
| Jacqueline Tavarez
|| Rosie || Rosaline
|-
| Garon Peterson || Fu Chang || The Apothecary
|-
| Sean Gunn
|| Sammy Capulet || Sampson
|-
| Joe Fleishaker
|| 1-900-HOT-HUNK || N/A
|-
| James Gunn || The "Found a Peanut" Father || N/A
|-
| Brian Fox || Bill Shakespeare
|| N/A
|-
| Lemmy || Narrator
|| N/A
|}
Lloyd Kaufman
, Merle Allin
and Ami James have non-speaking cameos in the film. A scene featuring Ron Jeremy
as a homeless man was filmed but ultimately deleted from the final cut of the movie.
In 1995, another shot was taken at the concept, this time by newbie screenwriter James Gunn. Gunn completely rewrote the script, again in Shakespearean verse, making it darker and far more obscene; the original version had Juliet as a stripper and Tromeo as a crack dealer. Another revision, with additional material by Kaufman, was crafted into what the film eventually became: the verse was trimmed down and more comical elements were added.
Tromeo and Juliet was shot in the summer of 1995 for $350,000, one of the least expensive films in Troma history.
called the film "exhilarating", Variety Magazine described it as a "no-holds Bard" and USA Today
noted the film was "not just for Troma junkies...Tromeo and Juliet is sexy, silly, sweet and surreal!". Tromeo also played in art house theatres in Los Angeles and New York for months, and reportedly played at a San Francisco theatre for over a year.
In addition, Tromeo was selected to play at the Cannes Film Festival
, the Fantasporto
festival, the Mar del Plata Film Festival
and the Italian Fantafestival, where it won the award for Best Film of 1997.
Daniel Rosenthal describes Tromeo and Juliet as "the nadir
of screen Shakespeare...[it] takes every major character and incident from Romeo and Juliet
and systematically drains them of humanity in a tedious, appallingly acted feast of mutilation and softcore sex." Tony Howard summarizes it as a film "in which Juliet and the Nurse have lesbian sex, Romeo masturbates, various body parts are removed, the feud is between rival porn czars and incest rules".
After the success of Tromeo, Troma had plans to develop a spiritual sequel entitled Schlock and Schlockability (a play on Sense and Sensibility
), in which Jane Austen
is reincarnated as a well-endowed female who takes revenge on all of the Hollywood movie producers who have bastardized her novels. At one point, Troma announced that the film would head into production, but as of 2008, there are no plans to follow up on the film.
, pop punk
and heavy metal
music, which helped get the film some recognition on MTV
. Most bands were willing to contribute their tracks for little to no money out of respect for Troma. In return for their song "Mr. Superlove", The Ass Ponys' lead singer requested only a check from the company for $9.95, for the purpose of framing it on his wall.
The CD soundtrack was released on Oglio Records on May 6, 1997 and included the following tracks:
Cinema of Transgression
The Cinema of Transgression is a term coined by Nick Zedd in 1985 to describe a New York City, United States based underground film movement, consisting of a loose-knit group of like-minded artists using shock value and humor in their work...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
adaptation of William Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Romeo & Juliet from 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...
. The film was directed by Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman
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...
and co-directed by James Gunn, who also wrote the film's screenplay.
The film is more or less a faithful adaptation of the play except with the addition of extreme amounts of Troma-esque sexuality and violence, as well as a revised ending. The title of the film is a portmanteau of "Troma" and "Romeo & Juliet".
Plot
Set in modern-day ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, the film begins with the narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
(Lemmy of Motörhead) introducing two families: the Capulets and the Ques.
At the center of these families is Tromeo Que
Romeo Montague
Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
and Juliet Capulet
Juliet Capulet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
. Tromeo lives in squalor with his alcoholic father Monty and works at a tattoo parlor with his cousin Benny
Benvolio
Benvolio Montague is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet.-Sources:In 1554, Matteo Bandello published the second volume of his Novelle which included his version of Giuletta e Romeo. Bandello emphasises Romeo's initial depression and the feud between the families,...
and friend Murray
Mercutio
Mercutio a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. He is a close friend of Romeo, and Romeo's cousin Benvolio, and also a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, being neither a Montague nor a Capulet, Mercutio is one of the few in Verona...
. Juliet is sequestered in her family’s mansion, watched over by her abusive father Cappy, passive mother Ingrid, and overprotective cousin Tyrone
Tybalt
Tybalt is a fictional character and the main antagonist in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He is Lady Capulet's nephew, Juliet's hot-tempered cousin and Romeo's rival. Tybalt shares the same name as the character Tibert/Tybalt the "Prince of Cats" in Reynard the Fox, a point of...
, all the while being sexually satisfied by family servant Ness (Debbie Rochon).
Both Tromeo and Juliet are trapped in cases of unrequited love: Tromeo lusts for the big-bosomed promiscuous Rosie
Rosaline
Rosaline is an unseen character and niece of Capulet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet . Although silent, her role is important. Romeo is at first deeply in love with Rosaline and expresses her cruelty for not loving him back...
; Juliet is engaged to wealthy meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
tycoon London Arbuckle
Count Paris
In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Count Paris is a suitor of Juliet Capulet. He is handsome, somewhat self-absorbed, very wealthy, and is a kinsman of Prince Escalus...
as prelude to an arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
.
In the meantime, a bloody brawl between Murray and Sammy Capulet catches the attention of Detective Ernie Scalus, who gathers the heads of the two families together and declares that they will be held personally accountable for any further breaches of peace. Almost immediately afterwards, Monty and Cappy start threatening each other with weapons. Sammy gets caught in the window of Monty’s speeding car, where he is thrown head-first into a fire hydrant and (very slowly) dies.
On the insistence of Murray and Benny, Tromeo attends the Capulets' masquerade ball in the hopes of meeting Rosie, only to find another man performing cunnilingus
Cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina...
on her. Tromeo staggers around the party in disillusion until he locks eyes with those of Juliet. The two instantly fall for each other and share a dance until an angry Tyrone chases him out of the house.
Tromeo and Juliet continue to be enamored by one another from afar. Cappy, disgusted at his daughter’s active libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
, forcefully imprisons her in a plastic cage as punishment. Tromeo sneaks into the house of Capulet and the two meet once again. After proclaiming their love for each other both verbally and physically
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, they agree to be married. Juliet breaks her engagement with Arbuckle and, with the help of Father Lawrence
Friar Lawrence
Friar Laurence is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.-Role in the play:...
, the two are married in secrecy the next day.
Tyrone, upon discovering Juliet‘s secret affair, gathers his gang together and challenges Tromeo to a duel. Now a kinsman to the Capulets, Tromeo refuses to fight, suggesting to both sides to bring the life-long feud to an end. Murray accepts the duel on Tromeo’s behalf and, in the ensuing brawl, is mortally wounded by Tyrone‘s club. Tromeo, enraged by his friend’s death, pursues Tyrone and slays him (through a series of car crashes which dismembers him) and goes into hiding from the police.
Learning that she is involved with Tromeo, Cappy savagely beats Juliet and forces her to reconcile with Arbuckle. Arbuckle accepts her re-proposal and the marriage is set. Juliet visits Father Lawrence, who reunites her with Tromeo and enlists the help of Fu Chang, the apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
, who sells Juliet a special potion which will aide her predicament.
On the day of her wedding, Juliet swallows the apothecary’s potion, transforming her into a hideous cow monster, complete with a three-foot penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. The mere sight of her causes Arbuckle to leap out of Juliet’s window in fright, committing suicide. Enraged over the loss of his would-be son-in-law and meat inheritance, Cappy attempts to rape and murder Juliet, but Tromeo arrives just in time, knocking Cappy unconscious and bringing Juliet’s appearance back to normal by a single kiss. Cappy awakens, taking both lovers captive by crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
-point. While distracted, Juliet performs one last act of defiance against her father and electrocutes him.
As Tromeo and Juliet leave the house of Capulet, they are confronted by Ingrid and Monty, who reveal to them the real reason behind the Capulet/Que feud: long ago, Cappy and Monty were the owners of the successful Silky Films production company. Ingrid, married to Monty at time, struck up an affair with Cappy, eventually birthing a son which Monty raised as his own. Faced with a divorce from Ingrid and the threat of having his son taken away from him, Monty was forced to sign over all the rights of Silky Films to the Capulets in exchange for his son. After the initial shock at the revelation that they are siblings, Tromeo and Juliet are determined not to let their whole ordeal be for naught; they passionately embrace
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
and drive off into the sunset.
The film picks up six years later in Tromaville, New Jersey, where Tromeo and Juliet, now married, have become suburban yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
s with a house and (deformed) children of their own.
The film ends with the narrator’s brief poem for the lovers: "And all of our hearts free to let all things base go/As taught by Juliet and her Tromeo". A brief shot of William Shakespeare laughing uproariously is shown before the end credits.
Cast
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Actor !! Character in Tromeo and Juliet !! Character in Romeo and Juliet
|-
| Will Keenan
Will Keenan
Will Keenan is an American film producer, actor, director, writer and stuntman. Keenan has acted in and worked on producing more than 20 independent films made in New York City which have been screened in festivals worldwide. In 2004, Keenan appeared on an episode of Law and Order: SVU.-...
|| Tromeo Que || Romeo Montague
Romeo Montague
Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
|-
| Jane Jensen
Jane Jensen (musician)
Jane Jensen studied art, dance, music and theatre at Columbia College Chicago. She began performing in avant-garde productions at the Organic Theatre Company, Pavo Arts Center and various performance art venues and nightclubs. Jane co-produced three episodes of “Artists Uncensored Television” with...
|| Juliet Capulet || Juliet Capulet
Juliet Capulet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
|-
| Maximillian Shaun || Cappy Capulet || Lord Capulet
|-
| Valentine Miele || Murray Martini || Mercutio
Mercutio
Mercutio a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. He is a close friend of Romeo, and Romeo's cousin Benvolio, and also a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, being neither a Montague nor a Capulet, Mercutio is one of the few in Verona...
|-
| Earl McKoy || Monty Que || Lord Montague
|-
| Stephen Blackehart
Stephen Blackehart
Stephen Blackehart is an American actor and producer from Hell's Kitchen, New York. It has been reported that Blackehart was born Stefano Brando and is the son of actor Marlon Brando...
|| Benny Que || Benvolio
Benvolio
Benvolio Montague is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet.-Sources:In 1554, Matteo Bandello published the second volume of his Novelle which included his version of Giuletta e Romeo. Bandello emphasises Romeo's initial depression and the feud between the families,...
|-
| Patrick Connor || Tyrone Capulet || Tybalt
Tybalt
Tybalt is a fictional character and the main antagonist in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He is Lady Capulet's nephew, Juliet's hot-tempered cousin and Romeo's rival. Tybalt shares the same name as the character Tibert/Tybalt the "Prince of Cats" in Reynard the Fox, a point of...
|-
| Wendy Adams || Ingrid Capulet || Lady Capulet
|-
| Steve Gibbons
Steve Gibbons
Stephen William Gibbons , Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Bendigo, Victoria...
|| London Arbuckle || Count Paris
Count Paris
In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Count Paris is a suitor of Juliet Capulet. He is handsome, somewhat self-absorbed, very wealthy, and is a kinsman of Prince Escalus...
|-
| Debbie Rochon
Debbie Rochon
Debbie Rochon is a Canadian B-movie actress and former stage performer, best known for her work in Troma films.-Biography:...
|| Ness || Nurse
Nurse (Romeo and Juliet)
The Nurse is a major character in William Shakespeare's classic drama Romeo and Juliet. It is revealed later in the play by Lord Capulet that the Nurse's real name might be Angelica . She is the personal servant, guardian of Juliet Capulet, and has been since Juliet was born...
|-
| Tiffany Shepis
Tiffany Shepis
- External links :...
|| Peter || Capulet Servant
|-
| Flip Brown || Father Lawrence || Friar Lawrence
Friar Lawrence
Friar Laurence is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.-Role in the play:...
|-
| Gene Terinoni || Detective Ernie Scalus || Prince Escalus
|-
| Jacqueline Tavarez
Nightcat
Nightcat was an aborted attempt on the part of Marvel Comics to create a real-world character that would also star in its comic books. Portrayed by Jacqueline Tavarez, Nightcat was to be both a comic book superhero as well as a real-world singer. The experiment got as far as the release of one...
|| Rosie || Rosaline
Rosaline
Rosaline is an unseen character and niece of Capulet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet . Although silent, her role is important. Romeo is at first deeply in love with Rosaline and expresses her cruelty for not loving him back...
|-
| Garon Peterson || Fu Chang || The Apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
|-
| Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn is an American actor, most famous for his role as Kirk Gleason on the television show Gilmore Girls .-Early life:...
|| Sammy Capulet || Sampson
|-
| Joe Fleishaker
Joe Fleishaker
Joseph 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...
|| 1-900-HOT-HUNK || N/A
|-
| James Gunn || The "Found a Peanut" Father || N/A
|-
| Brian Fox || Bill Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
|| N/A
|-
| Lemmy || Narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
|| N/A
|}
Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman
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...
, Merle Allin
Merle Allin
Merle Colby Allin, Jr. is an American electric bass player and the older brother of the late punk rock singer/songwriter/performance artist GG Allin....
and Ami James have non-speaking cameos in the film. A scene featuring Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
as a homeless man was filmed but ultimately deleted from the final cut of the movie.
Production
The first draft of Tromeo and Juliet surfaced in 1992, written by Kaufman and Troma employees Andy Deemer and Phil Rivo, written entirely in Shakespearean verse and supposedly featuring The Toxic Avenger as a side character. The feedback from other Troma employees and Michael Herz was unanimously negative, so the idea was scrapped.In 1995, another shot was taken at the concept, this time by newbie screenwriter James Gunn. Gunn completely rewrote the script, again in Shakespearean verse, making it darker and far more obscene; the original version had Juliet as a stripper and Tromeo as a crack dealer. Another revision, with additional material by Kaufman, was crafted into what the film eventually became: the verse was trimmed down and more comical elements were added.
Tromeo and Juliet was shot in the summer of 1995 for $350,000, one of the least expensive films in Troma history.
Reception
Tromeo and Juliet opened to generally positive reviews. Among the most notable, The New York TimesThe 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...
called the film "exhilarating", Variety Magazine described it as a "no-holds Bard" and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
noted the film was "not just for Troma junkies...Tromeo and Juliet is sexy, silly, sweet and surreal!". Tromeo also played in art house theatres in Los Angeles and New York for months, and reportedly played at a San Francisco theatre for over a year.
In addition, Tromeo was selected to play at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, the Fantasporto
Fantasporto
Fantasporto, also known as Fantas, is an international film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Giving screen space to commercial feature films, auteur films and experimental projects from all over the world, Fantasporto has created enthusiastic audiences, ranging from...
festival, the Mar del Plata Film Festival
Mar del Plata Film Festival
The Mar del Plata International Film Festival is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina...
and the Italian Fantafestival, where it won the award for Best Film of 1997.
Daniel Rosenthal describes Tromeo and Juliet as "the nadir
Nadir
The nadir is the direction pointing directly below a particular location; that is, it is one of two vertical directions at a specified location, orthogonal to a horizontal flat surface there. Since the concept of being below is itself somewhat vague, scientists define the nadir in more rigorous...
of screen Shakespeare...[it] takes every major character and incident from Romeo and Juliet
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...
and systematically drains them of humanity in a tedious, appallingly acted feast of mutilation and softcore sex." Tony Howard summarizes it as a film "in which Juliet and the Nurse have lesbian sex, Romeo masturbates, various body parts are removed, the feud is between rival porn czars and incest rules".
After the success of Tromeo, Troma had plans to develop a spiritual sequel entitled Schlock and Schlockability (a play on Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811, is a British romance novel by Jane Austen, her first published work under the pseudonym, "A Lady." Jane Austen is considered a pioneer of the romance genre of novels, and for the realism portrayed in her novels, is one the most widely read writers in...
), in which Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
is reincarnated as a well-endowed female who takes revenge on all of the Hollywood movie producers who have bastardized her novels. At one point, Troma announced that the film would head into production, but as of 2008, there are no plans to follow up on the film.
Soundtrack
Tromeo and Juliet is also notable for its soundtrack, composed of alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
music, which helped get the film some recognition on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Most bands were willing to contribute their tracks for little to no money out of respect for Troma. In return for their song "Mr. Superlove", The Ass Ponys' lead singer requested only a check from the company for $9.95, for the purpose of framing it on his wall.
The CD soundtrack was released on Oglio Records on May 6, 1997 and included the following tracks:
- "Tromeo and Juliet Theme" by Willie Wisely
- "Sacrifice" by Motörhead
- "Pope on a Rope" by The MeatmenThe MeatmenThe Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...
- "Sunday" by The IconsThe IconsThe Icons were a former rock band created in St. Louis, Missouri in 1989. At a time when the St. Louis music scene was dominated by cover bands, the Icons played all original songs, an eclectic mix of alternative rock, gothic rock, and funk....
- "The Capulet Song (My Name Is Capulet)" by Stephen Blackehart & Valentine Miele
- "Drink That Whiskey" by The Wesley Willis Fiasco
- "Hyper Enough" by SuperchunkSuperchunkSuperchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...
- "La Migra (Cruza La Frontera II)" by BrujeriaBrujeria (band)Brujeria is an extreme metal band formed in Tijuana, Mexico in 1989. Their name comes from the Spanish word for "witchcraft". Their songs, which are sung in Spanish, are focused on Satanism, anti-Christianity, sex, immigration, narcotics smuggling, politics....
- "Gizzards, Scrapple and Tripe" by The New Duncan Imperials
- "Mr. Superlove" by Ass PonysAss PonysAss Ponys are an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The band combines rock and country into an off-kilter blend of Americana music. They have gone on national tours with bands such as Pavement, Throwing Muses, and Possum Dixon. Among other periodicals, they have been featured in Rolling...
- "Math" by SupernovaSupernova (band)Supernova is an American pop punk band formed in Costa Mesa, California in 1989. The band has released three full-length albums, numerous singles and EPs and were part of the original 1995 Vans Warped Tour line-up...
- "I Am a Romeo" by SublimeSublime (band)Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
- "TV Show Theme" by Willie Wisely
- "Monster Island" by Booterella w/ Jane JensenJane Jensen (musician)Jane Jensen studied art, dance, music and theatre at Columbia College Chicago. She began performing in avant-garde productions at the Organic Theatre Company, Pavo Arts Center and various performance art venues and nightclubs. Jane co-produced three episodes of “Artists Uncensored Television” with...
- "Yes, We'll Gather at the River" by Willie Wisely, Sean GunnSean GunnSean Gunn is an American actor, most famous for his role as Kirk Gleason on the television show Gilmore Girls .-Early life:...
, Valentine Miele, Patrick Connor - "Alleged" by UnsaneUnsaneUnsane is an influential noise rock trio that formed in New York City in 1988. Their music also touches on elements of hardcore punk and metal...
External links
- Troma Entertainment: Tromeo & Juliet