Creative genius or complete lunatic?   You decide as AXOM pulls out all the stops, and  interviews Troma Films one of a kind owner Lloyd Kaufman.

TS:  While studying Chinese Studies at Yale in the late 1960s, did you ever envision that you would someday best be known for movies like “The Toxic Avenger” and “Tromeo & Juliet”?

LK:  I had no idea really. It was my roommates at Yale that got me into movies. They were total movie fanatics, and I became addicted to movies as well. I also met my future partner, Michael Herz at Yale, but it was not until years later we would get together to make Troma. Regarding Chinese Studies, Taoisim is a major influence on both my scripts and business strategy.

TS:  In addition to the hundreds of Troma Movies you have made, you have also worked on movies like “Rocky” and “Saturday Night Fever”.  Why forfeit mainstream success to do what many would consider underground B movies?

LK:  Please read “All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger, available from Penguin Putnam Publishing, most of your questions will be answered in great detail. I used Rocky and Saturday Night Fever as film school. I learned from 2 geniuses, John Avildsen and John Badhan. When you work on big productions, you get consumed in the machine. You just become another player in the game called Hollywood. With Troma, we are able to remain in complete creative control of every aspect of filmmaking, and we get to do things our way. Not the way some mega-conglomerate, devil worshipping figurehead wants it. My artistic integrity will not be compromised, unless it involves a SH#TLOAD of money, or some great sex with a goat.

TS:  How does it feel to know that your work has inspired filmmakers like Peter Jackson, Mike Judge, Trey Parker, Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino? Who inspired you to become a filmmaker?

LK:  I am honored that we may have inspired some talented world class directors. Now I am actually getting ideas from watching Peter Jackson movies, and hanging out with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.  Unfortunately, my ideas are about having group sex with them.  These filmmakers have all changed the way we look at films in someway, are pioneers in some way, much like Troma is. I myself was inspired by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, John Ford, and (Kenji) Mizoguchi, the great Japanese filmmaker. “Princess Yang Kuei-Fe” is my favorite movie. I think we take most of our inspiration from the classic cinema of Hollywood. Hollywood and Europe merged pretty much thanks to Hitler; a lot of the great European filmmakers like Lang, Sirk and Steven Spielberg became Hollywood film directors.

TS:  You started the TromaDance Film Festival in January of this year for Independent filmmakers, but unlike other film festivals you don’t charge an entry fee.  What inspired you to do this?

LK:  Since Troma’s beginnings, I have been going to the Cannes Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival, and all I have been seeing is commercialization. Sundance claims to be an independent film festival, but it’s really just turned into a showcase for new films by Miramax and the rest of the so called “independents”. It’s all about money to these film festivals. They only want films that are guaranteed to make money, and can pay their outrageous entry fees. In some filmmakers cases, the entry fees are more than it cost to make the movies. Young filmmakers pretty much have to sell their kidneys to get money to make a film, and then they have to PAY festival people to look at them? It’s bullsh#t! TromaDance was designed to give truly independent filmmakers a showcase for their movies that they do not have to pay for. We brought the festival to Park City during Sundance to get the films maximum exposure to people who actually come to see movies and not to gawk at celebrities. This year we have expanded the event to 2-days in 2 different venues. This year will include one in Salt Lake City to expose the films to a wider audience. We have also expanded TromaDance 2001 to include all walks of Independent art, whether it be films, music, artwork or performance art. The motto of TromaDance 2001 is “ The Independent Way Of Life”. You can get more info and an official entry form at www.tromadance.com (Warning:  Adult Content)

TS: The Toxic Avenger became your breakthrough movie and has spawned three sequels (The latest, “Citizen Toxie:  The Toxic Avenger IV”).  Did you ever envision the Toxic Avenger character becoming the success that it has been since its introduction in 1984?

LK:  The Toxic Avenger is probably the first film in History where a child gets his head squashed by the wheels of an Automobile, which was subsequently made into a children’s Saturday morning cartoon. We really had no idea at the time…when we first made the original Toxic Avenger, that he would become more famous than most Hollywood actors.  The film was different for us because it was the first time we had tried anything like that, but the public’s reaction was quite good. And Toxie is still popular today, 15 years later. He also got his own cartoon, the Toxic Crusaders. It was syndicated Saturday mornings for 2 seasons and spawned all kinds of merchandising. You can find out all about the history of Toxie at his new website, www.toxicavenger.com. (Warning:  Adult Content)

TS:  You recently completed the film “Terror Firmer”, which was based to your book “All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger”.  Can you give us the rundown on what this film is about?

LK:  In writing the book, “All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger”, available from Penguin Putnam publishing,  I got ideas that it would be interesting to make a movie about independent filmmaking, using it as a vehicle to deal with independent thought and art. “Terror Firmer” deals with the intersection of goofy Troma violence with genuine, realistic violence. As one critic said, It’s portrayed through the eyes of Frank Capra. (Director of “It’s a Wonderful Life and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” amongst others) So it’s probably the first splatter movie portrayed through the eyes of Frank Capra. The film follows the crew of an independent film, and the trials and tribulations they face while making it. They also have to deal with a serial killer who is killing off the cast and crew one by one. I play Larry Benjamin, the film’s blind director.  You can find out more about Terror Firmer at www.troma.com. (Warning:  Adult Content)

TS:  Your film “Terror Firmer” received rave reviews from several famous critics, but it also caused LA Times reviewer Kevin Thomas to walk out of a screening for the first time in his third seven year career as a critic.  What are your feelings about the critics who have slammed Troma Films throughout the years?

LK:  The major film critics like NY Times usually like Troma movies. Stephen Holden of the NY Times once said, “You have to be intelligent to appreciate Troma.” In most cases, you either really love Troma movies, or you really hate Troma movies. There’s not much of a middle ground. I don’t see what could be wrong with Terror Firmer, it has sex, violence, funnels in anuses, romance, action, gore, suspense, mystery, pickles and eating doodie!

TS:  While most filmmakers are picking actors like Mel Gibson and Ben Affleck, Troma picks people like Porn Star Ron Jeremy and Lemmy Kilmeister!  What leads you to pick such obscure people for your films?

LK:  We use the actors we do because they are interesting people and they love Troma! We have an intense audition process, sometimes having 14-15 callbacks before giving out a part. We want to pick the people who will truly be dedicated to the movie because of the art, not because of the money or the glamour. Troma movie sets are far from glamorous. We use the audition process to weed out the people who are bullsh#t artists. The famous people in our films, like Trey parker or Ron Jeremy don’t ask for money, they do it for the joy of the Troma way of life! For the art!

TS:  If you could work with an A list actor or actress, who would it be?

LK: Fiona Apple and the Gyno-Americans in Election. Also, Kevin Spacey is pretty good, and the crazy cop in The Professional.

TS:  What lies ahead for Troma Films in the new millennium?

LK:  Right now we are focusing on Troma’s Edge TV, a 20 episode TV series we are producing for Channel 4 in the UK. It is syndicated throughout Europe every Friday night. The first 10 episodes, the first season is finishing up now, the next 10 will begin airing in February.  Also, we are working on TromaDance 2001, which will be January 24-25 in Park City, Utah. After that, we hope to begin production on a 70’s style Zombie film, sometime in the spring.

Lastly, I think TimeCode is the best film of the year, except for Strap on Sally.

 Interview by Tony Stark.  Photo used with permisssion
from Troma Entertainment.