Lloyd Kaufman’s Twitter Q&A: Catch Highlights From Troma Entertainment President’s Wild Conversation
Troma Entertainment is best known for producing and distributing low-budget independent horror films that have entranced cult audiences for decades. On December 21, director, producer, screenwriter, and most famously, Troma Entertainment President Lloyd Kaufman hosted a Twitter Q&A session where fans asked him questions about Troma, his career, what he’s looking forward to and every random idea in between. Below are some highlights from the wild conversation.
Read More: Troma Lives! Inside the Wacky, Repulsive and Weirdly Meaningful World of a B-Movie Legend
@TerrorTally Musical version of Bloodsucking Freaks?
— Lloyd Kaufman (@lloydkaufman) December 21, 2016
@hufford_k Shakespeare’s “Tempest aka Troma’s Shitstorm” and Sustaining an erection at age 99!
— Lloyd Kaufman (@lloydkaufman) December 21, 2016
@afterglow2046 It’s such a big movie. Originally there were six directors! But due to budget constraints we could only have two! pic.twitter.com/OfOPdrjlYi
— Lloyd Kaufman (@lloydkaufman) December 21, 2016
@GialloFilm Donald Trump or Queen Elizabeth—
— Lloyd Kaufman...
Read More: Troma Lives! Inside the Wacky, Repulsive and Weirdly Meaningful World of a B-Movie Legend
@TerrorTally Musical version of Bloodsucking Freaks?
— Lloyd Kaufman (@lloydkaufman) December 21, 2016
@hufford_k Shakespeare’s “Tempest aka Troma’s Shitstorm” and Sustaining an erection at age 99!
— Lloyd Kaufman (@lloydkaufman) December 21, 2016
@afterglow2046 It’s such a big movie. Originally there were six directors! But due to budget constraints we could only have two! pic.twitter.com/OfOPdrjlYi
— Lloyd Kaufman (@lloydkaufman) December 21, 2016
@GialloFilm Donald Trump or Queen Elizabeth—
— Lloyd Kaufman...
- 12/26/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
If you’ve never heard of Lloyd Kaufman, you’ve managed to avoid the work of one of the most prolific pioneers of independent film from the past four decades. Kaufman’s New York-based movie studio Troma Entertainment has produced and distributed more than 1,000 films, and in the process has helped launch the careers of some of Hollywood’s most successful talents.
New Yorkers unfamiliar with Troma have a chance to catch up on its sensibilities this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, Troma hosts the 17th annual Tromadance Film Festival in Brooklyn, a free festival showing feature films and shorts from filmmakers around the world. This is the story of how one wacky filmmaking factory found its groove.
Schlock With Purpose
Founded in 1974 by Kaufman and his business partner Michael Herz, Troma bills itself as the longest-running independent movie studio in North America. The company is known for its low-budget...
New Yorkers unfamiliar with Troma have a chance to catch up on its sensibilities this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, Troma hosts the 17th annual Tromadance Film Festival in Brooklyn, a free festival showing feature films and shorts from filmmakers around the world. This is the story of how one wacky filmmaking factory found its groove.
Schlock With Purpose
Founded in 1974 by Kaufman and his business partner Michael Herz, Troma bills itself as the longest-running independent movie studio in North America. The company is known for its low-budget...
- 7/29/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
If you’re into waiting in lines for hours if not days to see footage that will later appear in thousands of movie theaters across the country, San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H is the place to be. As these trailers, teasers and other sneak peeks are meant to be exclusive, both Sdcc itself and the studios that present their wares take great pains to make sure what happens in Hall H stays in Hall H. This is rarely 100% effective, but James Gunn says that could be changing soon.
Read More: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ To Have A Female Villain
In response to a Facebook question about new material from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” the director answers that fans “might see something if you’re in Hall H on July 23 with me and the Marvel panel. Or if someone secretly films that – which is less likely...
Read More: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ To Have A Female Villain
In response to a Facebook question about new material from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” the director answers that fans “might see something if you’re in Hall H on July 23 with me and the Marvel panel. Or if someone secretly films that – which is less likely...
- 7/11/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Lloyd Kaufman has been a major innovator in the indie film industry since the ’70s, and now his company, Troma Entertainment, is entering the world of online streaming with their new service Troma Now.
The notoriously irreverent filmmaker took to Reddit yesterday to discuss his biggest Hollywood fans, his most famous films and even the state of current reality television (and how he would improve upon it.) Check out some of Kaufman’s most entertaining answers below.
What do you think of the current state of “midnight movies”? Would you like to see them make a comeback?
I think they are making a comeback. Not so much at theaters but at places like Tromadance/other festivals, college film societies, and lots of bars. I specialize in showing movies at bars because I am an alcoholic.
Could you create a Troma today, with Netflix/YouTube etc? Would it be easier?
That is a great question, no. Today is harder, Netflix does nothing today to support independent cinema. The marketplace is controlled by a very small number of media conglomerates. The good news is that you do not need a lot of money to create something amazing, check out Troma’s “Father’s Day,” which was made with under a 25k budget. This is due to young filmmakers having a solid grasp of this new digital age, which I myself need to work on still. The “Return To Nuke’Em High” budget is 400k per volume, for example.
Will Troma Now get an Android TV/Apple TV apps in the future? What do you think about the dwindling relevance of physical media?
Go ahead and watch “VHS Massacre” on Troma Now (working on the apps!). I am a believer in new technology in the same way I would not use a buggy whip to get around town, I would use a car. I believe digital looks better than 35mm which is why I shot the volumes of “Return To Nuke’Em High” digitally, not in film.
Read More: Frightpix Launches ‘Lloyd Kaufman Presents’ Streaming Collection
I want to say how sorry I was to hear about Joe Fleishaker’s death. Did he have a role in “Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 2”? Looking forward to checking out Troma Now!
Spoiler Alert: You will see Joe Fleishaker and the late Lemmy Killmister in “Return To Nuke’Em High, Volume 2.” We will be dedicating Vol. 2 to the memory of these two wonderful Troma friends.
What are a few of your favorite scenes or elements in Troma films?
Penises! Farts! Explosive Diarrhea! Lesbians! Fighting against the conspiracy of elites! And of course, certain Hideously Deformed Creatures of Super Human Size & Strength!
Hey Lloyd, big fan! I’ve seen quite a few of your movies but “Poultrygeist” may be my absolute favourite – do you have any memorable experiences from working on that one?
The entire experience was a nightmare of the most horrible kind. If you’d like to see it, go to Troma Movies on YouTube and watch the feature length behind the scenes documentary “Poultry in Motion: The Truth is Stranger than Chicken”. You will see fist fights, people getting on bended knee asking for hands in marriage, as well as Uncle Lloyd being an asshole!
Read More: ‘Dolphinman Battles The Sex Lobsters’ Trailer: Kabukiman Terrorizes Tromaville
Hi Lloyd! What have been some directors or specific movies that inspired how you make your own?
Chaplin, Keaton, Stan Brakhage, Jean Renoir, Fritz Lang, Samuel Fuller, Roger Corman, comic books by Stan Lee (who is a good friend and with whom I wrote a screenplay in the early 70s). Today I am inspired by directors who were inspired by me: Trey Parker, Quentin Tarantino (who inspired me to make “Return to Nuke ‘Em High” a two-part event film), and Takashe Miike. Most recently, John Brennan’s “Kabukiman’s Cocktail Corner” changed my whole worldview.
What do you think of reality TV? Its more or less today’s cheap, popular exploitation media?
I believe that reality TV could be terrific, but unfortunately it aims at the lowest common denominator. They all seem to be scripted and want to appeal to Kim Kardashian. We are developing a reality show starring Kim Kardashian and Kim Jong Un. It’s called “I Love Myself, I Love My Ass.”
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Related stories'Veep's' Tony Hale Says Show's Producers Give Actors Freedom to 'Play With the Material' During Reddit Ama'Dolphinman Battles The Sex Lobsters' Trailer: Kabukiman Terrorizes TromavilleJeremy Saulnier Ama: 'Green Room' Director Dissects Power of Realistic Violence & Seven More Reveals...
The notoriously irreverent filmmaker took to Reddit yesterday to discuss his biggest Hollywood fans, his most famous films and even the state of current reality television (and how he would improve upon it.) Check out some of Kaufman’s most entertaining answers below.
What do you think of the current state of “midnight movies”? Would you like to see them make a comeback?
I think they are making a comeback. Not so much at theaters but at places like Tromadance/other festivals, college film societies, and lots of bars. I specialize in showing movies at bars because I am an alcoholic.
Could you create a Troma today, with Netflix/YouTube etc? Would it be easier?
That is a great question, no. Today is harder, Netflix does nothing today to support independent cinema. The marketplace is controlled by a very small number of media conglomerates. The good news is that you do not need a lot of money to create something amazing, check out Troma’s “Father’s Day,” which was made with under a 25k budget. This is due to young filmmakers having a solid grasp of this new digital age, which I myself need to work on still. The “Return To Nuke’Em High” budget is 400k per volume, for example.
Will Troma Now get an Android TV/Apple TV apps in the future? What do you think about the dwindling relevance of physical media?
Go ahead and watch “VHS Massacre” on Troma Now (working on the apps!). I am a believer in new technology in the same way I would not use a buggy whip to get around town, I would use a car. I believe digital looks better than 35mm which is why I shot the volumes of “Return To Nuke’Em High” digitally, not in film.
Read More: Frightpix Launches ‘Lloyd Kaufman Presents’ Streaming Collection
I want to say how sorry I was to hear about Joe Fleishaker’s death. Did he have a role in “Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 2”? Looking forward to checking out Troma Now!
Spoiler Alert: You will see Joe Fleishaker and the late Lemmy Killmister in “Return To Nuke’Em High, Volume 2.” We will be dedicating Vol. 2 to the memory of these two wonderful Troma friends.
What are a few of your favorite scenes or elements in Troma films?
Penises! Farts! Explosive Diarrhea! Lesbians! Fighting against the conspiracy of elites! And of course, certain Hideously Deformed Creatures of Super Human Size & Strength!
Hey Lloyd, big fan! I’ve seen quite a few of your movies but “Poultrygeist” may be my absolute favourite – do you have any memorable experiences from working on that one?
The entire experience was a nightmare of the most horrible kind. If you’d like to see it, go to Troma Movies on YouTube and watch the feature length behind the scenes documentary “Poultry in Motion: The Truth is Stranger than Chicken”. You will see fist fights, people getting on bended knee asking for hands in marriage, as well as Uncle Lloyd being an asshole!
Read More: ‘Dolphinman Battles The Sex Lobsters’ Trailer: Kabukiman Terrorizes Tromaville
Hi Lloyd! What have been some directors or specific movies that inspired how you make your own?
Chaplin, Keaton, Stan Brakhage, Jean Renoir, Fritz Lang, Samuel Fuller, Roger Corman, comic books by Stan Lee (who is a good friend and with whom I wrote a screenplay in the early 70s). Today I am inspired by directors who were inspired by me: Trey Parker, Quentin Tarantino (who inspired me to make “Return to Nuke ‘Em High” a two-part event film), and Takashe Miike. Most recently, John Brennan’s “Kabukiman’s Cocktail Corner” changed my whole worldview.
What do you think of reality TV? Its more or less today’s cheap, popular exploitation media?
I believe that reality TV could be terrific, but unfortunately it aims at the lowest common denominator. They all seem to be scripted and want to appeal to Kim Kardashian. We are developing a reality show starring Kim Kardashian and Kim Jong Un. It’s called “I Love Myself, I Love My Ass.”
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Festivals newsletter here.
Related stories'Veep's' Tony Hale Says Show's Producers Give Actors Freedom to 'Play With the Material' During Reddit Ama'Dolphinman Battles The Sex Lobsters' Trailer: Kabukiman Terrorizes TromavilleJeremy Saulnier Ama: 'Green Room' Director Dissects Power of Realistic Violence & Seven More Reveals...
- 6/16/2016
- by Kate Halliwell
- Indiewire
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