Lloyd Kaufman has built an empire. A strange, scary, low budget, and ultimately entertaining empire, but an empire nonetheless. He basically has the most respected (if that’s an applicable term) distribution and production company in the low budget independent film realm. Troma Films is famous for such underground and gross-out hits as “The Toxic Avenger”, “Class of Nuke’Em High”, “Tromeo and Juliet, & Terror Firmer. Troma has also inspired the careers of other independent filmmakers like Chris Seaver (Low Budget Pictures), Debbie Rochon (“Tromeo and Juliet”), Tiffany Shepis (“Dead Scared”), Andy Signore (“The Janitor”), Trey Parker and Matt Stone (“South Park”) and many more…Troma also distributes up to 8 films a month… They just recently announced a Max Allan Collins box set, including “Mommy” and “Mommy 2” (starring Brinke Stevens). They also distribute the Trey Parker film Cannibal: The Musical! and the Chris Seaver trash filth comedy “Mulva: Zombie A*s-Kicker”. Awesome. Not only that, but Lloyd oversees Tromadance, the infiltration of the Sundance Film festival each year by the Troma Team and the loving adoring followers of Cult Troma. Troma also visits Cannes each year, with an entourage. Lloyd’s film “All the Love You Cannes!” (released through Troma last year) is basically a hand-held documentary of the event. Lloyd writes and directs, and is working on a scary fast-food micro-epic about zombies and chicken called “Poultrygeist”. Oh Lloyd, what next?
Aside from all the Tromettes he’s created, the filmmakers he’s inspired, and the many films he has helped bring to the world, he has inspired me, your humble Heidi, to love and enjoy low budget nasty-a*s horrible genre filmmaking at its lowest. If it hadn’t been for Lloyd, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. Is that good or bad? Don’t answer that.
Get the interview in part two of LLOYD KAUFMAN: AMERICAN AUTEUR>>>
