WELCOME TO TROMAVILLE!
A few of these blogs i have written has always revolved around influences. Without these influences, I feel i wouldn’t be doing photgraphy today. Everything starts from somewhere and unfortunately or fortunately i have ALOT of influences. The running joke is i should have moved to Seattle or somewhere closer out west then living on the East Coast because they are more geared towards the arts the further west you go. I don’t think anyone would dispute that.
In past postings, I have mentioned music and horror flicks as influences. But underneath it all are independent artists and companies. One of the, being Troma.
Some of you may have heard of Troma. Some may have not. They are an independent film company out of NYC that has been around for a long time. 52 years. Founded by Micheal Herz and Lloyd Kaufman. They were the counter culture/anti mainstream film creators. They embraced different. No cookie cutter BS that we constantly see. They also created many people we know and love such as :
James Gunn whos first movie was a Troma movie called Tromeo and Juliet. He ofcourse made the Guardians of the Galaxy series.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone whos made their first movie with a Troma distribution with Cannibal: The musical. They obviously became huge with South Park
JJ Abrams made a movie with Troma distribution called Nightbeast (1982) who went on eventually to bring Star Trek back to life
Eli Roth was with Troma as an assistant
and the legendary Oliver Stone was an actor in a Troma movie.
So Troma has been important to the mainstream and their influence is everywhere. So Tim, what are some of the movies that i may have heard of.
Well, Thanks for asking.
The Toxic Avenger series (and the remake) is probably the most well known.
They also had Mothers Day, Blood Hook, Rabid Grannies, Tromeo and Juliet, Terror Firmer, Tromas War, Surf Nazis must Die , Poultrygeist and Class of Nukem High. They have made around 1000 movies since their inception so listing every singtle movie would be a while.
I was introduced to Troma with the movie Blood Hook. I was just getting heavy into horror with thanks to Nightmare on Elm St 3. But i didn’t know what a “B” movie was vs a mainstream. Whatever was on the shelf at the local video store i tended to rent. Being that B horror was just that B grade you wouldn’t immediately see the B movies. they would be closer to the back of the store where if you couldn’t find anything else thats where you would go.
I started helping out at a video store. around 15 years old or so. I was pretty much an errand boy. Put the movies back when someone returned them, straightened the shelves out. Since i couldn’t technially be on the payroll (being i was under 16) i would get $20 and a few free movies. Well i took advantage of the free movies haha. I swear I watched everything in the store and thats where i really understood the “B” movies.
My boss, kinda had an issue with B movies so he didn’t stock Troma. Full moon ect ect. What was at the store was what came with the store when he had purchased it. So probably anything after 1993 don’t count on it. The store had your more More “mainstream” movies on the right side. the older movies on the left side. the stuff nobody watched towards the back/middle and the front middle was by genre (with the exception of horror which was pushed to the back because “it didn’t rent” according to him)
Most of those B movies were Troma and Full Moon (which i won’t go into today but thats definitely another topic!)
So thats where I got my “Troma” education. I remember the first movie i personally pulled off that shelf. it was a copy of Rabid Grannies. It was different. Even now I still don’t know to take that movie. It was just different. Then i seen Tromeo and Juliet… that lead me down to learning about the band Motorhead. How to i connect Troma and Motorhead? It was because Lemmy Kilmeister was the narrator.
I also seen Toxic Avenger 2,3 and 4 at the store. None were “Safe’ for pre 18 consumption at the same time however they proved you didn’t have to be confined to a box of what your vision should be. That being, make what you want. It’s Art. If people accept or or not, thats there business but you stayed true and didn’t so something so cookie cutter and look for approval because you didn’t need some corporate stooge telling you, people aren’t going to like this. Thats something ive taken to into adult hood.
NOW, That being said…
I went to a horror fest in Vernon NY over the weekend. Met some cool people, many actors/acresses from Friday the 13th part 5 and part 7. Also the Terrifier cast was there as well. That was all really cool and all. But the coolest thing was I got to meet Lloyd Kaufman himself. Not too many people get to meet their influences. I was fortunate to be someone who has. We got to talk about independent cinema. Physical media importance and how Blockbuster video fucked everything up. It was a very good conversation to have when he didn’t have to spend 15-20 minutes talking to me. But he did. Those are the people I respect. Those are the people I support. Those are the people that influence me and made me the person who i am creativity .
I get asked sometimes, when I don’t do my professional jobs, why is my output so low. I admit, it does get low when i don’t have senior photos or portrait sessions going on. Its because i have a very specific vision of what I want to do and with me, if i can’t shoot the way i want to, i rather not shoot. Thats just the way it is.
Thanks Llloyd!
