Lloyd Kaufman is the most successful filmmaker I know.
The Troma founder and Toxic Avenger creator is still doing things his way after 40 years.
You may not know the name Lloyd Kaufman, but if you’re a filmmaker (or an aspiring one) you should learn it. Because Lloyd Kaufman is doing what every artist wishes they could do: he’s creating the films he wants to, the way he wants to, without making any concessions.
Lloyd Kaufman is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment and creator of the Toxic Avenger. His movies (which include the Toxic Avenger series, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, Poultrygeist, and many more) aren’t high art, but they’re definitely original. I became a fan of Lloyd’s before I ever saw his films (which, come to think of it, might have been for the best). Years after leaving film school, working a day job and dreaming of picking up a camera to once again pursue my art, I came across Lloyd’s how-to book “Make Your Own Damned Movie!” A quick glance through the book made it clear this wouldn’t be another stuffy filmmaking text, so I decided to give it a shot.
“Make Your Own Damned Movie!” is part instructional book, part behind-the-scenes tale. Lloyd uses examples from Troma films like Tromeo & Juliet and The Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie to illustrate how low budget filmmakers should tackle the process. While I learned a lot of technique from the book, what I really came away from the experience with was a fascination with Tromaville, the fictional world where Lloyd’s movies are set. And I wanted to see if these films could possibly be as insanely messed up as they sounded.
(For the record, they are. And then some.)
So I purchased the movie Tromeo & Juliet, directed by Lloyd Kaufman and written by James Gunn (who years later would write and direct the Marvel blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy) and dove into the world of Troma. I’ll admit that I didn’t make it through the film on my first attempt (the visual aesthetic and crude humour were just a bit too much to take), but I returned to it later and found a certain kind of brilliance in it. No, it wasn’t beautifully shot. No, the acting wasn’t Shakespearian (ironic, given the plot is based on Romeo & Juliet). Yes, it looked cheap. But it was pure. It was Lloyd Kaufman’s vision, transmitted directly from his brain to my eyeballs, without any filter. And that’s a rare thing in filmmaking today.
The title “Make Your Own Damned Movie!” ends with an exclamation point because the book itself is a call to action. “Stop dreaming about making movies and do it” is Lloyd’s message. “If I can do it,” he theorizes, “anyone can.” And, after 40 years, Lloyd is still making movies his way. In fact, he’s currently in post production on the second installment of his epic sequel Return To Nuke ‘Em High (this is where I plug the Return to Nuke ‘Em High Vol. 2 Kickstarter which is seeking funds to complete the film). If last year’s Return To Nuke ‘Em High, Vol. 1 is any indication, the concluding chapter will be as funny as it is tasteless. But it will also be the movie Lloyd set out to make. And in a world of focus-grouped, nostalgia-driven remakes and reboots, that’s a hell of an accomplishment.
In closing, I want to share two video interviews I was lucky enough to record with Lloyd himself. He was in my area filming a local B movie and graciously invited me to the set to talk about his new film Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead as well as Blood Moon, the film he was appearing in. Lloyd wasn’t at all like his movies (loud, crude, and full of nudity) but was actually a soft spoken and friendly person. There’s a reason he’s earned the nickname ‘Uncle Lloyd’. Anyway, these videos might not make you want to run out and see a Troma film the way “Make Your Own Damn Movie!” did with me, but filming them was a highlight for me so I wanted to share.
