Editorials
The House That Toxie Built: Celebrating 50 Years of Old-School Horror from Troma Entertainment
With a few minor exceptions, I think we can all agree that the horror community is one of the most fun and accepting corners of the internet. That being said, there is one recurring comment around these parts that really bothers me, and I see it posted all the time. When referring to classic practical-effects-driven flicks from the ’80s, a lot of horror fans will claim that “they just don’t make them like they used to,” which is simply not true. Countless creators are still out there hard at work crafting retro scares and gore-fests, they’ve just been overshadowed by mainstream productions. That’s why I’d like to take a moment to shine a light on one independent company that’s still embracing old-school schlock after more than 4 decades.
So fasten your seatbelts, we’re going for a ride into Tromaville!
Founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974, Troma Entertainment started out with a handful of raunchy comedies but soon expanded into a genre-driven empire, producing and distributing hundreds of indie pictures around the world. Over the years, the company earned a reputation as a tenacious champion of independent cinema and freedom of expression, launching the careers of countless notable creators and performers (from genre veteran and now Superman director James Gunn to South Park‘s Matt & Trey Parker, not to mention celebrated actors like Marisa Tomei and Samuel L. Jackson).
Even with all these familiar talents, Troma’s success can be traced back to Lloyd Kaufman’s long-standing devotion to genre filmmaking. Born to a Jewish family, Lloyd originally studied at Yale University (with classmates featuring the likes of Oliver Stone and George W. Bush) with the goal of becoming a social worker. However, he became involved in foreign aid with both USAID and the Peace Corps before finally settling on a career in film, acquiring a passion for the craft once he became involved with student productions. After directing a few features of his own, he would partner up with Herz to create a distribution and production company for less-savory movies, and the rest is history.
Of course, there’s a reason that Troma is known as “The House That Toxie Built,” so we have to discuss Kaufman and Herz’s notorious 1984 super-hero/body-horror classic The Toxic Avenger, which spawned a multi-media franchise (featuring 3 sequels with a big screen reboot on the way on August 29, a musical and even a short-lived animated series that spawned a classic toyline) and created Troma’s now-iconic mascot.
For those who haven’t seen it, the film chronicles the misadventures of Melvin, a nerdy health-club janitor who becomes the subject of horrific bullying, winding up in a barrel of toxic waste and mutating into a hideously-deformed creature of superhuman size and strength. Naturally, Melvin uses his newfound abilities to protect the streets of Tromaville, New Jersey, becoming an icon in the process.
The first Super-Hero… From New Jersey!
Not only was The Toxic Avenger a bona fide hit, featuring a surprisingly compelling story told through Looney-Tunes-esque comedy and thrilling/horrific practical effects, but it also established certain themes and traditions that would recur in future Troma productions. Despite the extreme subject matter, there’s a certain naïve quality to almost all these movies as they satirize 1950s horror and sci-fi sensibilities, cutting corners during production (going so far as to reuse certain effects shots and props across several films) in order to find the cheapest route towards cinematic thrills.
It’s not all explosions and bodily fluids, however, as there are also a host of social concerns frequently brought up in these movies, much to the chagrin of critics who assume that genre fiction has only recently begun to tackle real life issues (especially after those silly “post-horror” discussions). Topics like environmentalism, civil rights and anti-nuclear sentiments are quite common in Troma pictures, and over the years Lloyd has continued to use his films as a soapbox to discuss other serious problems… without compromising the exploding heads and gross monsters.
Be it facing the American Educational System in Nuke ‘Em High, satirizing the highly-volatile filmmaking industry in Terror Firmer, or exposing the evils of fast-food corporations in Poultrygeist (a film whose mere poster was enough to give a younger me nightmares back in 2006), Troma’s never really stopped churning out highly-entertaining cult classics that also happen to deal with important social issues. Of course, simply referencing complex topics isn’t quite the same as presenting valid solutions or even deconstructing these ideas, and there’s no denying that Troma has had its fair share of problematic content in their movies.
I may enjoy the trashy gore and crude humor in these pictures, but sometimes Troma’s excesses are too much even for me. I actually had a hard time getting through Terror Firmer because of some really disturbing imagery and backward views on transsexuality. There’s also plenty to be said about the foul treatment and depiction of women in these movies (though to be fair, I’m not aware of any allegations of misconduct behind the scenes, which is a rarity among movie studios). Even so, I think it’s clear that Lloyd means well, as he’s always stated that he’s proud of the fact that his movies bring up taboo subject matter and get people talking about important issues. At the end of the day, I think that’s a more progressive attitude than you can expect from most folks in their 70s.
About as extreme as it gets.
Nevertheless, this punk-rock spirit of constantly sticking it to “the man” while advocating for environmentalism and combatting corporate filmmaking has kept Troma Entertainment relevant even in a world dominated by serialized blockbusters (though the company has actually established an expanded universe with frequent crossovers between characters like Dolphinman, Toxie and Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD). Even if you’re not a fan of their admittedly sloppy filmmaking tactics, it’s easy to appreciate how they’ve maintained a consistent style and tone after so long. Other than some digital equipment upgrades, there’s really not much difference between a Troma production from the ’80s and something recent like their upcoming Shakespeare’s Shitstorm. The shoddy effects and haphazard scripts may not be for everyone, but there’s an earnestness to these projects that make them worthwhile, and they haven’t lost it yet.
Despite all this talk about keeping it old school, Troma has also embraced some conveniences of the digital age, producing wacky shorts and making a huge part of their catalogue free to watch on their YouTube channel until it was unexpectedly terminated earlier this year for “violating community standards.” Even then, they’ve still got Troma Now, a mercifully cheap streaming service for all your disruptive media needs.
At the end of the day, Troma is far from the only production company that still invests in schlocky projects with exaggerated gore and silly stories (Full Moon Features is still going strong, and there are plenty of totally independent creators out there making guerilla-styled slashers and found-footage flicks). However, they’re still a uniquely inspirational example of an old-school filmmaking tradition that simply refuses to die, regardless of folks claiming that modern horror is going down the drain.
Whether or not you appreciate their particular brand of B-movie madness, I think we can all be thankful that Uncle Lloyd and Toxie are still out there introducing new generations of filmmakers to the industry and producing the bloodiest and most disgusting of features. During these uncertain times, when we’re not even sure if the traditional cinema experience will survive, it’s nice to know that someone’s still out there fighting the good fight in favor of retro-styled movie-going thrills.
So if you ever find yourself missing the sleazy charms of classic B-movies (or maybe you just want to shock a few close friends with some gnarly practical effects), look to the horizon and maybe, just maybe, a Troma picture will be there. Speaking of which…
Grab your tickets to see brand new reboot The Toxic Avenger in theaters on August 29!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on November 3, 2020.
It’s been 75 years since The Thing From Another World first warned us to “watch the skies”, and filmgoers have done just that by showing up to multiple instances of extraterrestrial contact on the big screen. This makes sense, as a recent CBS news poll estimated that 63% of Americans believe in intelligent life on other planets, and the ongoing disclosure movement aims to raise that number with each passing day.
With Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day leaving many genre fans hungry for more alien footage (preferably of the spooky variety), today I’d like to share a list recommending six underrated alien invasion thrillers for your viewing pleasure. After all, regardless of whether or not you believe that we’re alone in the universe, it can be fun to dream about the worst-case scenario if our cosmic neighbors ever decide to visit.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be focusing on lesser-known invasion stories rather than the popular extraterrestrials of franchises like Alien and Close Encounters of the Third (or even Fourth) Kind. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own alien favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling movie.
While it won’t be featured in this article, I’d highly recommend checking out Dean Alioto’s UFO Abduction/The McPherson Tape if you’re up for some ufology-inspired found footage thrills.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. The Arrival (1996)
Not to be confused with Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award-winning Amy Adams vehicle about learning to communicate peacefully with extraterrestrial life, David Twohy’s The Arrival is a much more straightforward (but no less entertaining) genre romp where Charlie Sheen faces a global conspiracy involving hostile alien invaders.
It’s not exactly up there with Close Encounters or even Independence Day, but Twohy’s conspiratorial thriller plays out like an exceptionally fun episode of The X-Files that I’d recommend to sci-fi/horror fans who don’t mind a little bit of wonky CGI and 90s excess alongside their alien thrills.
5. Extraterrestrial (2014)
The Vicious Brothers made a name for themselves with the success of 2011’s Grave Encounters, but that was far from the Canadian duo’s only collaboration. And while it’s not exactly a fan favorite, I always point out 2014’s Extraterrestrial as one of their most underrated projects simply because I agree with the filmmakers’ opinion that there aren’t enough ‘cool alien abduction movies’ out there.
Admittedly, the majority of the picture functions like a run-of-the-mill creature feature with paper-thin characters and familiar horror tropes, but I’d argue that the cosmically-terrifying final act elevates the experience to new and memorable heights. The movie also boasts great performances by both Michael Ironside and Emily Perkins – a combination that more than makes up for the occasionally janky CGI.
4. Alien Raiders (2008)
Director Ben Rock has gone on record lamenting how his John-Carpenter-inspired creature feature was forcefully renamed from Supermarket to the painfully obvious Alien Raiders (a change which likely resulted in many potential viewers skipping out on the experience), but the new title doesn’t change the fact that this single-location thriller is something of a hidden gem.
Taking place entirely within a supermarket, Alien Raiders tells the story of an ensemble of customers and employees who are taken hostage by a group of armed men looking for something far more dangerous than an easy payout. I won’t get into details in order to avoid spoiling the experience, but I’d highly recommend this criminally underseen flick to fans of John Carpenter and the Resident Evil games.
3. Phoenix Forgotten (2017)
You’d think that a Ridley-Scott-produced retelling of one of the most infamous real-life UFO sightings of all time would have a bigger following, but I rarely see Justin Barber’s Found Footage period piece brought up during discussions about extraterrestrial-focused horror movies.
This is a huge shame, as Phoenix Forgotten is just as spooky as it is convincing, with this well-researched dive into the Phoenix Lights incident benefiting from surprisingly believable special effects as well as an appropriately horrific finale.
2. Communion (1989)
I wouldn’t blame you for disregarding Whitley Strieber’s controversial book about his alleged close encounter as sensationalist slop, but I’d argue that Phillipe Mora’s 1989 adaptation of these events is much better than the source material. After all, the movie works as a standalone piece of speculative fiction while also benefiting from an incredible performance by the one and only Christopher Walken!
Mora’s take on Communion may not be particularly scary, but the film is still an unforgettable character study regardless of whether or not the abduction really happened. Not only that, but the flick also paved the way for plenty of future sci-fi stories where the extraterrestrial invaders aren’t as evil as they initially appear.
1. Altered (2006)
Originally envisioned as a Sam Raimi-style horror-comedy titled Probed, Eduardo Sánchez (of The Blair Witch Project fame) eventually realized that it would be much more interesting to turn the film into a serious exploration of the emotional aftermath of a traumatic abduction incident.
That’s how we got Altered, a clever inversion of the standard abduction narrative that follows a group of troubled friends as they capture and experiment on an alien in order to enact revenge for their own abduction years prior.
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