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.
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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