Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations * Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces low-budget independent films, or "

B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

s", primarily of the horror comedy genre, all geared exclusively to mature audiences. Many of them play on 1950s horror with elements of

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

, parody, gore, and splatter. Troma has produced, acquired, and distributed over 1,000 independent films since its creation. Films produced and distributed by Troma include '' The Toxic Avenger'' (1984) and its sequels; '' Class of Nuke 'Em High'' (1986) and its sequels; ''

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. ''Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.'' is a 1990 American Superhero film, superhero comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz and distributed by Troma Entertainment. Plot The film follows Sergeant Detective Harry Gr ...

'' (1990); '' Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996); ''

Terror Firmer ''Terror Firmer'' is a 1999 American comedy horror film directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Douglas Buck, Patrick Cassidy, Kaufman, and James Gunn, and starring Will Keenan, Alyce LaTourelle, and Kaufman. The film was produced by the Troma E ...

'' (1999); and '' Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'' (2006). In 2012, the company officially released many of its films on YouTube. However, their YouTube channel was eventually terminated for not meeting community standards. As of 2023, Troma's slogan is "50 years of Disrupting Media." Its slogan in 2014 was "40 years of Disrupting Media". Before that, the slogan was "30 Years of Reel Independent Cinema". Another slogan the company has used is "Movies of the Future." The company also has its own streaming service called Troma Now. The name "Troma" is a neologism derived from the Greek word "tromos" (τρόμος), meaning "horror," which comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "trem-," meaning "to tremble."

History

In the mid-1970s, Kaufman and Herz began producing, directing, and distributing raunchy sex comedies such as '' The First Turn-On!'' and '' Squeeze Play!''. Troma provided production support for Louis Malle's '' My Dinner with Andre'', for which Kaufman served as a production manager. In 1984, Troma had a hit with the violent

comedy horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary genre, literary, television genre, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three ty ...

superhero film '' The Toxic Avenger''. The film went on to become Troma's most popular, spawning sequels and an animated television program. However, following the financial demise of the company Troma itself, the sequels to the film were

box office bombs A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...

, and the cartoon adaptation quickly ended. The Toxic Avenger character is now Troma's official mascot. Kaufman's follow-up film to ''The Toxic Avenger'' was '' Class of Nuke 'Em High'', co-directed with Richard W. Haines. The film was a hit nearly as successful, though it inspired two unsuccessful sequels, both following the financial demise of Troma. At one time, it was the highest-selling VHS release for Troma. ''The Toxic Avenger'' was turned into a musical which debuted at the George Street Playhouse in

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.David Bryan, keyboardist of the rock band

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...

. Soon after ''Class of Nuke 'Em High'' was completed and distributed, Kaufman directed '' Troma's War''. Intended as a criticism of what it saw as

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

's attempt to glamorize war, the story concerns a group of everyday people who crash land on a remote island, only to find it populated by an isolationist militia that intends to overthrow the US government. ''Troma's War'' was a box office bomb. In the aftermath of the film's poor performance, despite another stab at the superhero genre with ''

'', Troma experienced financial hardship and tried to reestablish itself as a smaller company mostly out of necessity.

Work since 1995

From 1995 to 2000, Troma had a period of creativity and produced some of their greatest work. Kaufman directed three independent films, all distributed in limited theatrical releases: '' Tromeo and Juliet'', a loose parody of Shakespeare's play; ''

'', a slasher film loosely based on Kaufman's book '' All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger'', and an independent film sequel to ''The Toxic Avenger'' trilogy titled '' Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV''. Troma's financial hardship worsened after the botched funding of a low-budget video feature titled '' Tales from the Crapper'', which cost $250,000 despite most of the footage being completely unusable. India Allen, one of the producers, backed out of the film halfway through, and sued Troma, citing

breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party ...

, slander, sexual harassment, trade slander, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Kaufman supervised a reshoot in an attempt to salvage the film, dividing the footage into two parts and recasting the film as a double feature. ''Tales from the Crapper'' was released on DVD in September 2004. Currently, Troma produces and acquires independent films, despite financial hardships and limitations. Troma Films has distributed many films from third parties including Trey Parker's '' Cannibal! The Musical''. Lloyd encourages independent filmmaking, making cameo appearances in many low-budget horror films, occasionally without fee. Among his more recent appearances is in former collaborator James Gunn's directing debut, ''

Slither Slither may refer to: * Slithering, a form of limbless terrestrial locomotion Film and television * ''Slither'' (1973 film), a comedy directed by Howard Zieff * ''Slither'' (2006 film), a comedy horror film directed by James Gunn * "Slither" ...

'', and '' Guardians of the Galaxy''. Kaufman's long-time editor Gabriel Friedman co-directed and wrote the screenplay to his follow-up film, '' Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'', a musical zom-com which made its official New York premiere on May 9, 2008 (although the film had previewed numerous times on single screens for over a year). The film opened to positive reviews from '' Entertainment Weekly'' and '' The New York Times'' and was released in 2006 in theaters and in 2008 on DVD. During the winter of 2010/2011, Troma produced a feature-length film '' Father's Day'', which Kaufman calls "a response film to Mother's Day". The film was written and directed by the Canadian filmmaking team

Astron-6 Astron-6 is a Canadian film production and directing company founded in 2007 by Adam Brooks and Jeremy Gillespie. The company later expanded to include Matt Kennedy, Conor Sweeney and Steven Kostanski, who are now equal partners in the company. A ...

, debuting October 21, 2011, at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival where it took home the top prize of BEST FILM, as well as five other awards. In 2012 ''Father's Day'' was featured on the cover of ''Rue Morgue'' magazine and won Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Male Performance, and Best Special Effects at The Fantastic Planet/A Night of Horror International film festival. This is rare for a film that cost only ten thousand dollars to make. On October 31, 2012, ''Father's Day'' was refused classification in Australia, which makes it effectively illegal to sell or exhibit the film. A second censored version was eventually passed with an R18+ rating. In August 2012, Troma released over 100 of its back catalog films on YouTube, many for free, some for 48-hour paid viewing. However, their YouTube channel was terminated in 2020 and 2023 for not meeting community standards, but has since been reinstated.

Hollywood

On April 7, 2010, Kaufman confirmed that a PG-13 remake of '' The Toxic Avenger'' had been greenlit and was to be produced by Akiva Goldsman. It actually has not been the first attempt at a general audience-friendly version of the franchise, as '' Make Your Own Damn Movie'' identified a previous deal with New Line in the early 1990s for a live-action take on the Toxic Crusaders. Another 1980s Troma classic, '' Mother's Day'' (1980), was also to receive a remake, expected to be directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and produced by Brett Ratner. At the time, Kaufman also said that he was negotiating a deal for a remake of ''Class of Nuke 'Em High''. Shortly thereafter, Troma and Starz Entertainment entered into an agreement for the production of ''Return to Nuke Em High'' as a two-volume title. The first volume was released in theaters and on home video. The second volume, delayed due to funding issues, was stated on its

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

website in January 2017 to be nearing completion.

Troma Now

In 2015, Troma launched a streaming service called Troma Now, which offers many of the films distributed by Troma to subscribers. The service offers subscribers a free trial month, after which they need to pay a monthly fee of US$4.99.

Other work

TromaDance

Troma holds an annual Tromadance Festival, originally taking place in Park City, Utah at the same time as the

Sundance Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

to accentuate their true independence from the mainstream. The festival screens submitted movies from independent filmmakers from around the world, the best of which are usually released on DVD by Troma or compiled in the Best of Tromadance series. In parallel, Troma acts as adviser to aspiring filmmakers with Kaufman teaching classes, contributing cameos and often releasing the finished films on DVD. 2009 marked the last time Tromadance was held in Utah; the festival was subsequently relocated to

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

. In 2014, the festival moved to New York City, and since 2020 has been held at The

Mahoning Drive-In Theater The Mahoning Drive-In Theater is a drive-in theater located in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, along Route 443. Opened in 1949, the Mahoning was one of many drive-in theaters that became popular in the United States following World War II. Attendance ...

Kaufman's books

Kaufman has also had some success with several non-fiction books and a

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

of '' The Toxic Avenger''. Released in 1998, '' All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger'' is an autobiography of sorts co-written with James Gunn. This book chronicles the history of the company, its films, and its iconic figurehead. Kaufman continued to draw on his experiences as Troma chief in the "how-to" filmmaking books '' Make Your Own Damn Movie!'', ''Direct Your Own Damn Movie!'', ''Produce Your Own Damn Movie!'' and ''Sell Your Own Damn Movie!''. A DVD box set has been released to coincide with release of each of the first three books. In the video series, Kaufman interviews famous and infamous filmmakers about various filmmaking subjects. In 2006, a novelization of ''The Toxic Avenger'' was released. It was co-written by Kaufman and long-time Troma employee Adam Jahnke.

Films distributed

Also see

List of Troma Team Video titles Troma Entertainment was founded out of the rubble of Lloyd Kaufman's Armor Films in 1974 as a production company. In 1995, Kaufman and vice president Michael Herz formed Troma Team Video who would handle all of their distribution instead of going ...

for a complete list of films distributed by Troma Entertainment. Below is a list of some Troma distributed films. * ''

B.C. Butcher ''B.C. Butcher'' is a 2016 American horror comedy film directed by Kansas Bowling and starring Natasha Halevi, Kato Kaelin, Kadeem Hardison, and Rodney Bingenheimer. The film's plot is about a tribe of cavewomen being stalked by a prehistoric mon ...

'' * ''

Beware! Children at Play ''Beware! Children at Play'' (also known as ''Goblins'', ''Caution! Kids Are Playing'', ''Warning! Children'' and ''Attention! Enfants'' and originally styled as ''Beware: Children at Play'') is a 1989 American independent slasher film directed by ...

'' * ''

Blood Junkie ''Blood Junkie'' (originally filmed under the working title ''Rocky Trails'') is a 2010 American independent comedy slasher film written and directed by Drew Rosas and starring Nick Sommer, Mike Johnson, Emily Treolo, and Sarah Luther. The story f ...

'' * '' Blood Sucking Freaks'' * '' Cannibal! The Musical'' * The ''Class of Nuke 'Em High'' series ** '' Class of Nuke 'Em High'' ** '' Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown'' ** '' Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid'' ** ''

Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 ''Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1'' is a 2013 American science-fiction horror comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman. The film, produced by the cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment, is the fourth in the ''Nuke 'Em High'' film ...

'' ** ''

Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High AKA Volume 2 ''Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High AKA Volume 2'' is a 2017 American science fiction comedy horror film, made by the cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment. It is directed by Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman and the fifth in the ' ...

'' * '' The Children'' * '' Combat Shock'' * ''Crazy Animal'' * '' Def by Temptation'' * ''Dumpster Baby'' * '' Escape from Hell'' * '' Father's Day'' * ''Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters'' * '' The First Turn-On!'' * '' Friend of the World'' * ''

Hanging Woman ''La orgía de los muertos'' (translated as ''Orgy of the Dead'') a.k.a. ''The Hanging Woman'' (US theatrical release), ''Beyond the Living Dead'', ''Return of the Zombies'' and ''Bracula: Terror of the Living Dead'', is a 1972 Spanish/ Italian ho ...

'' * ''Heavy Mental: A Rock-N-Roll Bloodbath'' * ''

Hectic Knife ''Hectic Knife'' is a superhero comedy film about a knife-wielding vigilante who fights against drug dealers, murderers and other "baddies," including Piggly Doctor, a villain bent on world domination. The idea for the film gestated as Peter Litvi ...

'' * '' Human Hibachi'' * '' Human Hibachi 2'' * '' Human Hibachi: The Beginning'' * ''Homeless Joe'' * ''

Jefftowne ''Jefftowne'' is a 1997 American documentary film shot, directed and edited by Daniel Kraus, and distributed by Troma Entertainment. It chronicles the life of Jeff Towne, a 40-year-old Iowa City resident who has Down syndrome, obesity, alcohol ...

'' * '' Killer Condom'' * '' The Last Horror Film'' * '' Lust for Freedom'' * '' Mad Dog Morgan'' * '' Maniac Nurses Find Ecstasy'' * ''The Middle Finger'' * ''

Monster in the Closet ''Monster in the Closet'' is a 1986 horror comedy with a veteran cast, including Howard Duff and John Carradine, as well as Stacy Ferguson and Paul Walker in early roles. The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment. In the GotchaMovies art ...

'' * ''Moose Jaws'' * '' Mother's Day'' * ''Mr. Bricks: A Heavy Metal Murder Musical'' * '' Nightbeast'' * '' Pigs'' * '' Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'' * ''

Rabid Grannies ''Rabid Grannies'' is a 1988 American horror comedy film written and directed by Emmanuel Kervyn. It stars Danielle Daven and Anne-Marie Fox as elderly sisters who, after receiving a present from an ostracized black sheep relative, kill their gr ...

'' * ''Rednecks'' * ''

Redneck Zombies ''Redneck Zombies'' is a 1987 American horror comedy trash film directed by Pericles Lewnes and released by Troma Entertainment. Production ''Redneck Zombies'' was one of the first films shot entirely on videotape and then released to the ho ...

'' * ''Scarlett Cross: Agents Of D.E.A.T.H.'' * '' Screamplay'' * ''

'' * ''

'' * '' Sick Sock Monsters from Outer Space'' * ''

'' * ''Space Daze'' * ''

Surf Nazis Must Die ''Surf Nazis Must Die'' is a 1987 American post-apocalyptic action exploitation film directed by Peter George and starring Gail Neely, Barry Brenner, and Robert Harden. It was produced by The institute, a production company formed by George, Cr ...

'' * '' Tale of Two Sisters'' * ''

'' * ''There's Nothing Out There'' * ''The Toxic Avenger'' series ** '' The Toxic Avenger'' (1984) ** '' The Toxic Avenger Part II'' ** '' The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie'' ** '' Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV'' ** '' The Toxic Avenger'' (2023) * ''Tony Trombo's Hick Trek 2'' * ''Troma's Monster Kill'' * '' Troma's War'' * '' Tromeo and Juliet'' * '' Vegas in Space'' * ''VHS Massacre'' * ''VHS Massacre Too'' * ''Victor Goodview'' * ''

When Nature Calls ''When Nature Calls'' is a 1985 spoof comedy written and directed by Charles Kaufman and starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn in an early performance. The film was distributed by Charles Kaufman's brother, Lloyd Kaufman, of Troma Ent ...

'' * '' Yeti: A Love Story'' * ''

Zombiegeddon ''Zombiegeddon'' is a 2003 American horror comedy film directed by Chris Watson. It stars Ari Bavel, Paul Darrigo, Felissa Rose, Edwin Neal, Linnea Quigley, Tom Savini, and Uwe Boll. It was distributed by Troma Entertainment, It was released to DVD ...

Films formerly distributed

Some titles which have at one time, or another, been distributed by Troma Inc. have left the catalog. For instance, ''My Neighbor Totoro'' was originally released by Troma's subsidiary 50th Street Films, but only for a short time, and only for U.S. theatrical release. Others were briefly licensed for distribution on VHS such as ''Femme Fontaine Killer Babe for the C.I.A.'' which was one of Troma Team Video's original launch titles along with ''Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.'' and ''Class of Nuke 'em High Part III: The Good, The Bad and The Subhumanoid''. Some titles, such as ''Maniac Nurses Find Ecstasy'', are included on this list because they were previously listed but no longer appear in Troma's catalog. * '' Angels' Wild Women'' * '' The Astro-Zombies'' (as ''Astro Zombies'') * ''Baby Doll Murders'' * '' Blood of Ghastly Horror'' * ''Breakin' in the USA'' ( breakdancing instructional video) * ''Canadian Ballet'' * '' Chopper Chicks in Zombietown'' * ''

Christmas Evil ''Christmas Evil'' (originally titled ''You Better Watch Out'', and also known as ''Terror in Toyland'') is a 1980 American slasher film written and directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart. The plot follows a deranged man obsess ...

'' * ''Club Life'' * ''The Dark Side of Midnight'' * ''

Dracula vs. Frankenstein ''Dracula vs. Frankenstein'' is a 1971 American science fiction horror film directed and co-produced by Al Adamson. The film stars J. Carrol Naish as Dr. Durea, a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein who is working on a blood serum for his assista ...

'' * ''Dragon Gate'' * ''Femme Fontaine Killer Babe For the CIA'' * '' Fist of Fear, Touch of Death'' * ''Ghost Ship'' (a children's feature film, not the horror film) * ''

Girls School Screamers ''Girls School Screamers'' is a 1986 American supernatural slasher film co-written and directed by John P. Finnegan. The plot follows a group of young college girls who are taken up to an abandoned mansion to help renovate it, only to later be dis ...

'' * ''Hi Mom!'' * ''Hungry Young Woman'' * '' I Spit on Your Corpse'' * ''Invasion for Flesh and Blood'' * ''Jakarta'' * ''Mommy'' * ''Mommy 2: Mommy's Day'' * ''The Nick of Time'' * ''Psycho A-Go-Go'' * ''Pterodactyl Woman From Beverly Hills'' * '' The Puppetoon Movie'' * ''Recorded Live'' * ''Rockin' Road Trip'' * ''Romeo: Love Master of the Wild Women's Dorm'' * ''Satan's Sadists'' * '' Schlock'' (as ''Banana Monster'') * ''Space Freaks from Planet Mutoid'' * ''

Splatter University ''Splatter University'' is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Richard W. Haines. It was distributed by Troma Entertainment. Plot A patient escapes from a mental hospital, killing one of his keepers and stealing his uniform. Three years la ...

'' * ''The Stendahl Syndrome'' * ''Student Confidential'' * ''That's My Baby!'' * ''Together and Alone'' * ''White Elephant: The Battle of the African Ghosts'' * ''Wildrose''

Sub-divisions

Troma has also created/acquired specialty distributors for its films. *50th Street Films: distributes independent films aimed at a mainstream audience; distributed '' My Neighbor Totoro'' in theaters * TromaDance: distributes films from Troma's film festival * Roan films **Roan Archival Group Entertainment: distributes digitally remastered releases of classic films *EG Sports: distributes golf instructional films by Michael Jacobs

Tromaville

Most of the films made by Troma Entertainment take place in the fictional New Jersey city of Tromaville, known as the "Toxic Chemical Capital of the World." Examples include the ''Toxic Avenger'' films and the ''Class of Nuke 'Em High'' films. Another film worth mentioning takes place in a post-apocalyptic Tromaville titled ''

A Nymphoid Barbarian In Dinosaur Hell ''A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell'' is a 1990 low-budget science fiction film from Troma Entertainment and directed by Brett Piper. It premiered at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Piper also worked on the special effects. Plot The last woman ...

''. The following is a list of films that either take place in, or mention, Tromaville. * '' The Toxic Avenger'' * '' Class of Nuke 'Em High'' * '' Troma's War'' * '' The Toxic Avenger Part II'' * '' The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie'' * ''

'' * ''

'' * '' Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown'' * '' Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid'' * '' Tromeo and Juliet'' * '' Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV'' * '' Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'' * '' Father's Day'' * ''

'' * ''The Return of Dolphinman'' (short film) * ''Dolphinman vs Turkeyman'' (short film) * ''Dolphinman Battles the Sex Lobsters'' (short film) * ''

'' * ''

References

External links

Official website

TromaTeam Video

Troma Entertainment, Inc. records
are archived at the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. {{Authority control 1974 establishments in New York (state) American companies established in 1974 Mass media companies established in 1974 Film distributors of the United States Film production companies of the United States Non-theatrical film production companies Privately held companies based in New York City American independent film studios

Company information

History

Work since 1995

Hollywood

Troma Now

Other work

TromaDance

Kaufman's books

Films distributed

Films formerly distributed

Sub-divisions

Tromaville

References

External links