Terror Firmer

Since I heard about this film back in 1999 I have been trying to get my hands on it and finally about a month ago I received the Director's Cut. This movie I will just say makes most Troma films look like childs play. Not necessarily for the gore (it was very gory) but for the sick and disgusting last 20 mimutes of this film. I really just don't want to even go into that right now as I have already watched the movie about 5 times with numerous friends and my brain really feels as if its gone down the toilet. This movie genuinely makes you feel gross. But from Troma, this is what you are going to get. Basically the story is about a group of low budget filmmakers start filming another Toxic Avenger movie and in the background there is a woman running around brutally murdering people. You're exposed to this right away as the opening scene is the killer ripping off a mans leg and beating him to death with it and then randomlly ripping a fetus out its mothers stomach. Pretty typical for Troma and rather hilarious. But I will give warning about the end of the movie as it has grossed out everyone I have shown it to. I don't know why I watch these films (I guess I'm just screwed up in the head). Anyway, this is still a great Troma film and it truly goes hand in hand with Tromas next big movie "Citizen Toxie" which is a must see also. 8 stars

Just like Lloyd Kaufman's awesome book, All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger, this movie is an offbeat, hilarious, gratuitously sleazy (in a good way) item about the world of independent filmmaking. Everyone who reads this should stop and go see the movie if that is at all possible... NOW!

This is considered to be a Troma masterpiece. After seeing it, I suppose I can see why. A Troma film is usually cheap, bloody, and hilarious. This was all that and more. There is literally no limit to the blood, guts, excrement, vomit, explicit sex, death, female full frontal nudity, and male full frontal nudity herein. The film is graphic, horrific, shocking, brutal, and explicit from beginning to end. Is this pornography? Well, not quite. Sure, many may consider it to be, but to me, it's just another major milestone in gross-out cinema. However, can it be topped? I really don't know. I can't really think of many films that feature this much sex and gore in equal amounts. Still, this is entertaining! Sure, it's deeply depraved and shocking, but I enjoyed it. The film wasn't meant to be anything more than what it is. Overall, I'm happy I saw it and I'd happily watch this with my friends, provided that the friends I watch it with are prepared to bare witness to the endless grotesques on display herein. I recommend it, provided that you can handle it.

It's hard to describe "Terror Firmer". Think "Living in Oblivian" with Lucio Fulci style violence, filmed by the "Vienna Aktionists" on the set of "Sweet Movie" directed by Groucho Marx and John Waters. Those unfamiliar with the 60's shock artists the Vienna Aktionists; will be surprised at their similarities to troma. The Vienna Aktionists were a group of anarchist stage performers from the 60's, who would put on live surreal sex shows. They would take food, urine, feces, vomit and semen and create shocking works of art. When I think of Troma, I'm reminded of the Vienna Aktionists. Troma's films are so sick and gross, that they teeter on artistic brilliance. O.K, so "Terror Firmer" defies description. Troma is a company dedicated to gore hound freaks and fans of guilty pleasure b-movies. I am one of those fans. Terror Firmer can definitely be considered a surrealist film. It lacks a traditional narrative, it has grotesque imagery and mocks many institutional standards. It's also one giant middle finger to Hollywood. The plot concerns a psychotic, hermaphrodite serial killer; who is killing people off in the most morbid ways imaginable, on the set of a troma movie. Lloyd Kaufman plays Larry Benjamin, a blind movie director who continues filming even though his cast keeps getting murdered. He wants to get his bizarre artistic vision out there. It seems like "Terror Firmer" tries to outdo "Pink Flamingos", "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Salo" in shock. The first five minutes of the film contain a leg decapitation, an abortion, death by corn flakes and a suicidal shot in the head. This film is almost guaranteed to even make the most jaded viewer cringe. Your either laughing or disgusted with shock. There is ridiculous amounts of sex, full frontal nudity and of course "big breasts". Almost every imaginable bodily function or fluid is present, including crap eating. Also the films obsession with pickles is quite disturbing. After viewing this film, you'll never think of pickles the same way again (guarenteed). As repulsive as the subject matter is, the film is pretty damn funny. Just be prepared to squirm too. I appreciate Troma, because after watching "Terror Firmer"; I searched for other bizarre films. I also became interested in surrealism. So if it wasn't for Lloyd Kaufman, I may of never appreciated Bunuel, Godard, Greenaway, David Lynch, Fellini, Jodorowsky, John Waters, Salvador Dali, Jan Svankmajer, Tekeshi Miike, Dusan Makavejev or David Cronenburg. I love Troma, even if their films are sometimes a bit much. They opened up my mind and imagination to new ideas. I know one thing Otto Muehl and Dali would be proud. Now let's go make some art!

The makers of a Troma film, including its director Larry Benjamin (Troma head honcho Lloyd Kaufman) are both hard at work and hard at play. Some of its crew members get targeted by a crazed mystery woman (Sheri Wenden), who's busy slaughtering people in inventive ways.

It wouldn't be inaccurate to consider "Terror Firmer" a magnum opus, as far as Troma product goes. It goes on a LOT longer than a typical film from the independent studio, clocking in at almost two hours. As a result, if you're not on board with the kind of crude, graceless tomfoolery on display, that will make sticking with this difficult if not impossible.

Of course, if you're a fan of Kaufman and these guys & gals, you'll be amply rewarded with an amazing plethora of bad taste gags and twisted characters. In his review for the excellent sleeper "Def by Temptation", Leonard Maltin referred to Troma as being "aggressively schlocky", which is as good a way to describe them as any. Here they have tremendous fun just tossing anything resembling decorum out the window. They've always *embraced* the tackiness to be found in many a B picture, and you can certainly see that in a lot of the hammy, campy performances and the onslaught of hilariously crude gore effects.

The cast is enthusiastic as Hell. Future Oscar winners they might never be, but they give this production everything that they've got. Will Keenan, Trent Haaga, and Alyce LaTourelle play the love triangle at the heart of the story, with the appealing LaTourelle cast as the script girl who gets a chance to be an acting star. Uncle Lloyd himself is a gas as the flamboyant director, who happens to be blind. B movie icon Debbie Rochon is fine as temperamental actress Christine; look for cameos by such people as Ron Jeremy, Lemmy, and Joe Franklin.

*Obviously* not to many tastes, but if you love Troma to begin with, you'll likely have a good time.

Inspired by the book "All I Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger", written by Kaufman and Troma alumnus James Gunn.

Seven out of 10.