Terror Firmer

As a long time Troma fan I have enjoyed the Renaissance that the company has enjoyed in the wake of Tromeo & Juliet. After the success of Toxic Avenger (and video success of Class of Nuke em' high) troma had fallen off the chart. Several dismal Toxie sequels and the long wait for Sgt. Kubuki Man NYPD created the impression that Troma had lost their way but Tromeo & Juliet reminded everyone why they had fell in love with the company to begin with. Tromeo raised the bar once again for what you could expect from a Troma offering and with high expectations I watched Terror Firmer and thankfully this movie delivered.

Someone is killing people on the set of a Troma film. As the body count rises the crew must rally together to get their blind directors vision to the screen (or at least to the video shelves). From that absurd premise we launch into what I truly believe is the best in house Troma production ever (2nd only to pick up film Cannibal the musical over all) and this movie works as a valentine to the beloved company.

Indie-film god, and troma co-founder, Lloyd Kaufman finally responds to the worlds demands and returns to leading man status as Larry Benjamin, director of the newest Toxic Avenger film. Larry tries to get the best out of his inexperienced, though largely enthusiastic crew. Tromeo himself, Will Keenan plays the Spielberg loving crew member who competes for the affections of the pretty Alyce LaTourelle with Trent Haaga. Haaga plays Jerry, a guy who seems to be living out his dream (as well as the dream of most fans) working on a Troma film. With a very likable cast this film can, and often does, takes many detours. From a Seinfeld parody to a odd public service announcement, the story often wanders off in odd directions only to be corralled back by another killing.

As you can tell by some of the other reviews, this film is clearly not intended for the mainstream. It was specifically designed to appeal to the faithful, not to win over any new fans. From the lead performance by Lloyd Kaufamn to the tons of cameos by Troma veterans like Lemmy, Joe Fleishaker, Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Lisa Gaye this movie seems to be like Troma doing a victory lap to celebrate the fact that in a industry where independents get chewed up constantly, They are still standing. And their fans are grateful for that.

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!

Debbie Rochon as a blond? Wow, this is something different! Of course, this whole movie is something different.

Lloyd Kaufman has really pulled out all the stops to give us the grossest film I could ever imagine. No, I would be Lloyd Kaufman if I imagined this stuff - this is waaaay beyond my imagination.

Extreme amounts of blood and gore and body fluids and solids. This was the ultimate in gross, but you had to look.

Once again, there was a perfect part for me. I coulda been a contenda in indy film.

Not for those with a weak stomach.

Indy directors schooled in shock had two options when Hollywood stepped in and stole their thunder with bad taste comedy hits like THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and American PIE.

1. Become like John Waters, lose your edge and deliver much tamer (and much more bland) stabs at the establishment or...

2. Up the ante in terms of nihilistic gore, nudity, amorality, cruelty and cheap toilet gags.

Lloyd Kaufman has, with this film, undoubtedly established himself as the poster boy for the latter. So possessed is this man to disgust, offend, shock and give viewers an alternative to good, decent, Speilbergian entertainment, he has whipped out a film that includes, but it certainly not limited to, dismemberment, decapitation, impalement, castration, breast mutilation, urination, scat, puking, incest, rape, child molestation, drug use, cheesy sound effects, flatulence, deformed sex organs, full nudity (male and female), a fetus ripped from a womb, soft core sex and gore-dripping overkill in any and every other possible department. I must say, that it's a hectic, erratic, messy film, but I was never once bored while watching it.

Since the story takes place around the set of an independent movie (invaded by a hermaphroditic serial killer who hacks his/her way through the cast and crew in an effort to shut down the production) we also get some commentary on how the film industry works (and how it doesn't) and on the comedic virtues found in the lowest of low human behavior.

All four of the leads (Will Keenan, Alyce LaTourelle, Trent Haaga and Debbie Rochon) are great. Kaufman himself also shows considerable on-screen appeal as Larry Benjamin, the aloof director of the film in question, who also happens to be blind, an idea copied by Woody Allen for his acclaimed (but apparently not all that original) film Hollywood ENDING in 2001!

Fair enough to say that not everyone will be able to endure TERROR FIRMER, but be grateful someone has the audacity to slap Tinseltown in the face by beating them at their own game. The video and DVD both contain deleted scenes and outtakes and are available in uncut or R-rated versions. Watch for a cameo by SOUTH PARK creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Motorhead's Lemmy during an amusing end credit sequence.

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.