My tribute to Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Entertainment
Back in the early 1990’s having finally joined the Sky TV
revolution my young teenage self would eagerly leaf through Sky Magazine’s
listings for movies to watch on Friday and Saturday nights.One month I spotted a full-page advert made
up of four movie posters for an upcoming evening devoted to a movie studio
called Troma Entertainment.
The movies were, The Toxic Avenger, The Toxic
Avenger Part II, Class of Nuke 'Em High and A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur
Hell!
I was already aware of Toxie, the monster of “superhuman size and
strength” having watched The Toxic Crusader animated series, ruined my teeth
with Toxic Crusader candy and of course not forgetting the amazing action
figure line (which I still have today!) and so I was intrigued to see the movies which had inspired it all.
I watched them and was forever a devotee of Troma Entertainment, the longest
running truly independent film company in America and not forgetting its genius
co-founder, writer, director and producer Lloyd Kaufman.
Finally meeting the brilliant Lloyd Kaufman!
A Yale University graduate majoring in Chinese studies intending
to become a social worker Lloyd instead chose cinema and directed his first
feature film, The Girl Who Returned in 1969 before working for Cannon Films, collaborating
on several low-budget films with future Rocky director John G. Avildsen. He then
set up Troma studios in 1974 with business partner Michael Herz, producing independent
action and comedy films while freelancing for several major Hollywood
productions, including Rocky, Saturday Night Fever and The Final Countdown
which had Lloyd vowing to never deal with a major studios again. Between 1979 and
1981, Troma produced/ directed a series of profitable "sexy comedies"
so profitable in fact that the major studios moved in on the idea and started
producing their own such as Porkies. After reading an article that claimed
horror films were no longer popular, Lloyd decided to produce his own horror
film around an idea he had about a health club, Health Club Horror a story
about a nerd that is mutated by toxic waste that goes on to save the city and
get the girl ultimately became The Toxic Avenger which achieved mainstream
success. Much the same can be said about the follow up movie Class of Nuke 'Em
High and subsequent sequels that followed after and it was at that point on
they focused almost exclusively on horror films, even if they were not directly
their own features Troma distributed films from third parties- waving the flag
for independent film making and cult cinema. Especially Lloyd, who seemed to
always be appearing on TV promoting the company and its movies, refusing to
conform to the norm and this resonated with me while I was in Art College. I
wanted to work on my own ideas but seemed to always be going head to head with
people who preferred landscapes and still life, I would be up late working on a
project, wondering if I was actually doing the right thing and Lloyd would
appear on Troma’s Edge T.V. sporting his trademark bow tie, microphone in hand
behind a cluttered desk covered in Troma merchandise and memorabilia urging us
to not follow the norm, not give in to the mainstream and corporate thinking
and support innovate ideas, least I think that’s what he was saying... you’ll
need to ask him about it... either way that’s what I did!
Again with Lloyd during the screening of David Gilbank’s Polterheist!
Anyway, long story short-ish I felt it was high time I met
Uncle Lloydie to thank him for his inspiration and when I found out he was visiting
the UK for a “Troma Tour” to receiving the much coveted Hall of Fame Award at
the Starburst Film Festival, one of the biggest and best genre celebrations in
the UK it was off to MediaCityUK (again) along with my good friend Matt Warner
to (hopefully) meet him. We arrived at Social7 at The Landing for the opening
ceremony and was able to meet Lloyd right away and he was EXACTLY as I imagined
him to be! It can be a little nerve wracking when you meet people you admire,
this day and age they can let you down- and not live up to your expectations
but I am delighted to say that he did not disappoint. I was able to have
several chats with him about his work and tell him how much he had inspired me and
my work and how it was his movies that made me want to direct my art in this
direction. I presented him with a print of a tribute (seen at the top of this post) I recently painted to him
and his movies, featuring The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke 'Em High (which
he had shared on his Instagram!) that he seemed to genuinely pleased to receive
before kicking off the event with the first movie, Troma’s latest offering Return
to Nuke 'Em High: Volume 2 a film that tackles, “21st century issues in the
style of 1980s genre films” by revisiting of Class of Nuke 'Em High in
the same vein as other classics such as Class of 1984, Rock 'n' Roll High
School, and Carrie, but seen through the unique vision of Lloyd Kaufman
and the Troma Team” a movie I must confess I had already seen as I had already
been granted an early look at it due to being one of the 959 backers that
pledged their support on their Kickstarter campaign back in 2015, I’ve heard
many state that this one is superior to the first part and I am inclined to
agree, it has all the things one expects of a Troma movie in buckets, along
with lots of heart! So make sure you see it when it comes out, show your
support for independent movies! So glad I went along, I had a great time and
commend all involved, and thank you Lloyd for everything, you made this Troma
fan very happy oh and we mustn’t forget Starburst and the event organizers responsible
for this amazing event, I not only had the opportunity to meet one of my idols
but I also catch up with many friends in a great, relaxed atmosphere- congratulations,
I look forward to next one!
We have strayed quite a way from the usual Holiday
themed horrors involving a psycho killer for St Patrick’s Day this time round. It was suggested that I watch Leprechaun
(1993), but Leprechaun hasn’t much to do with St Patrick’s Day BUT that wasn’t
a problem however as there is a killer Leprechaun movie that takes place on St Patrick's Day for our convenience! A made for television horror film directed by Drew
Daywalt called Red Clover from 2012, originally with the title of St. Patrick's
Day Leprechaun (would have been better suited for this challenge!) the title
was changed to Leprechaun's Revenge when it aired on the Syfy Channel but
switched back to Red Clover for its DVD release! It all starts kicking off in fictional town of
Keening, Massachusetts. While out
hunting Karen O'Hara (Courtney Halverson) picks a red clover, releasing a deadly
Leprechaun which starts picking off citizens as they prepare for their St
Patrick’s Day celebrations (eating gold as it goes about it). We find out that this
Leprechaun had been previously banished by the town’s folk for similar reasons and
so it’s up to Karen to put it back where she found it, aided by lucky horseshoes
and her town drunk grandfather (William Devane) and town sheriff father played
by Billy Zane. The film maker’s decision to distance itself from the
traditional Leprechaun depictions more associated with Warick Davis’s version
by having the creature appear more goat like gives the story more of a Cryptozoology
feel, which I felt was reminiscent of another Syfy Channel movie,Chupacabra: Dark Seas (2005) which I also liked. As previously said,
quite a detour from our usual themes and perhaps not as well known- but a lot
of fun, be sure to check it for out for yourselves next year, until then I’ll
see you back here for Mother’s Day!
*Technical difficulties originally posted on
17/3/2019
Well, the Women in Horror Art Show has ended, so it’s on
to my next venture.... Patreon!
Aside from working on the commissions I have, I am also working on numerous projects of my own, specifically a self
published book of 30 individual paintings devoted to monster/ horror related nostalgia
from 1980’s and 90’s that I hope to launch at my very own solo art show at the
end of the year! It’s a lot of work but I believe in it and I want to make it
happen- but it’s not easy and for some time now I’ve been told I should try
Patreon, as it helps artists receive additional funding from people who enjoy
or admire their work and I’ve wrestled with this for some time, worrying that it
might be seen as a form of “e-begging” however, the argument was made that Patronage
is how artists used to do this ‘back in the day’ so I thought “why not?” But I
must confess what ‘sold’ the idea for me was that Patreon is laid out in such a
way that allows creators to provide exclusive content for their subscribers or
"patrons” like a sort of mini club if you will, and this interests me
greatly! The other thing that appealed to
me is that this presents me with the opportunity to create a unique product for
those who kindly support my work; rewarding their generosity, so today I am
launching Arfon’s Glow- in- the- Dark
Monster Sticker Club!
They really do glow- in- the- dark!
So, for a minimum donation
of £3 (Patron is an American site so it’s listed as $3.99) ) or more a month you
will be enrolled in my Glow- in- the- Dark Monster Sticker Club and receive a
new/ exclusively created glow in the dark sticker each month as a thank you for
your support! Not only that but your membership entitles you to prize draws, project
updates, exclusive behind the scenes content and the opportunity to nominate next
month’s sticker allowing you to be a part of a community and not forgetting
that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that you are supporting me and my work!
Each vinyl sticker (measuring 100mm x 50mm) will be
numbered and will feature a design that harks back to classic monster stickers
of the past. Created by yours truly, they really do Glow- in- the- Dark! Suitable
for sticking on things or just collecting, your collection will grow each
month, I want this to be a fun venture and I hope you will join me by showing
your support!
Not for you? Fair enough perhaps you will bring this to the
attention of someone that might?
With a box of unfinished Valentine’s Day chocolates I once
again embarked on my challenge to watch a holiday based horror movie on the
days they are set, this time round ... what else? But My Bloody Valentine from 1981!
Directed by George Mihalka and written by John Beaird the film was shot on
location in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia and released theatrically in North
America on Valentine's Day.
The mining town of Valentine Bluffs has lifted its twenty
year suspension of their traditional Valentine's Day dance to the delight of the
town’s young folk, the reason for this 20 year hiatus? Two supervisors left
several miners in the mines in favour of attending the dance, neglecting to check
methane gas levels results in an explosion that traps the miners for six weeks,
only one of them survived one Harry Warden whom resorted to cannibalism in
order to survive. Now insane, in his mining attire Warden murdered the two supervisors
and vowed to return and kill the townsfolk if they held the Valentine's Day
Dance again... sure enough, the bodies start to pile up!
Yes, it shares certain parallels with Halloween but the film
holds its own and gained a cult following over the years, it was even remade in
2009. On its initial release the movie
was heavily censored and a total of nine minutes of violence and gore was cut
by the Motion Picture Association of America and it remained like that until an
uncut version was finally released in 2009 (I watched the extended cut tonight)
With its dingy, claustrophobic atmosphere and drinking/smoking randy young
adults with complete disregard for the advice of their elders it’s worth
checking out. Don’t forget to check back with me on Sunday the 31st
of March... Mother's Day!
Until then, Happy Valentines’ Day!
Since 2017 the Liverpool Horror Club has been running regular events celebrating the horror genre. This month is Women in Horror Month and the Liverpool Horror Club is celebrating it at Constellations on Sat 9th Feb hosting a panel entitled HORROR IS NO
PLACE FOR A LADY, an in-depth discussion delving into the many facets of women
in the genre “A celebration, exhibition and discussion of the past, present and
future of women in the horror genre” followed by a screening of American Psycho.
They are also hosting an art exhibition showcasing
artworks of 20+ artists from all over. Each piece celebrates women in horror
and two paintings were produced by yours truly! 'Mistress of the Dark' and 'Millicent Patrick: The Beauty Who Created the Beast' as seen in this phonograph, kindly provided by the event. Artworks have been on display at Constellations since the
2nd February and will continue through to the 17th! The event promises to be a great
opportunity to socialize & network with other enthusiasts, so pop along and
show your support, follow this link to purchase tickets or alternatively, email admin@liverpoolhorrorclub.co.uk tell them Arfon sent you!
Ok here is the second instalment of my challenge to watch a
Holiday-themed horror movie on each holiday/festivity of the year! Not ACTUALLY
something the populace celebrate (I have reservations about celebrating it
myself!) but.... today is my Birthday so I thought I would include it. So today
I watched a Birthday related slasher released when I was only 3...
Happy
Birthday to Me is a 1981 Canadian slasher from director J. Lee Thompson and
stars Melissa Sue Anderson as Virginia Wainwright a popular high school senior
at Crawford Academy, who is part of the elite clique of privileged and popular
students who are killed off one by one by an off screen killer during the
length of the movie using gruesome means, one of which with a shish kebab
skewer (not a spoiler as this death featured on the poster!). Glenn Ford also
stars as Dr. David Faraday, Virginia’s Doctor trying to help her when she
starts to suspect that she might be the one murdering her friends during a
series of blackouts, which slowly explain the murderer’s motives before closing
with a twist ending. This movie has achieved
a cult following over the years, helped largely by being included on the Section
3 Obscene Publications Act in Britain during the video nasty ‘panic’ and so an
interesting flick that’s worth your time. If I had to find fault in it, I found
a group of privileged spoilt teenagers difficult to like and so I was never
really sure who I was ‘rooting’ for, I didn’t like the kids so perhaps the
killer? But then the movie sometimes suggests it might be one of the kids,
so... anyway check it out and I will see
you again on St Valentine’s Day!
Happy New Year to you all! I've set myself a new challenge
for 2019 I call it, Happy Horror- day! The success of Halloween in 1978 gave
rise to the holiday based horror movie genre and that is why I, Arfon Jones
will attempt to watch a Holiday-themed horror film for each holiday/festivity
of the year! I must have (Subconsciously) got the idea from Irving Berlin’s
Holiday Inn but my only requirement is that the movie takes place during a
specific holiday/occasion playing a central theme (images/ motifs from the holidays
featuring throughout) and a movie that features a killer wearing a costume associated
with that celebration will most definitely meet the criteria! Each movie will then be documented on this
blog. So first up...
Directed by Emmett Alston New Year’s Evil takes place during
(you guessed it) New Year's Eve (and New Year's Day hence why I thought I should start the challenge/ year with this one first) during a live televised show called, Blaze’s
Countdown which celebrates the music of that year with callers, calling in the Hollywood Hotline nominating their favorite songs (Think Top of the Pops meets Telethon) the show
features various punk/ new wave groups and their fans dancing to their hits, (personally
I would rather watch this show than Jools Holland’s Hootenanny!) and features
such bands as Shadow and Made in Japan (Shadow play the title song New Year’s
Evil twice!). The show’s punk rock presenter Blaze (played by Diane Sullivan) receives
a phone call from man calling himself Evil disguises his voice with a “Voice Processor”
announces that each time the clock strikes midnight in each time zone, a
"Naughty Girl" will be killed declaring that Diane herself will be
the last Naughty Girl to be punished. The studio calls in Lieutenant Ed Clayton
(Chris Wallace) a man who doesn’t care much for the punk/new wave scene who
rather unsympathetically resents having to “pick a phone freak from this bunch!”
but agrees to tighten security never the less as, Evil delivers on his promise and
starts killing women on the hour (playing tapes of the killings over the phone
to taunt Blaze) building up to the climax of the film, which I will not spoil
for you.
While researching this film I read that movie critic, Gene
Siskel called it "a hideously ugly motion picture” I must disagree with
that, although perhaps not the most original concepts the movie does do one
thing differently by showing us the killer right from the start, instead hiding
his identity and motive from us which is revealed as a twist at the end, in my opinion
the film could (almost) pass as a Thriller, If it hadn’t been for the Friday
the 13th style "chi chi chi ha ha ha..." effect, set up for a
sequel and use of a Stan Laurel mask which is genuinely creepy! It’s not
brilliant, but it’s not bad. It’s just a good old fashioned slasher that's worth a look.
