Troma Studios
By C.J. Severs

Some may call filmmaking "art." Others refer to it as "entertainment." For Lloyd Kaufman's New York City-based film production company Troma Studios, however, filmmaking is the life. Even though Troma pictures are rarely described as "award-winning," an extraordinary amount of persistence and determination is put forth into each and every one of their films. Kaufman's company is quite removed from the norms of everyday production companies, but they are not entirely without similarities.

The first noticeable difference between regular movies and Troma movies is that Troma movies contain a lot more of modern societal taboos than most other films available. That means more sex, more violence, more nudity, more gore, and a lot more cannibals, zombies, freaks, and preachers from outer space. Films released by production companies such as New Line Cinema or Miramax Films tend to shy away from such vulgarities, and they certainly make a lot more money doing so. However, Troma's special brand of dark humor and campy violence has created a loyal cult following that other companies could only dream about.
Another difference between "regular" film companies and Troma Studios is that Troma makes movies not based on current trends or blockbuster potential, but based on their particular tastes in film. One might not believe there would be a large demand for such offensive and vulgar movies, but the overall lack of such films in Hollywood creates a strong yearning for the unusual that is mostly not provided, except for Troma. Lloyd Kaufman and his partner Michael Herz take a perverse pleasure in releasing movies that are original, groundbreaking, and utterly disgusting.
However, like previously stated, Troma films are not entirely different from other mainstream films. Troma films sometimes carry a bad stigma just because the company's name is attached, but Troma movies are not as horrible as they are made out to be. For starters, no Troma film is outright pornography, nor is any moment in a Troma film meant to be taken seriously. Sometimes Troma films, much like mainstream films, even serve as societal metaphors to things such as nuclear threats, AIDS, and war. Many people overlook the fact that many Hollywood films also contain copious amounts of blood, gore, and sex, but Troma simply earns the stigma, albeit sometimes deservedly.

Perhaps if Troma released mainstream films, they might be more famous, rather than being infamous. However, they would most likely have died out along with all of those other Hollywood production companies that never really took off. After all, Troma is the world's oldest independent film production company, still running after nearly thirty years. One thing is for sure, however: Troma will continue to produce films that actively mean something to the fun-loving, gore-admiring, dark horror aficionados within us all.