Right now, I could waste a few paragraphs describing the 110-minute insanity fest that is Lloyd Kaufman's "Tromeo and Juliet," but I'll put it like this: they don't get any better than this! This film is offensive and moves at an exhilarating, break-neck pace that never lets up once things get going. Kaufman of course is the president of Troma Entertainment with Michael Herz as his veep. Together they've produced and/or directed b-level schlock that's plentiful in atrocious acting, graphic violence/gore, and sex within the last 30 years. They've influenced the likes of Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Dead Alive"), Trey Parker (co-creator of television's "South Park"), Quentin Tarantino and one Troma alumni, James "Dawn of the Dead remake" Gunn, headed out on his own earlier this year with his directorial debut "Slither." Troma finally hit pay-dirt with "The Toxic Avenger" in 1985 and seemed to reach a level of "respectibility" with 1996's "Tromeo and Juliet," a modern-day punk retelling of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy. The action has been moved from Verona to New York, with Tromeo (Will Keenan) and Juliet (Jane Jensen), the offspring of rival families, meeting at a costume party and hitting it off immediately (and I use "hitting it off" loosely). This retelling is stock plentiful in sex, body piercing, incest and incredibly graphic violence to drive home the point that once again, Troma Entertainment is strictly for adults. I'll admit I know a great deal about Troma but have seen very few of their films. Their style is unique in that they don't much give a damn about the audience, other than shunning political-correctness in favor of shock & awe. The humor is very offensive (whoever thought to use incest as a punch-line needs counseling), so don't be shocked too much. So, if "The Toxic Avenger" is the Citizen Kane of bad movies, then what does this say about "Tromeo and Juliet"?
10/10
10/10