Directed by Lloyd Kaufman

Starring Will Keenan and Alyce LaTourelle

The greatest Troma film of all time!

With "Terror Firmer", Lloyd Kaufman takes the torch of cult filmmaking from both Russ Meyer and John Waters and stands firm as the king of the midnight movie for the new century. "Terror Firmer" delivers the best of Meyer, Waters and H.G. Lewis in a potent mix of sex, gore, sleaze and raunch that has to be seen to be believed. It’s one of the best films in years.

I thought they had stopped making movies like this after Meyer retired and Waters sold out to the majors. Boy, was I wrong. Kaufman himself has had mixed luck making movies. I’m not a huge "Toxic Avenger" fan and didn’t think "Tromeo and Juliet" was as wonderful as some think it is. (I don’t review it on this site because it steers a little too clear of the horror genre. After all, even ESplatter has its standards.)

But Kaufman hit his stride with "Terror Firmer", a film that opens up with a ludicrously gory killing (a pregnant woman is de-fetused) and goes on to make fun of blind, takes stabs at Steven Spielberg and even kills a fat man by escalator. The story, if there can be said to be one, involves a female killer offing people involved in the production of a "Toxic Avenger" movie. The film is supposedly based on Kaufman`s book, "All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger : The Shocking True Story of Troma Studios."

Kaufman definitely borrowed quite a bit from Russ Meyer and John Waters in the style of this politically incorrect epic and ultimately out-breasts Meyer and almost out-grosses Waters. The film reminded me a lot of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (particularly the ending). It’s glorious that there’s someone left still making movies like this. Easily the best midnight movie since Water’s "Pink Flamingos," "Terror Firmer" is currently a big hit on what’s left of the midnight movie circuit in the U.S. It played for six months in Los Angeles.

I have no doubt that it will be a huge hit on tape and DVD and will have high school and college kids talking for years to come.