If you’re reading this, chances are you don’t need to be told about Troma Films. For nearly 40 years, the scrappy studio, operated out of Hell’s Kitchen by founder/spokesman/bow-tie enthusiast Lloyd Kaufman, has been cranking out straight-to-video schlockfests with titles like BLOOSUCKING FREAKS, SURF NAZIS MUST DIE, and their greatest hit, THE TOXIC AVENGER. To some, Troma’s output is the cinematic equivalent of Weekly World News headlines – titles to momentarily chuckle over in the video store or ironically place in their Netflix queue – but the studio’s signature blend of gross-out humor and true-blue DIY aesthetic has inspired countless maverick filmmakers; Peter Jackson and Quentin Tarantino are both admirers and SOUTH PARK creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone got their first break when Troma picked up their student feature, CANNIBAL: THE MUSICAL.
But while Troma still releases films at a steady clip, it’s a far rarer occurrence when Kaufman can scrounge up the money to make a film himself: while he’s responsible for many of Troma’s most iconic creations, including SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD, TROMEO AND JULIET, and each installment of the TOXIC AVENGER saga, it’s been eight years since he got a feature off the ground (that would be the zombie-chicken-musical POULTRYGEIST, for those of you keeping score). That dry spell has been broken, however, with Kaufman’s return to the venerable CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH franchise, titled, appropriately enough, RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 (much like TOXIC AVENGER 2 and 3, this sequel apparently couldn’t be contained to a single running time). The plot involves a glee club, which has mutated into an evil gang called The Cretins, and… honestly, do you care? It’s a new Troma movie, which means you’ve probably already made up your mind whether to run toward or away from the theater. As an added bonus, Kaufman himself will be on hand to introduce the film, which any fan will tell you is worth the price of admission alone.
RETURN TO NUME ‘EM HIGH: VOLUME 1
Director Lloyd Kaufman in person!
Saturday, January 11, 11:59 PM
Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446)
$10.25
