Terror Firmer
Encyclopedia
Terror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror
film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman
, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan
and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment
company, known for distributing campy exploitation film
s. The film features several direct references to the previous Troma films, such as The Toxic Avenger
, and includes famous Troma props, like the 'Penis Monster' (referred to, in the film, as "Thor, the God of Love") and a severed leg. It was loosely based, in that respect, on Kaufman's and James Gunn's book All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger
.
While most reviewers agree that the film's references to other Troma films are clever and well-executed for an exploitation film
, some critics deem the film's use of "trashy" elements overly gratuitous.
film director, Larry Benjamin, who is trying to create a work of art. In addition to the typical trials and travails of a Troma set, the crew is preyed upon by a sexually conflicted, bomb-toting serial killer
. Among the large poorly-paid film crew, the movie centers mostly on production assistant Jennifer, who struggles to do her job while deciding between the two men in her life; the straight-laced boom operator Casey, and the rebellious special effects operator Jerry. The love triangle intensifies as the dead bodies mount with increasingly brutality. At the climax, the entire film crew bands together (both physically and sexually) against the mortal threat in their midst.
.
The 'Morton Springer Show' sequence was based on the experience Lloyd Kaufman had on the Morton Downey Jr show.
The end credits states, "A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO: The New York City Police Department
, for their unstinting cooperation and invaluable help throughout every part of this production." The documentary
The Making of Terror Firmer shows the police clashing with the production on several instances (one of which involved the police revoking the crew's filming permit).
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and occasional actor. With producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including The Toxic Avenger and Tromeo and Juliet. Kaufman also serves as...
, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan
Will Keenan
Will Keenan is an American film producer, actor, director, writer and stuntman. Keenan has acted in and worked on producing more than 20 independent films made in New York City which have been screened in festivals worldwide. In 2004, Keenan appeared on an episode of Law and Order: SVU.-...
and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974.The company produces low-budget independent movies that play on 1950s horror with elements of farce...
company, known for distributing campy exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
s. The film features several direct references to the previous Troma films, such as The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 comedy horror film released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. Virtually ignored upon its first release, The Toxic Avenger caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed...
, and includes famous Troma props, like the 'Penis Monster' (referred to, in the film, as "Thor, the God of Love") and a severed leg. It was loosely based, in that respect, on Kaufman's and James Gunn's book All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger
All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger
All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger is the autobiography of Lloyd Kaufman, published by Berkely Boulevard, a subsidiary of Penguin Putnam, in 1998. Kaufman is the co-founder of B-movie company Troma Entertainment and the director of such films as The Toxic Avenger,...
.
While most reviewers agree that the film's references to other Troma films are clever and well-executed for an exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
, some critics deem the film's use of "trashy" elements overly gratuitous.
Plot
This is the story of a New York low budget film crew, led by their insane and egostical blindBlindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
film director, Larry Benjamin, who is trying to create a work of art. In addition to the typical trials and travails of a Troma set, the crew is preyed upon by a sexually conflicted, bomb-toting serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Among the large poorly-paid film crew, the movie centers mostly on production assistant Jennifer, who struggles to do her job while deciding between the two men in her life; the straight-laced boom operator Casey, and the rebellious special effects operator Jerry. The love triangle intensifies as the dead bodies mount with increasingly brutality. At the climax, the entire film crew bands together (both physically and sexually) against the mortal threat in their midst.
Principal Cast
- Will KeenanWill KeenanWill Keenan is an American film producer, actor, director, writer and stuntman. Keenan has acted in and worked on producing more than 20 independent films made in New York City which have been screened in festivals worldwide. In 2004, Keenan appeared on an episode of Law and Order: SVU.-...
as Casey - Alyce LaTourelle as Jennifer
- Lloyd KaufmanLloyd KaufmanLloyd Kaufman is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and occasional actor. With producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including The Toxic Avenger and Tromeo and Juliet. Kaufman also serves as...
as Larry Benjamin - Trent HaagaTrent HaagaTrent Haaga is a low-budget horror actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker.-Career:Haaga came to the attention of the horror community after co-starring in the Troma film Terror Firmer. He went on to fill the role of screenwriter as well as assistant director on the fourth film in the Toxic Avenger...
as Jerry - Debbie RochonDebbie RochonDebbie Rochon is a Canadian B-movie actress and former stage performer, best known for her work in Troma films.-Biography:...
as Christine - Charlotte Kaufman as Audrey Benjamin
- Ron JeremyRon JeremyRonald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
as Casey's Dad - Sheri Wenden as the mysterious woman
- Darko Malesh as Nikolai
- Yaniv Sharon as Yeager the P.A.
- Gary Hrbek as Toddster
- Greg 'G-Spot' Siebel as Ward
- Mario DíazMario DiazMario Rafael Díaz Torres is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played from -.-External links:...
as D.J. - Joe FleishakerJoe FleishakerJoseph Isaac Fleishaker is an American actor most famous for his small but memorable roles in various low-budget horror and science fiction movies, usually produced by Troma. Weiging more than 500 pounds, Joe Fleishaker is, the "biggest Troma Action Star". When doing a Troma promo, Fleishaker...
as Jacob Gelman - Mo Fischer as Andy
- Reverend Jen Miller as Tina the script girl
- Lyle Derek as the asshole P.A.
- Trace Burroughs as Edgar Allan
- Sean Pierce as Moose
- Barry Brisco as Stephen
- Kerri Kenney as Woman with Eyeball in Her Cleavage
- Patrick CassidyPatrick CassidyPatrick Cassidy may refer to: * Patrick Cassidy , Irish classical composer of movie soundtracks* Patrick Cassidy , U.S. actor in musical theatre and television...
as Donald - Michael Locascio as Old Man Phil
- Stefanie Imhoff as Assia the lighting girl
- Theo KoganTheo KoganTheo Kogan is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. She is most well known for being the vocalist of the all girl punk band, Lunachicks. Currently, she sings in the dance/electronic band, Theo & the Skyscrapers. She also has her own cosmetic line, Armour Beauty...
as Theodora - Eli RothEli RothEli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
as a Shocked Onlooker - Lemmy as Himself
- Trey ParkerTrey ParkerTrey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
(uncredited) as HermaphroditeHermaphroditeIn biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
#1 - Matt StoneMatt StoneMatthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
(uncredited) as HermaphroditeHermaphroditeIn biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
#2 - Joe LynchJoe Lynch (director)Joe Lynch is an American film director and music video director, cinematographer, and film actor.-Life and career:His directorial debut in feature film was 2007's Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, which starred Henry Rollins, Erica Leerhsen, and Texas Battle....
as Clothespin Boy - Ariel WizmanAriel WizmanAriel Wizman is a French musician, DJ, and journalist born in Casablanca, Morocco.-Biography:His family, as many Sephardic Jews North-African families, left Morocco after the Six-Day War and settled in France. In Paris, Wizman met the philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas and thanks to him, he attended the...
as Guy Beaten by Leg - Edouard BaerÉdouard BaerÉdouard Baer is a French actor.- Filmography :*Un monde à nous *Seuls two *Passe-passe *Crosse *La fille coupée en deux...
as French Cool Cat #1 - Joseph Malerba as French Cool Cat #2
- Tiffany ShepisTiffany Shepis- External links :...
as a head crushing witness
Behind the scenes
Terror Firmer is the first Troma movie to be edited digitally on AvidAVID
AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S....
.
The 'Morton Springer Show' sequence was based on the experience Lloyd Kaufman had on the Morton Downey Jr show.
The end credits states, "A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO: The New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, for their unstinting cooperation and invaluable help throughout every part of this production." The documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
The Making of Terror Firmer shows the police clashing with the production on several instances (one of which involved the police revoking the crew's filming permit).
Alternate versions
- The 2-Disc Special Edition gives the viewer a choice to watch the Director's Unrated Cut or to watch the Director's Unrated Cut with even more deleted scenes put back into the film. This makes the film's running time over 125 minutes.
- The R version features several boxes that contain the words "CENSORED", covering various body parts (whether nude or dismembered). Additionally, for the heavier cut scenes, the movie freezes and a window appears on the screen with Kaufman explaining or comically re-enacting what was supposed to go on in the scene. The voices of characters uttering profanity at some moments are replaced by an obviously mismatched voice that says the accepted version of the word. Finally, some body parts are replaced by images of animals (e.g. a pussy cat).
- The unrated director's cut runs 114 min. The heavily edited R-rated version runs 98 min.
External links
- Terror Firmer at Troma's official website