It's hard to describe "Terror Firmer". Think "Living in Oblivian" with Lucio Fulci style violence, filmed by the "Vienna Aktionists" on the set of "Sweet Movie" directed by Groucho Marx and John Waters. Those unfamiliar with the 60's shock artists the Vienna Aktionists; will be surprised at their similarities to troma. The Vienna Aktionists were a group of anarchist stage performers from the 60's, who would put on live surreal sex shows. They would take food, urine, feces, vomit and semen and create shocking works of art. When I think of Troma, I'm reminded of the Vienna Aktionists. Troma's films are so sick and gross, that they teeter on artistic brilliance. O.K, so "Terror Firmer" defies description. Troma is a company dedicated to gore hound freaks and fans of guilty pleasure b-movies. I am one of those fans. Terror Firmer can definitely be considered a surrealist film. It lacks a traditional narrative, it has grotesque imagery and mocks many institutional standards. It's also one giant middle finger to Hollywood. The plot concerns a psychotic, hermaphrodite serial killer; who is killing people off in the most morbid ways imaginable, on the set of a troma movie. Lloyd Kaufman plays Larry Benjamin, a blind movie director who continues filming even though his cast keeps getting murdered. He wants to get his bizarre artistic vision out there. It seems like "Terror Firmer" tries to outdo "Pink Flamingos", "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Salo" in shock. The first five minutes of the film contain a leg decapitation, an abortion, death by corn flakes and a suicidal shot in the head. This film is almost guaranteed to even make the most jaded viewer cringe. Your either laughing or disgusted with shock. There is ridiculous amounts of sex, full frontal nudity and of course "big breasts". Almost every imaginable bodily function or fluid is present, including crap eating. Also the films obsession with pickles is quite disturbing. After viewing this film, you'll never think of pickles the same way again (guarenteed). As repulsive as the subject matter is, the film is pretty damn funny. Just be prepared to squirm too. I appreciate Troma, because after watching "Terror Firmer"; I searched for other bizarre films. I also became interested in surrealism. So if it wasn't for Lloyd Kaufman, I may of never appreciated Bunuel, Godard, Greenaway, David Lynch, Fellini, Jodorowsky, John Waters, Salvador Dali, Jan Svankmajer, Tekeshi Miike, Dusan Makavejev or David Cronenburg. I love Troma, even if their films are sometimes a bit much. They opened up my mind and imagination to new ideas. I know one thing Otto Muehl and Dali would be proud. Now let's go make some art!

Indy directors schooled in shock had two options when Hollywood stepped in and stole their thunder with bad taste comedy hits like THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and American PIE.

1. Become like John Waters, lose your edge and deliver much tamer (and much more bland) stabs at the establishment or...

2. Up the ante in terms of nihilistic gore, nudity, amorality, cruelty and cheap toilet gags.

Lloyd Kaufman has, with this film, undoubtedly established himself as the poster boy for the latter. So possessed is this man to disgust, offend, shock and give viewers an alternative to good, decent, Speilbergian entertainment, he has whipped out a film that includes, but it certainly not limited to, dismemberment, decapitation, impalement, castration, breast mutilation, urination, scat, puking, incest, rape, child molestation, drug use, cheesy sound effects, flatulence, deformed sex organs, full nudity (male and female),a fetus ripped from a womb, soft core sex and gore-dripping overkill in any and every other possible department. I must say, that it's a hectic, erratic, messy film, but I was never once bored while watching it.

Since the story takes place around the set of an independent movie (invaded by a hermaphroditic serial killer who hacks his/her way through the cast and crew in an effort to shut down the production) we also get some commentary on how the film industry works (and how it doesn't) and on the comedic virtues found in the lowest of low human behavior.

All four of the leads (Will Keenan, Alyce LaTourelle, Trent Haaga and Debbie Rochon) are great. Kaufman himself also shows considerable on-screen appeal as Larry Benjamin, the aloof director of the film in question, who also happens to be blind, an idea copied by Woody Allen for his acclaimed (but apparently not all that original) film Hollywood ENDING in 2001!

Fair enough to say that not everyone will be able to endure TERROR FIRMER, but be grateful someone has the audacity to slap Tinseltown in the face by beating them at their own game. The video and DVD both contain deleted scenes and outtakes and are available in uncut or R-rated versions. Watch for a cameo by SOUTH PARK creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Motorhead's Lemmy during an amusing end credit sequence.

The makers of a Troma film, including its director Larry Benjamin (Troma head honcho Lloyd Kaufman) are both hard at work and hard at play. Some of its crew members get targeted by a crazed mystery woman (Sheri Wenden),who's busy slaughtering people in inventive ways.

It wouldn't be inaccurate to consider "Terror Firmer" a magnum opus, as far as Troma product goes. It goes on a LOT longer than a typical film from the independent studio, clocking in at almost two hours. As a result, if you're not on board with the kind of crude, graceless tomfoolery on display, that will make sticking with this difficult if not impossible.

Of course, if you're a fan of Kaufman and these guys & gals, you'll be amply rewarded with an amazing plethora of bad taste gags and twisted characters. In his review for the excellent sleeper "Def by Temptation", Leonard Maltin referred to Troma as being "aggressively schlocky", which is as good a way to describe them as any. Here they have tremendous fun just tossing anything resembling decorum out the window. They've always *embraced* the tackiness to be found in many a B picture, and you can certainly see that in a lot of the hammy, campy performances and the onslaught of hilariously crude gore effects.

The cast is enthusiastic as Hell. Future Oscar winners they might never be, but they give this production everything that they've got. Will Keenan, Trent Haaga, and Alyce LaTourelle play the love triangle at the heart of the story, with the appealing LaTourelle cast as the script girl who gets a chance to be an acting star. Uncle Lloyd himself is a gas as the flamboyant director, who happens to be blind. B movie icon Debbie Rochon is fine as temperamental actress Christine; look for cameos by such people as Ron Jeremy, Lemmy, and Joe Franklin.

*Obviously* not to many tastes, but if you love Troma to begin with, you'll likely have a good time.

Inspired by the book "All I Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger", written by Kaufman and Troma alumnus James Gunn.

Seven out of 10.