Nov 2019
Well no I'm not asking whose movies you prefer but I just thought it was cool as title. As a big HG Lewis fanboy I can understand that people see Kaufman and the Troma movies as a follow-up. HGL created the gore and splatter movie while others such as Kaufman continued when HGL left the movie business for a period of about 30 years.
There is indeed a lot of similarities between HGL and Troma flicks:
* low budget
* independent cinema
* no top cast, mostly amateurs
* acting is average at best
* no complex storylines
* not to be taken very seriously
Now one would expect I ought to love Troma movies but I'm yet to find one I actually like. I have heard there was a lot of mutual respect between the 2 directors so I almost feel obliged to find that Troma gem. However if the more popular Troma stuff like Toxic Avenger, Terror Firmer and Poultrygeist were quite a burden to sit through I'm afraid me and the Troma movies don't make a good match. Frustrating as I really want to appreciate all kinds of trash.
It's not that I have many points of critique on the few Troma flicks I have seen. The main thing that puts me of is definitely the humor. I find it infantile, the shit and sex jokes they grow stale on me quickly.
Maybe I understand fans of Halloween (1978) now. Love or hate it, it did indeed set a new standard in the slasher genre and every other movie in this genre afterwards will be compared to it. I understand when people say it has not been matched or bettered.
HG Lewis set a standard in gore and splatter (well it hardly existed before BLood Feast) and I'm yet to find someone who presented it in the enjoyable way the godfather of gore did.
There is indeed a lot of similarities between HGL and Troma flicks:
* low budget
* independent cinema
* no top cast, mostly amateurs
* acting is average at best
* no complex storylines
* not to be taken very seriously
Now one would expect I ought to love Troma movies but I'm yet to find one I actually like. I have heard there was a lot of mutual respect between the 2 directors so I almost feel obliged to find that Troma gem. However if the more popular Troma stuff like Toxic Avenger, Terror Firmer and Poultrygeist were quite a burden to sit through I'm afraid me and the Troma movies don't make a good match. Frustrating as I really want to appreciate all kinds of trash.
It's not that I have many points of critique on the few Troma flicks I have seen. The main thing that puts me of is definitely the humor. I find it infantile, the shit and sex jokes they grow stale on me quickly.
Maybe I understand fans of Halloween (1978) now. Love or hate it, it did indeed set a new standard in the slasher genre and every other movie in this genre afterwards will be compared to it. I understand when people say it has not been matched or bettered.
HG Lewis set a standard in gore and splatter (well it hardly existed before BLood Feast) and I'm yet to find someone who presented it in the enjoyable way the godfather of gore did.
2231 views
Of course, he had a lot of dull filler dialogue between the regular Joe protagonists. Exposition, but not made interesting. I think it's pretty funny that his movies can change tone from grotesque to mind-numbing within minutes. That's part of their dastardly charm.
Whereas HG used small crews, Lloyd worked with hundreds of people. Large crews and dozens upon dozens of extras and cult followers who want to do whatever they can to be involved in a Troma movie. It's probably both really fun and really overwhelming at the same time. Probably why Lloyd doesn't direct so much these days.
There's a big scale difference between the two. While I love me a good few Troma movies, I'm not sure I could ever make one like Lloyd's movies. They're too zany and ambitious. I'd probably be making stuff more like HG's movies. Those seem very managable to make.