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

Author	Lloyd Kaufman and James Gunn
Language	English
Genre	Autobiography
Publisher	Berkley Boulevard
Publication date	1998
Publication place	United States

All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger is the biography of Lloyd Kaufman, co-written by Kaufman himself and James Gunn. The book was published by Berkley 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 , Class of Nuke 'Em High , and Terror Firmer . The book was written by both Kaufman and screenwriter James Gunn; they had previously collaborated on the 1996 film Tromeo and Juliet . ^[1] Gunn went on to more mainstream prominence as the writer of Dawn of the Dead (2004) and the writer-director of Slither (2006) and the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

Content

The book has an introduction by B-movie producer Roger Corman. ^[2]

The book was written by Gunn after having numerous long interviews with Kaufman about his life and the history of Troma. It is written in a darkly humorous style, and is an unusual mish-mash of personal memories, how-to-make-movies advice, and pure flights of fantasy, such as the fictional ongoing struggles with the book's editor, Barry Neville.^{[ citation needed ] [3] [ failed verification ]}

Gunn explained:^{[ citation needed ]}

Most of the scenes are real, though the dialogue had to be recreated. Some scenes, however, are pretty much fantasies – for instance, the fight scenes between Lloyd and Pat, and most of the stuff between Lloyd and the editor, Barry (who loved being our villain). In non-fiction, veracity is only important with people who might sue you. In a lot of ways the book was practice for melding fiction and fact, as I did in a more shadowy manner in The Toy Collector . Still, Lloyd's hyperactive voice was so clearly in my head that I think the book is an accurate representation of who he is.

Editions

• ISBN   978-0-425-16357-3 (paperback, 1998)

References

1. Craig, David (2019-03-18). "Lloyd Kaufman Q&A: Troma Legend on Hollywood, James Gunn and 'Toxic Avenger' Reboot". Movies and Cool Stuff. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
2. "Interview with Lloyd Kaufman - acid logic". www.acidlogic.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
3. "Tromatized Interview with James Gunn - Horror Meets Comedy". Tromatized. 2008-12-31. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2009-02-02.

External links

• James Gunn Article on All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger