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Richard W. Haines (born 1957) is an American independent genre filmmaker and film historian best known for his cult movies Space Avenger, Run for Cover in 3-D, and Splatter University, and the book Technicolor Movies.
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Richard W. Haines (born 1957) is an American independent genre filmmaker and film historian best known for his cult movies Space Avenger, Run for Cover in 3-D, and Splatter University, and the book Technicolor Movies.
A 1979 graduate of the film school at NYU, Haines' first job was as an assistant editor for the low-budget 1980 exploitation film Mother's Day , directed by Charles Kaufman. This job led to a six-year association with Troma Entertainment as the company's post-production supervisor when Charles Kaufman sent Haines over to his brother Lloyd Kaufman after Haines satisfied them with his editing and sound editing work on the film.
Haines edited several films for Troma including the 1984 cult classic The Toxic Avenger .
During this period Haines also made his feature directorial debut independently with the widely known 1984 slasher film Splatter University. A testament to the cult popularity of Splatter University is the reference by the character Randy Meeks (played by Jamie Kennedy) in a phone conversation in Wes Craven's Scream 2 (1997). A slasher film with rare social and religious commentary as one of the more recent print reviews states, "Even some of the lesser ones have something interesting to offer, trying to go beyond the usual hack and slash routine. One such film surprisingly enough, is Splatter University...." [1]
Following the commercial success of his first feature, Haines wrote a script titled Atomic High School, which he set up at Troma to direct as a work for hire under the title Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986). Following completion of Class of Nuke 'Em High, Haines left the exploitation field to form his own company, New Wave Film Distribution, Inc., which specializes in low-budget mainstream genre films. Haines retained complete creative control on all subsequent features producing, directing, writing, editing and marketing his productions.
The satirically violent sci-fi comedy Space Avenger (1989, co-written with Lynwood Sawyer) was the first film Haines made after going out on his own. The film was produced by the film restorer Robert A. Harris. Space Avenger received much attention within the film industry for being printed in the dye transfer Technicolor process, which yielded vibrant primary colors that never faded. Haines traveled to China to make prints of the film, a move which was covered by The Hollywood Reporter , Variety and Entertainment Tonight . The film was retitled Alien Space Avenger for its home video release.
Haines donated a Technicolor print to the George Eastman House and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archives as an example of dye transfer printing.
Haines' next project was the 1994 sci-fi thriller Head Games, followed by the action film Run for Cover (1995), which starred Adam West and featured the final film appearance of Viveca Lindfors. The film also included cameos from various well-known New York personalities such as Ed Koch and Rev. Al Sharpton. Run for Cover was shot in the Stereovision 3-D process and was the most successful film to ever play in Russia, as it had a five-year run. It was also premiered in Israel as part of a 3-D Festival Haines co-sponsored. Haines also co-sponsored a Technicolor Festival at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, New York.
Haines is the author of two books, Technicolor Movies (1993) and The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001 (2003), and several articles published in Wide Gauge Film and Video Monthly and The Perfect Vision. The former is in its second printing. Haines was also the illustrator for the 2002 children's book Animal Kingdumb, written by his father, Richard D. Haines.
Haines' most recent features include the film noir Unsavory Characters (2001), the political satire Soft Money (2005), and a return to the horror genre, where he began his career, with What Really Frightens You (2008).
In 2012, Haines became a novelist. His first book, "Production Value", was released by Pigtown books. It's a thriller with a movie theme. His second novel, "Reel Danger", was released in 2013 also by Pigtown. It became part of his "24 Frames Per Second" suspense stories with continuing show biz characters based on people he worked with over the decades. The third book in the series, "The Anastasia Killer", was released in 2015.
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The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 American superhero black comedy splatter film directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Joe Ritter, based on a story by Kaufman. The film was produced and released by Troma Entertainment. It is the first installment in The Toxic Avenger film series and generated a media franchise.
Class of Nuke 'Em High is a 1986 American science-fiction horror comedy film produced and distributed by Troma Entertainment. Directed by Richard W. Haines and Lloyd Kaufman, the film follows a high school impacted by radioactive drugs obtained from a nearby nuclear power plant.
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 films, or "B movies", primarily of the horror comedy genre, all geared exclusively to mature audiences. Many of them play on 1950s horror with elements of farce, parody, gore, and splatter.
Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, such as The Toxic Avenger (1984) and Tromeo and Juliet (1996). Many of the strategies employed by him at Troma have been credited with making the film industry significantly more accessible and decentralized.
Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. is a 1990 American superhero comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, and produced and distributed by Troma Entertainment.
Toxic Crusaders is an American animated series loosely based on The Toxic Avenger films. It features Toxie, the lead character of the films, leading a group of misfit superheroes who combat pollution. This followed a trend of environmentally considerate animated series and comics of the time, including Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Swamp Thing, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, as well as animated series based on R-rated properties like RoboCop and Police Academy. As this incarnation was aimed at children, Toxic Crusaders is considerably tamer than the films it was based on, although it contained adult-oriented jokes that would go over most children's heads.
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 in 1998.
The Toxic Avenger Part II is a 1989 American superhero splatter- comedy film released by Troma Entertainment. It is the second installment of The Toxic Avenger franchise. It was directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and features The Toxic Avenger in an adventure to Japan to meet his father. Devilman and Cutie Honey creator Go Nagai makes a cameo appearance. The film is also the debut of actor/martial artist Michael Jai White and musician/composer/performance artist Phoebe Legere.
Class of Nuke 'Em High Part 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid is a 1994 American science-fiction horror comedy film directed by Eric Louzil and distributed by Troma Entertainment. It is the third installment of the Class of Nuke 'Em High film series.
Christmas Evil is a 1980 American slasher film written and directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart. The plot follows a deranged man obsessed with Santa Claus who eventually goes on a murderous rampage dressed in a Santa Claus suit. Since its release, it has gained a cult following, including praise and repeated viewings by director John Waters.
Michael Herz is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. With the director and actor Lloyd Kaufman, the two are the co-founders of Troma Entertainment, the world's longest running independent film studio, known for their comedic horror films, including the cult favorite Toxic Avenger series and Tromeo and Juliet.
Troma's War, also known as 1,000 Ways to Die in the United States, is a 1988 American action-adventure comedy film written by Lloyd Kaufman and Mitchell Dana and directed by Michael Herz and Kaufman. It began production in 1986 and was released in theaters in 1988 shortly after Class of Nuke 'Em High was done making its rounds at the box office.
Eric Louzil is an American low-budget film director and producer.
Jeffrey Mark Beltzner, known by his ring name Brick Bronsky, was an American actor, film producer, professional wrestler and sports promoter. He gained particular notoriety for starring in a string of films for Troma Studios during the early-1990s, most notably, in Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990), Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown (1991), and Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid (1994); he also had a small role in Jean-Claude Van Damme's The Quest (1996).
The Toxic Avenger is an American superhero black comedy splatter film media franchise created by Lloyd Kaufman. It originated with the 1984 film of the same name and continued through three film sequels, a stage musical, a comic book series from Marvel Comics, a video game, and an animated television series.
Splatter University is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Richard W. Haines. It was distributed by Troma Entertainment.
Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 is a 2013 American science-fiction horror comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman. The film, produced by the cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment, is the fourth in the Nuke 'Em High film series.
The Toxic Avenger is a 2023 American superhero comedy horror film written and directed by Macon Blair. It is the fifth installment in The Toxic Avenger film series. The film is produced by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, who also produced the previous films in the series. It stars Peter Dinklage as the title character, alongside Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis, Julian Kostov, and Elijah Wood. The film premiered as the opening film of Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2023.
