The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 American superhero black comedy splatter film produced and 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.
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.
John Anthony Genzale, known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of New York Dolls. He later played with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist.
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.
Kowalski is the second most common surname in Poland. Kowalski surname is derived from the word kowal, meaning "[black]smith".
Queer is an early short novel by William S. Burroughs. It is partially a sequel to his earlier novel, Junkie, which ends with the stated ambition of finding a drug called yage. Queer, although not devoted to that quest, does include a trip to Latin America looking for the substance.
Joe Franklin, born Joseph Fortgang, was an American radio and television host personality, author and actor from New York City. Franklin is noted for having the first talk show and inventing the format. His television series debuted in January 1951 on WJZ-TV, moving to WOR-TV in 1962, remaining there until 1993, one of the longest running uninterrupted careers in broadcasting history.
Terror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror film directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Douglas Buck, Patrick Cassidy, and Kaufman, and starring Will Keenan, Alyce LaTourelle, and Kaufman. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment company, known for distributing campy exploitation films.
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is a 2006 black comedy musical horror film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and co-directed by Gabriel Friedman from a screenplay by Friedman and Daniel Bova. The film centers around the takeover of a New Jersey fried chicken fast food restaurant by possessed zombie chickens after it is built on top of a sacred Native American burial ground. The film was distributed and released on December 29, 2006, and in 2008 on DVD by Troma Entertainment.
Cry Uncle!, released in the UK as Super Dick and American Oddballs, is a 1971 American film in the Troma Entertainment library. It is directed by John G. Avildsen and stars Allen Garfield. The story, based on the Michael Brett novel Lie a Little, Die a Little, follows the misadventures of a slobbish private detective who is hired by a millionaire to investigate a murder. The film features one of Paul Sorvino's first screen performances, and an early appearance from TV star Debbi Morgan.
Thomas Edward Seymour is an American filmmaker and actor.
The Battle of Love's Return is a 1971 American comedy film written, directed, produced, and starring Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, his first major film after his student production The Girl Who Returned.
Combat Shock is a 1986 exploitation war drama film written, produced, and directed by Buddy Giovinazzo and starring his brother Rick Giovinazzo in the lead role. The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment.
Lech Kowalski is an American film director of Polish descent. He was born in London to Polish parents.
Tales from the Crapper is a 2004 American straight-to-video anthology film that was a spoof of the Tales from the Crypt comics. The film was released by Troma Entertainment.
Kevin Sean Michaels is an American film director, artist, producer and entertainer.
John Spacely, also known as Gringo, was an American musician, actor, and nightlife personality. His life was chronicled in two Lech Kowalski documentaries, Story of a Junkie and Born To Lose: The Last Rock and Roll Movie.
Peter Litvin is an American music artist, actor, music producer, film maker, audio engineer, composer, songwriter, performer, YouTuber, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. Litvin is best known for his lead role as Hectic Knife in the film Hectic Knife, which was picked up for distribution by Troma Entertainment in 2016. He was discovered and mentored by music engineer Bob Ebeling who has worked with artists like Eminem, Rufus Wainwright and Phish. Litvin acted as a producer on JJ Brine's studio album President of Mozambique, and as a composer for Jeff Krulik's musical documentary, Heavy Metal Picnic, in 2010. Litvin has collaborated with writer & actor Trent Haaga on several short films. He is also the founder of Revolution Studios, a recording studio in New York City.
Hectic Knife is a superhero comedy film about a knife-wielding vigilante who fights against drug dealers, murderers and other "baddies," including Piggly Doctor, a villain bent on world domination. The idea for the film gestated as Peter Litvin, who later co-wrote, starred in, and produced the film, and director Greg DeLiso were working on a series titled Short Films for Nobody. Filming began in 2010 and wrapped in 2015. Shortly after the film was finished, DeLiso and Litvin secured distribution via Troma Entertainment.
