I shouldn’t leave out James Gunn when writing a review of Tromeo and Juliet this film features some of Gunn’s strongest writing (aside from Super). He took a step back from the screwball comedies that put him on the map and took a step towards more ambitious films that carried a more personal message. Lloyd Kaufman really took a big step forward with his approach to film making with this film. Shakespeare left out of the original story including: graphic sex/nudity, gratuitous acts of violence, angry cock monsters and some of the greatest potty humor ever written. I think we all know the story of Romeo and Juliet which is essentially the same story as Tromeo and Juliet except Tromeo and Juliet has all of the cool shit that Mr. Tromeo and Juliet was written by James Gunn ( Slither, Super) and directed by Lloyd Kaufman. Lloyd Kaufman and co-screenwriter James Gunn were evidently quite inspired, finding creative ways to insert body piercing, prosthetic effects, lesbianism and even a penis monster.For all of you high school students out there that are studying good ol’ William Shakespeare in school, what’s a better way to learn the classical stories of Billy Shakespeare than from the master of the B-movie himself Lloyd Kaufman? Another quality this film has that most of its fellows don’t is humor that’s actually funny. The Shakespeare-inspired story, however, ensures that the film at least has a strong narrative, something most Troma movies lack. Fart and shitting jokes are constants, as is (intentionally) gratuitous gore, puking and dialogue like “Get your goddamn tongue out of my goddamn cousin’s mouth!” and “I’m going to wipe you off the face of the Earth like a piece of shit from God’s ass!” In truth TROMEO AND JULIET is quintessential Troma fare, meaning those unfamiliar with the Troma aesthetic might not know what to make of TROMEO’S gleefully self-referential trashiness (note the posters for past Troma productions like STUCK ON YOU and CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH that are posted everywhere).
From the imdb: “A modern, punk adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic (that) attempts to impact the viewer in the same way theatre-goers were affected in Shakespeare’s time.” Personally, I feel such sentiments have no merit in a Troma film, even a good one.
Some pretty high-falutin’ claims have been made about this film. London responds by puking and committing suicide, which pisses off Cap to no end, and sets the stage for an apocalyptic gore-packed fight. In an effort to halt her marriage to London, Juliet imbibes a potion that causes her to morph into a pig-snouted demon-and grow a penis in the process (“You always said you liked THE CRYING GAME!,” she sneers). In an inter-family confrontation Tromeo’s cousin Murray gets his head smashed in, leading to a fight that ends with Juliet’s cousin Tyrone getting beheaded. Inevitably Tromeo and Juliet’s romance leads to trouble. The two have sex, get married and hit the town the following day, seeing porno movies, getting tattoos and having sex in public. Tromeo turns up at Juliet’s home the following night, finding that she’s been shut in a glass cage by her pervert father. Tromeo and his brothers crash Juliet’s pre-wedding party, where T&J first catch sight of one another. Juliet is set to marry London Arbuckle, a dweeb whose millionaire father owns a meat packing company. Each clan is composed of killers and perverts, with Monty’s son Tromeo being a dork who’s addicted to internet porn and Cap’s daughter Juliet a bisexual nymphomaniac who periodically gets it on with the Capulets’ lesbian cook Ness. The two clans were once friendly until Cap Capulet engineered a hostile takeover of Monty Que’s porn empire, and they’ve fought ever since. The Ques and Capulets are warring families based in New York City. I don’t think I need to tell you which of the two films I prefer.
The basis for this film, obviously, was ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare, and TROMEO’S February 1997 release closely followed that of Baz Luhrmann’s gaudy Hollyweird take on the same material. Kaufman was the all-around finest in-house Troma production up to that time (as it probably still is). It also managed a fairly successful theatrical release in 1997, and according to Mr.
CINEMA SNOB TROMEO AND JULIET MOVIE
Wow! A legitimately good movie from Troma, and one directed, moreover, by Troma’s goofball honcho Lloyd Kaufman! TROMEO AND JULIET has the distinction of being one of the first-ever Troma films to receive near-uniformly positive reviews.
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