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| Birth Name(s) : Lloyd Kaufman |
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Full Lloyd Kaufman Biography
Lloyd Kaufman (Born Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr., on December 30 1945) is an American film director and producer. With producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment. He is the director of many of Troma's feature films. His early Troma films are credited to Samuel Weil, a pseudonym (actually the name of Kaufman's maternal great-grandfather) which Kaufman used to skirt Directors Guild of America rules.
Lloyd graduated from Yale University with the class of 1968, where he shared classes with George W. Bush. Majoring in Chinese Studies, while originally intending to become a social worker, he became friends with Robert Edelstein and Eric Sherman (son of filmmaker Vincent Sherman) who introduced him to cinema, which began his lifelong obsession with film (some of Lloyd's favorite filmmakers include John Ford, Kenji Mizoguchi, Ernst Lubitsch, and experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage, who also taught Trey Parker and Matt Stone at the University of Colorado and acted in the Troma film Cannibal! The Musical made by Parker and Stone).
Returning to Yale, he produced Robert Edelstein's low-budget film Rappaccini, he directed his own first feature, The Girl Who Returned. This black and white film was presented at Yale, Harvard, etc. film societies. After graduating from Yale, he went on to work for Cannon Films, where he met John G. Avildsen, director of Rocky and The Karate Kid. The two collaborated for several years, making low-budget films including Joe and Cry Uncle. During this period, he also directed his second feature film, The Battle of Love's Return, in 1970, and then wrote and produced Sugar Cookies (with Oliver Stone), and, in 1972, Big Gus, What's the Fuss?, which was produced with future CBS/Sony president Andrew Lack. Kaufman played a radio man in The Final Countdown. His experience on the movie led him to say he never wanted anything to do with a major studio movie again.
Along with the help of business partner Michael Herz, Troma Entertainment was founded. In order to pay the bills, Lloyd did freelance work for various Hollywood productions including Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, and The Final Countdown.
While rumors of financial collapse and the demise of Troma are favorite subjects on the internet, the company is still going strong. Lloyd's newest film, Poultrygeist Night of the Chicken Dead is touring across the country with positive reactions from Troma's fans and critics.
Lloyd's follow-up film to The Toxic Avenger was the Class of Nuke 'Em High, co-directed with Richard W. Haines. The film was also a hit nearly as successful, though it inspired two unsuccessful sequels, both following the financial demise of Troma. At one time, it was the highest-selling VHS for Troma.
From 1995 to 2000, Kaufman directed three independent films: Tromeo and Juliet, a loose parody Shakespeare's play; Terror Firmer, a slasher film loosely based on Lloyd Kaufman's book All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger), and independent film sequel to The Toxic Avenger trilogy titled Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV.
Troma's financial hardship worsened after the botched funding of a low-budget video feature titled Tales from the Crapper, which cost $250,000 despite most of the footage being completely unusable. India Allen, one of the producers, backed out of the film halfway through, and sued Troma, citing breach of contract, slander per se, sexual harassment, trade slander, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lloyd personally supervised a reshoot in an attempt to salvage the film, dividing the footage into two parts and recasting the film as a double-feature. Tales from the Crapper was released on DVD in September of 2004.
Lloyd rebounded and in 2005 made Poultrygeist Night of the Chicken Dead with his and his wife's retirement money. The film has since gone on to secure Troma's financial future.
Today, Troma still produces and acquires independent films, despite many financial hardships and limitations. Troma Films has distributed many films from third parties including Trey Parker's Cannibal! The Musical. Lloyd himself encourages independent filmmaking, making cameo appearances in many low-budget horror films-- occasionally for free. Among his more recent appearances is in former collaborator James Gunn's directing debut, Slither.
As of winter 2007, Kaufman's Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is going strong making its theatrical run before a DVD release next year. |
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