Movie Phases: Troma

When I was younger, I used to go through phases - in terms of types of movies I enjoyed watching. There was a decent period of crappy old horror movies like Sleep Away Camp, and there was also a period where the only thing I watched was The Sound of Music.

The period I'd like to talk about right now, however, is the time when I wanted to see every movie the Troma team put out. I remember it pretty well - I would go to my friend Steve's house down the street and we would find as many of these movies as possible, watch one or two, then smoke pot and play Mario Kart for Nintendo 64.

There are three I remember best, and these were easily my favorite: Tromeo and Juliet, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, and Cannibal the Musical.

Cannibal the Musical might be best known because it was Trey Parker and Matt Stone's (of South Park Fame) first movie. It's stupid and hilarious, and all the songs are great and the Indians are played by Japanese people.


Also, the story is essentially about Alfred Packer trying to find his lost horse, Leanne. If you watch the movie with the commentary, you will be rewarded. It consists of the cast sitting around and getting completely hammered, and Trey admitting it was kind of about him losing a girl, and that some of the nastier lines were directed right at her. Nice.

Tromeo and Juliet I remember for few other reasons. There is a scene in which you see a girl get her nipple pierced, and it is every bit as disturbing as it sounds, and also - the leading lady is played by Jane Jensen. I thought she was the bee knee's, and part of the reason to watch it was because both my friend and I loved her album, Comic Book Whore(She's into comic books and refers to herself as a whore? I'm in love!). To answer all your questions at once: Yes, she does have a naked lesbian love scene in the movie, yes she turns into a pig, and yes there is a penis monster in the movie. There is also a surprise twist ending you have to see to believe! Anyway, here's the trailer. I was going to put a clip on here but there all too stupid and/or long for me to watch and figure out if it's worth it at the moment.


Last and certainly not least (but kind of), is Seargant Kabukiman, NYPD. This movie is the story of undercover cop Harry Griswold, trying his best to be a good cop while also being cursed with an ancient Japanese curse that turns him into - you guessed it! - a kabukiman. To be perfectly honest, I don't really remember this one all that well, as I haven't seen it in about a decade - but watching the trailer makes me want to go find it in a dollar bin somewhere and watch the shit out of it!



"I was depressed, I was confused and I was turning Japanese. "