Main Cast: Will Keenan, Alyce LaTourelle, Trent Haaga, Debbie Rochon, Sheri Wenden
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 114 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Troma Team Pictures, the company that brought you such classics as The Toxic Avenger, When Nature Calls and Class Of Nuke 'Em High, takes a look inside the making of a "typical" Troma release with Terror Firmer, directed and co-written by Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman, who also appears as the director of the film-within-the film. Here, Kaufman (whose character is blind, which would explain a lot about Troma's product) and his crew are making a willfully sleazy horror flick, complete with monsters, gore, gratuitous nudity and loud rock 'n' roll, when a serial killer appears who doesn't happen to be in the script. Terror Firmer is based in part on Kaufman's 1998 book about his career with Troma, All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger, and includes a plug for the upcoming Jane Austen's Schlock and Schlockability (possibly a follow-up to 1996's Shakespeare variant Tromeo and Juliet). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
While most reviewers agree that the film's references to other Troma films is clever and well-executed for an exploitation film, some critics deem the film's use of "trashy" elements overly gratuitous.[1]
This is the story of a low budget film crew, led by their blind film director, Larry Benjamin, who is trying to create a work of art. In addition to the typical trials and travails of a Troma set, the crew is preyed upon by a sexually conflicted, bomb-toting serial killer. Production assistant Jennifer struggles to do her job while deciding between the two men in her life, straight-laced Casey and rebellious Jerry. The love triangle intensifies as the dead bodies mount; the crew bands together (both physically and sexually) against the mortal threat in their midst.
Terror Firmer is the first Troma movie to be edited digitally on Avid.
The end credits states, "A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO: The New York City Police Department, for their unstinting cooperation and invaluable help throughout every part of this production." The documentaryThe Making of Terror Firmer shows the police clashing with the production on several instances (one of which involved the police revoking the crew's filming permit).
Alternate versions
The 2-Disc Special Edition gives the viewer a choice to watch the Director's Unrated Cut or to watch the Director's Unrated Cut with even more deleted scenes put back into the film. This makes the film's running time over 125 minutes.
The R version features several boxes that contain the words "CENSORED", covering various body parts (whether nude or dismembered). Additionally, for the heavier cut scenes, the movie freezes and a window appears on the screen with Kaufman explaining or comically re-enacting what was supposed to go on in the scene. The voices of characters uttering profanity at some moments are replaced by an obviously mismatched voice that says the accepted version of the word. Finally, some body parts are replaced by images of animals (e.g. a pussy cat).
The unrated director's cut runs 114 min. The heavily edited R-rated version runs 98 min.
