Produce Your Own Damn Movie (2011)

Studio: Troma/CAV

DVD Release: September 13, 2011

Not Rated

Review by James Klein

Either you love them or hate them, the company Troma has been putting out films and distributing independent films by first time directors for over 35 years now. Lloyd Kaufman, who created his company Troma is something of a genius. Sure, he can be crude, crass and downright immature and gross but the man built this New Jersey based company from scratch and has never sold out. He continues to produce and direct his own films as well as produce many other films that don't get picked up by other companies until Troma gets their greasy hands on it. Kaufman also goes out of his way to help younger aspiring film makers break into the business by writing books about film making and even putting out DVD's on how to make your own movie, direct your own movie and now...Produce Your Own Damn Movie.



Produce Your Own Damn Movie is the 3rd installment in the "Your Own Damn Movie" series. Like its predecessors, the DVD contains a bunch of vignettes and interviews with Kaufman on various film sets, showing viewers how to produce your own independent film. Kaufman is on location in places like Buffalo, NY where he acts in a cameo in a film called Slime City Massacre where he explains and shows how the film makers made their own green screen to do a special effect. He plays a pimp in legendary cult director Herschel Gordon Lewis's new film in one funny segment. He films a quick cameo in James Gunn's Super (which I reviewed on this site months ago and is still one of the best films I have seen this year) where he speaks about giving James Gunn his first big break as the writer of Kaufman's Tromeo & Juliet. Kaufman speaks to different directors, writers, actors, etc. on how these lower budget films are being made or how they are finding distribution. I especially liked the small sequence of Lloyd and his brother Charlie on the film set of the Mother's Day remake which Charlie directed the original in 1980.



This two disc DVD is jam packed with not just Kaufman on film sets but Kaufman interviewing many legendary producers and directors like Monte Hellman, Roger Corman, David Cronenberg, Mick Garris, Avi Lerner, and Joe Dante to name just a few. Their insight and honesty can be both inspiring and downright scary as they talk about the pros and cons on making and distributing films. In typical Troma fashion, certain clips are met with funny or quirky comments by Kaufman which add to the entertainment making this 300 minute DVD fly by.



Kaufman reminds me of Mel Brook's little retarded brother who wanted to be like his older brother but his jokes were just too gross or immature even for Brooks. Kaufman has been making films now since the mid 70's and continues to work in the field, allowing a younger generation a look into how films are being made.