Lloyd Kaufman

Biography:

Lloyd Kaufman was born in New York City to a Jewish family, the son of lawyer Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Sr. and Ruth (née Fried).

He graduated from Yale University in 1968 with a major in Chinese studies, where his classmates included Oliver Stone and George W. Bush. Initially aspiring to become a social worker, Kaufman’s passion shifted to filmmaking after befriending student filmmakers Robert Edelstein and Eric Sherman (son of director Vincent Sherman). He was inspired by filmmakers such as John Ford, Kenji Mizoguchi, Ernst Lubitsch, Stan Brakhage, and Franklin Schaffner.

In 1966, Kaufman took a break from Yale and spent a year in Chad working with USAID as a pathfinder for the Peace Corps. Upon returning, he produced Robert Edelstein’s Rappaccini and directed his first film, The Girl Who Returned (1969), an experimental black-and-white feature screened at several East Coast universities.

After graduating, Kaufman worked at Cannon Films, where he met John G. Avildsen (who would later direct Rocky and The Karate Kid). The two collaborated on low-budget projects such as Joe (1970) and Cry Uncle! (1971). Around this time, Kaufman directed and acted in The Battle of Love’s Return (1971), which received favorable reviews from The New York Times. He also co-wrote and co-produced Sugar Cookies (1973) with Oliver Stone and directed Big Gus, What’s the Fuss? (1973). He later served as the locations executive for Saturday Night Fever (1977), where he chose the now-iconic nightclub 2001 Odyssey.

Between 1973 and 1979, under the pseudonym “Louis Su,” Kaufman directed and produced several adult films, including The Divine Obsession, The Newcomers, and Sweet & Sour.

In 1974, Kaufman partnered with Michael Herz to found Troma Entertainment, focusing on independent comedies and action films. To support the company, he freelanced for Hollywood projects such as Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, and The Final Countdown, though his negative experience on the latter convinced him to avoid major studios. Between 1979 and 1981, Kaufman and Herz produced a string of successful low-budget comedies like Squeeze Play!, Waitress!, Stuck on You!, and The First Turn-On!

Troma achieved mainstream recognition in 1985 with The Toxic Avenger, a darkly comic superhero film that spawned sequels, merchandise, and a children’s TV series. The film’s success was followed by Class of Nuke ’Em High, which also became a cult hit.

However, the failure of Troma’s War led to major financial setbacks, forcing the company to scale down. Later releases such as Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. struggled at the box office, but the studio regained cult credibility with Tromeo and Juliet (1996), a punk adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Subsequent films like Terror Firmer (1999) and Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV failed commercially despite their cult appeal.

In the early 2000s, Troma faced another financial blow due to Tales from the Crapper, a troubled low-budget project with unusable footage that required costly reshoots. The salvaged double-feature was finally released in 2004.

Despite hardships, Troma continued producing and distributing independent films, including Trey Parker’s Cannibal! The Musical. Kaufman became a champion of independent cinema, frequently making cameo appearances in low-budget films such as James Gunn’s Slither and Super, and Neveldine/Taylor’s Gamer.

Kaufman’s next major project was Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2008), a musical horror-comedy co-directed by his long-time editor Gabriel Friedman. The film premiered in New York to positive reviews from Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times.

In 2008, The Toxic Avenger was adapted into an off-Broadway musical featuring music by Bon Jovi’s David Bryan. The following year, Kaufman appeared in the remake of Mother’s Day.

Kaufman is the focus of several books, including Toxic Schlock: Conversations with Lloyd Kaufman and Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews from the University Press of Mississippi. He also authored the Your Own Damn Movie! series, covering filmmaking, directing, producing, and selling independent films.

In 2010, Troma released Father’s Day by Astron-6, and Kaufman appeared on the Discovery Channel’s Oddities. He later starred in Horror House (2012) and appeared in Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie.

In 2013, Kaufman rediscovered lost behind-the-scenes Super-8 footage from Rocky, which he had filmed, and contributed commentary for its 40th anniversary Blu-ray release. That same year, he premiered Return to Nuke ’Em High Vol. 1 at Cannes, earning critical praise and selection by the Museum of Modern Art for its “Contenders” series alongside works by David Lynch and the Coen Brothers.

In 2020, Kaufman released #ShakespearesShtstorm*, his outrageous reinterpretation of The Tempest, serving as a spiritual sequel to Tromeo and Juliet. In 2021, he produced Slashening: The Final Beginning and Divide & Conquer, continuing his legacy as an advocate for independent filmmaking.