Good Night and Good Cluck
February 17, 2009 10:29 AM Subscribe
Troma Entertainment presents Poultrygeist:Night of the Chicken Dead! Troma, of course, being responsible for such fine films as The Toxic Avenger and Cannibal! The Musical has achieved in creating a PETA supported, gore-fest sure to offend. If you like that sort of thing and you can stomach this absolutely NSFW trailer then run out and rent this movie ASAP, but don't lay an egg over it's content and then say I didn't warn you.
OH YES! Upon viewing the trailer, it seems this could be a new psylosyren favorite!
posted by psylosyren at 10:37 AM on February 17, 2009
posted by psylosyren at 10:37 AM on February 17, 2009
First off -
It's a Troma film. 'Nuf sed.
Secondly. I've watched it. Being a dedicated student of cinema merde, I must say, this one makes even less sense than the usual Troma crop. Sadly, I found this substantially less amusing then most of the prior T films I have watched. I enjoy wackiness and bizarreness as much as the next guy, but this one leaves me fearing for the mental stability of Lloyd Kauffman.
posted by Samizdata at 10:42 AM on February 17, 2009
It's a Troma film. 'Nuf sed.
Secondly. I've watched it. Being a dedicated student of cinema merde, I must say, this one makes even less sense than the usual Troma crop. Sadly, I found this substantially less amusing then most of the prior T films I have watched. I enjoy wackiness and bizarreness as much as the next guy, but this one leaves me fearing for the mental stability of Lloyd Kauffman.
posted by Samizdata at 10:42 AM on February 17, 2009
maybe I should mention that this is my first post, so be nice...
posted by anoirmarie at 10:53 AM on February 17, 2009
posted by anoirmarie at 10:53 AM on February 17, 2009
It is not necessary for Troma to make films; that it exists is enough. That it makes films is a happy bonus.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:56 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:56 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
I agree that's it's weaker than the average directed-by-Lloyd-Kauffman-Troma movie (which still puts it leagues above the average not-made-by-Troma-merely-distributed-by-Troma films, which mostly suck beyond belief). The big problem with the movie is the songs, which are too long, drag the movie to a halt each time, and, well, suck. Cannibal (the rare Troma-distributed film that doesn't suck) works because Trey Parker is a gifted songwriter.
posted by Bookhouse at 11:00 AM on February 17, 2009
posted by Bookhouse at 11:00 AM on February 17, 2009
You lost me at "PETA supported," but regained me when I remembered it was about Zombie chickens.
I think I have seen it all now. I am pretty sure this is the end of the internet.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:10 AM on February 17, 2009
I think I have seen it all now. I am pretty sure this is the end of the internet.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:10 AM on February 17, 2009
Toxic Avenger was actually already a musical back in 2004. Troma backed a production in Omaha, Nebraska. I know this, because I played Melvin, the janitor who turns into Toxie. The production was supposed to move on to New York (or, rather, there was supposed to be a new production in New York), but it didn't come to pass, for whatever reason.
That being said, I am a fan of bad films, but only when the films are accidentally bad, and the filmmaker was trying for something great and missed. Troma produces unforgivably bad films because they know they can get away with it, and there are people who will celebrate the fact, and I find that artistically inexcusable. Toxic Avenger is one of the worst films I have ever seen, and I was only in the play because it was written and directed by a friend.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:16 AM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
That being said, I am a fan of bad films, but only when the films are accidentally bad, and the filmmaker was trying for something great and missed. Troma produces unforgivably bad films because they know they can get away with it, and there are people who will celebrate the fact, and I find that artistically inexcusable. Toxic Avenger is one of the worst films I have ever seen, and I was only in the play because it was written and directed by a friend.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:16 AM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
Uncle Lloyd's been trying to drum up promotion for this movie since 2006. He even tried to get his fellow Yale alums to show some support. As much as I love a good Troma movie (I own Terror Firmer), I think Lloyd needs to finally give up on this project and move on.
But I am glad this post brought to my attention so many fellow Cannibal! The Musical fans. Have a spadoinkle day!
posted by miss-lapin at 11:20 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
But I am glad this post brought to my attention so many fellow Cannibal! The Musical fans. Have a spadoinkle day!
posted by miss-lapin at 11:20 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
You lost me at "PETA supported," but regained me when I remembered it was about Zombie chickens.
I was wondering how this post would be taken on MeFi. The irrational love of zombies here is exceeded only by the irrational hatred of PETA.
posted by DU at 11:34 AM on February 17, 2009
I was wondering how this post would be taken on MeFi. The irrational love of zombies here is exceeded only by the irrational hatred of PETA.
posted by DU at 11:34 AM on February 17, 2009
You son of a bitch, Humphrey.
posted by terpsichoria at 11:34 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by terpsichoria at 11:34 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
There's nothing irrational about hating PETA.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:38 AM on February 17, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:38 AM on February 17, 2009 [3 favorites]
There's nothing irrational about loving zombies.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:39 AM on February 17, 2009 [6 favorites]
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:39 AM on February 17, 2009 [6 favorites]
Um. I saw this movie. And have only this to say:
Animatronic monster zombie chicken penis (complete with zombiejaculate).
The rest, well, it was sub-par even by Troma standards. (A shout-out to Tromeo & Juliet, my personal fave).
posted by abulafa at 11:44 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
Animatronic monster zombie chicken penis (complete with zombiejaculate).
The rest, well, it was sub-par even by Troma standards. (A shout-out to Tromeo & Juliet, my personal fave).
posted by abulafa at 11:44 AM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
I do. I'm planning a cheese, pepperoni and chopped ham pizza sub tonight and I can't wait.
The hate against PETA is still irrational.
posted by DU at 11:54 AM on February 17, 2009
The hate against PETA is still irrational.
posted by DU at 11:54 AM on February 17, 2009
BTW, Cannibal! The Musical occupies a proud slot in my Netflix instant queue for easy accessvia my Roku box.
posted by Samizdata at 11:55 AM on February 17, 2009
posted by Samizdata at 11:55 AM on February 17, 2009
Several years ago, at a film festival, I attended the Tromathon, back to back Troma films (well interspersed with a couple of amateur shorts of a similar nature...) all through the night...
As I left the theater with my fellow survivors, into a cold early dawn, I knew very few of the rest of humanity would be close to understanding what I had just experienced. I had been to the edge of madness, and perhaps a little beyond... but I had returned. I had survived. I was man. I had been Tromatised and I had the badge to prove it.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:01 PM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
As I left the theater with my fellow survivors, into a cold early dawn, I knew very few of the rest of humanity would be close to understanding what I had just experienced. I had been to the edge of madness, and perhaps a little beyond... but I had returned. I had survived. I was man. I had been Tromatised and I had the badge to prove it.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:01 PM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
The hate against PETA is still irrational.
Isn't all hate irrational in the end?
posted by JeffK at 12:25 PM on February 17, 2009
Isn't all hate irrational in the end?
posted by JeffK at 12:25 PM on February 17, 2009
Wait. Are you guys using Mixolydian scales or something?
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 12:27 PM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 12:27 PM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
I am and have been since childhood a Tromamaniac. I even like the Class Of Nuke 'em High sequels (the original is indisputably great). The trailer looks like an awesome film in the fine tradition of Troma. Karo syrup and fake puke spraying everywhere in huge jets. Naked chicks. College-aged kids from the area who have never acted before and will probably never act again. A cheesy theme song that mentions the title of the movie in the chorus. Lloyd Kaufman in a Boy Scout uniform. What appears to be a man fucking a chicken (it cuts away pretty quick). Oh yes, I will watch this movie, and I will love it.
God Bless and Keep You, Troma.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:44 PM on February 17, 2009
God Bless and Keep You, Troma.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:44 PM on February 17, 2009
Troma produces unforgivably bad films because they know they can get away with it, and there are people who will celebrate the fact, and I find that artistically inexcusable.
Bullshit. Troma does NOT make intentionally "bad" films. They produce films within the aesthetic of American schlock/horror/exploitation with all the tropes amplified and celebrated, and on an extremely low budget. Sort of like what Rob Zombie was trying to do with his films and the 70s slasher aesthetic, except Troma succeeds. Find me one quote where Lloyd Kaufman says "ha ha, I know my movies all suck but at least I get paid." Find me a quote where he's anything but proud of his films. He is not Herschel Gordon Lewis. His films are influenced by people like Herschel Gordon Lewis, but he's not making quickie crap films he can sell to drive-ins and make a quick buck like HGL and his exploitation contemporaries did. He's making legitimate art in a legitimate style. It'd be the same thing as if a painter did a series inspired by 60s horror movie posters. See what I mean? I may not be making this clear enough.
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:04 PM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
Bullshit. Troma does NOT make intentionally "bad" films. They produce films within the aesthetic of American schlock/horror/exploitation with all the tropes amplified and celebrated, and on an extremely low budget. Sort of like what Rob Zombie was trying to do with his films and the 70s slasher aesthetic, except Troma succeeds. Find me one quote where Lloyd Kaufman says "ha ha, I know my movies all suck but at least I get paid." Find me a quote where he's anything but proud of his films. He is not Herschel Gordon Lewis. His films are influenced by people like Herschel Gordon Lewis, but he's not making quickie crap films he can sell to drive-ins and make a quick buck like HGL and his exploitation contemporaries did. He's making legitimate art in a legitimate style. It'd be the same thing as if a painter did a series inspired by 60s horror movie posters. See what I mean? I may not be making this clear enough.
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:04 PM on February 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
I actually caught this on the big screen a weekend or two back. Uncle Lloyd visited the Coolidge Corner theater and everything (he signed my copy of Cannibal! The Musical as "Lloyd Kaufman, a.k.a. Trey's fluffer". The man is nothing but class.)
The film itself is everything the trailer tells you. That's one of the nice things about Troma trailers. They never have to oversell.
It is an over-the-top schlockfest with some absolutely horrid moments. It doesn't exactly challenge your willing suspension of disbelief as much as it grabs your willing suspension, brutally violates it using whatever orifice is closest, and then throws it in a woodchipper aimed directly at your face.
And another nice thing about Troma films is that they never have to get cheeky and go "ooooooooh, see what WE did there? We are so naughty! Tee hee!" This is mostly because there's never any doubt that, once the film finds a target (which can be anything from college activists to burqas to Jared from Subway), it might possibly err on the side of caution and back off, sparing the obvious or gory extreme joke. Don't need to gloat about going there when everybody knew you were headed there with banners and an ETA.
And, as with most Troma films, there's gratutitous nudity, Russ Meyer jiggling breast close-ups, and a feeling after the film that you ought to take a cleansing shower for many reasons.
posted by Spatch at 1:06 PM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
The film itself is everything the trailer tells you. That's one of the nice things about Troma trailers. They never have to oversell.
It is an over-the-top schlockfest with some absolutely horrid moments. It doesn't exactly challenge your willing suspension of disbelief as much as it grabs your willing suspension, brutally violates it using whatever orifice is closest, and then throws it in a woodchipper aimed directly at your face.
And another nice thing about Troma films is that they never have to get cheeky and go "ooooooooh, see what WE did there? We are so naughty! Tee hee!" This is mostly because there's never any doubt that, once the film finds a target (which can be anything from college activists to burqas to Jared from Subway), it might possibly err on the side of caution and back off, sparing the obvious or gory extreme joke. Don't need to gloat about going there when everybody knew you were headed there with banners and an ETA.
And, as with most Troma films, there's gratutitous nudity, Russ Meyer jiggling breast close-ups, and a feeling after the film that you ought to take a cleansing shower for many reasons.
posted by Spatch at 1:06 PM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
I walked out. Found it not only puerile and disgusting (that's to be expected) but unfunny, too -- and that's inexcusable.
posted by muckster at 1:24 PM on February 17, 2009
posted by muckster at 1:24 PM on February 17, 2009
My heart's as full as a baked potato!
posted by buzzbash at 3:19 PM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by buzzbash at 3:19 PM on February 17, 2009 [2 favorites]
"Over-the-top" strikes me as a bit kind. From Poultrygeist's altitude, you can't even SEE the top.
posted by Samizdata at 8:21 PM on February 17, 2009
posted by Samizdata at 8:21 PM on February 17, 2009
I just want everyone on Metafilter to know that this trailer goes really well with the song Australia, by the Shins. Try it and see!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:40 PM on February 17, 2009
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:40 PM on February 17, 2009
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I eat rabbits' heads for breakfast.
Breakfast!
With beaver butt on the side.
The side!
My mind's magnificent and my body no different.
I'm full of trapper pride!
posted by psylosyren at 10:33 AM on February 17, 2009