After many years, Troma's first in-house MiniDV production is finally being released. The film's initial footage was shot in early 2000 for two features and a TV series starring Julie Strain and directed by India Allen. Troma had put up $250,000 to have the films produced and well... they got less than desirable results. The films were underlength and unwatchable and led to legal disputes between Troma and Allen. After all of the legal disputes were resolved, Troma was still left with two unwatchable films that were way under the intended length. So Troma wouldn't lose all of the cash they had already forked over to the project, they began shooting extra footage to help make the film watchable and tried to save the project in the editing room. But can the Troma Team make the unwatchable crap that India Allen produced watchable? Read on to see, jackass.
The film opens up with a hilarious introduction from Lloyd-- er, I mean The Crapkeeper, the anthology's host, who meets up with Troma star James Gunn on the streets of Hollywood. Then, we're brought into the first short film, Julie Strain and The Case of the Melon Heavy Man Eater. Julie Strain stars as a cop who goes undercover at a strip club after several murders that occur there. The film is practically unwatchable, with poor acting, no plot whatsoever, and well... it's just pretty bad all around. But the Troma Team manages to make it entertaining through overdubbing. Characters are given new voices that are usually funny and the announcements of the strip club emcee(dubbed by Troma editor extraordinare Gabe Friedman) that constantly poke fun at the filmmakers' incompetence are absolutely brilliant. It's almost like watching a Tromatic Mystery Science Theater 3000. To continue the fun, the Sklar Brothers reprise their roles as the TNA anchormen from Citizen Toxie. However, a news ticker that continues to point out the film's shortcomings tends to distract your attention from them. Also, when the film starts to slow down, a "Boner Vision" video bubble pops up, featuring a Tromette stripping. In all honesty, it makes the film a little easier to swallow.
After that, there's another Crapkeeper wraparound that plays like a more explicit version of a Tromaville Cafe sketch where The Crapkeeper teaches you how to make your own damn movie. Then, the film's best segment begins.
Though the first segment of the film featured a good amount of ripping on the film's poor quality, the second segment Tuition of the Terror Twat absolutely tears into it. The film concerns two college buddies who throw a stripper party for their friend to raise money for his college tuition, only to discover the strippers are actually vampires. The voiceovers made me laugh occasionally in the first segment, but this time around, the Troma Team meets perfection in pointing out how horrible the film is. Lloyd Kaufman's voiceover as the main character's father got a good gut laugh out of me, especially his rips on the casting director for the selection of a certain cast member. The jokes become even more inventive, when fake DVD commentaries are turned, including a deadpan imitation of Oliver Stone by Gabe Friedman. The new party inserts feature Trey Parker telling his infamous "Aristocrats" joke (I believe you can find a video of the full joke at CrapTV.com), cameos from Ted Raimi, Eli Roth, and New Found Glory. If you could have a high point in a film like Tales From The Crapper, Tuition of the Terror Twat is it.
Now for the question that's been plauging Troma fans since they first heard that the film was Troma's attempt at saving a half-assed production: is it actually worth seeing? If you're a Troma fan, definately. In fact, many of the film's jokes are almost geared directly at the die-hard Troma fans. However, I could not see a Troma newbie seeing this film and not having a bad aftertaste. The actual films are godawful and only redeemed by the inventive style in which they are presented. If you think you'd like to see Troma skewer the filmmakers that fucked them out of $250,000 in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 fashion, then definately pick up Tales From The Crapper. Hopefully you do, because the voiceovers the Troma Team added are absolutely hilarious. However, if you don't know what you're getting into, then beware.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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