TromaDance: the other white meat. If Sundance is devoted to independent film and Slamdance is devoted to really independent film, then TromaDance is devoted to the independent-est filmmaking around! For the ninth straight year, cult movie innovator Troma Entertainment is holding a free showcase celebrating the independent artistic spirit. The bulk of the films shown are shorts, but there are also five feature-length works on tap:
A-Bo the Humonkey
Director: Frankie Frain
Plot: A half man, half monkey baby named A-Bo is found on a church doorstep and taken in and sheltered by a small town. When a do-gooder from the big city shows up, however, he decides to integrate the "humonkey" into civilized culture. He runs into problems when a science teacher questions A-Bo's humanity, and the humonkey becomes the center of a raging battle for human -- Or is it monkey? -- rights.
Blood, Boobs & Beast
Director: John Paul Kinhart
Plot: A documentary about the late Don Dohler, a low-budget horror filmmaker from Baltimore who helmed such classics (?) as Nightbeast, The Alien Factor and Harvesters.
Independents: A Guide For The Creative Spirit
Director: Chris Brandt
Plot: A documentary about comic books, featuring interviews with 24 comic book artists, writers and nerds--er, "enthusiasts."
Sideshow Still Alive
Director: Juan C. Lopez
Plot: The world premiere of this shocking documentary about sideshow performers, featuring people inserting various objects into their bodies. Enjoy.
Vampira
Director: Kevin Sean Michaels
Plot: An in-depth documentary about Elvira forerunner Maila "Vampira" Nurmi, the first horror movie hostess. Sadly, Nurmi passed away on January 10, just days before the start of TromaDance '08.
The shorts, meanwhile, include:
- The Amnesia Party
- Aroma Di Amore
- Black Daisy
- Buy
- Christopher and the Alien From the Forbidden Planet
- Clayporn
- Columba Palumbus
- Death of a Matriarch
- Demonology of Desire
- Der Bildermacher (The Photographer)
- The Disorganized Man
- Dorenfeld Anthology
- Edward's Final Draft
- Extreme Jealousy
- Hail Cracking Cobra Eggs
- Help
- I Stand Alone
- Indie
- Infinite Justice
- Jump Rope With Gutz!
- La Donna Della Toilette
- Las Historias Mas Sexy Del Mundo!
- Las Historias Mas Sexy Del Mundo! No. 2
- Las Horas Muertas
- Les Morveux (Little Brats)
- Levin: Maladies of Death
- Limoncello
- Misled Romance of Cannibal Girl & Incest Boy
- Moving Along
- Mr. Video
- Naufrage (Shipwreck)
- Necromancer's Soliloquy
- One Soul for Sale!
- P.S. I'm Spaceface
- Phone Sex Grandma
- Puppet
- Roboctopus
- Sand Dancer
- Stiff
- Strippercake
- Taxi?
- Thana
- The One That Got Away
- Toothless and Angry
- Turd on a String
- Turnout
- Vessel
- Weenie Wednesday
- ZombieWestern: It Came From the West
TromaDance runs concurrently with the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals, January 18-25, 2008, in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah.
