Synopsis
Released as a video only just like Killer Condom, Tromeo and Juliet catapulted Troma into cult status here in South Korea and it is finally great to see the original version, especially for those who had to endure the edited version of this cult classic. After the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident, Kaufman led the way against all the censoring in the US, and if he were to find out about the edited version of Tromeo and Juliet, there would be hell to pay. Just like all parodies, the film changes the characters but keeps their familiarity. Juliet’s father is a womanizer and to avoid getting married, Juliet takes a pill and becomes a monster. Meanwhile, those around Tromeo are gay and Juliet’s nurse is a lesbian. The two houses are in the pornography and phone sex business. Not apologizing for the usual explicit Troma scenes, Kaufman said that he “was inspired from George Cukor’s 1936 comedy”. Watching Tromeo and Juliet with this in mind, makes you want to take a peek inside Kaufman’s head. Although the quality is not of the best, it is great to see the deleted scenes and hear Kaufman’s commentary on the special edition DVD. (KIM Ji-hoon)