Topic: AVGN 111 - Toxic Crusaders

[Lelygax]

Toxic Crusaders - Angry Video Game Nerd

[Ratty]

I was thinking about posting this myself. It's a fun episode. I think it's best to view it as a sequel to his great interview with Lloyd Kaufman from a few months ago.

Lloyd Kaufman Interview with James Rolfe

[Abnormal Freak]

I think I'm on my last thread of tolerance for Kaufman's schtick. I always thought his DVD introductions and acting roles were pretty funny, and he has some fine points on the current state of cinema and on issues like Internet freedom, but overall I find the guy pretty dang obnoxious, and this video proves that his schtick is really only semi-funny within the context of Troma trash, not something that's a lot more clever and creatively funny like AVGN.

He also lauds himself as the purveyor and last bastion of independent cinema, and that's just outright bull, particularly when he doesn't even have any real skill to back up any of his claims.

Had I seen this episode six or so years ago I may have found it funnier, but it might be my least favorite AVGN episode. The payoff at the end is pretty awesome, though.

[Ratty]

It sounds like you're just overexposed to his schtick Abnormal. I don't think it's designed to be seen as regularly as you seem to have seen it. (Personally I think it works best when he's running circles around some clueless reporter. Though it's really fun to see James Rolfe laugh at it and himself up there.) And a lot of that boasting is just part of the joke though, or him naturally hyping his how-to books. Whether you think he has talent as a filmmaker or not the continued survival and success of Troma is impressive though.

[Lelygax]

To say the truth I've never seen this guy before, I've heard of him a month ago when I acidentally discovered his site (via cinemassacre's partners page) and then gave a look and closed the page. I need to watch this interview though, I thought this guy was a serious man when I've seen the preview image and thats why I didn't watched this interview yet xD

I found this episode to be cool, but not one of the better. In fact I wanted it to be much more cooler, but since this episode has been made so fast Im satisfied.

[Phoenix7786]

but it might be my least favorite AVGN episode.

Y'know Abby, you summed my thoughts on this perfectly. Maybe because I didn't know this Kaufman guy was until I saw this episode (and remembered), but I could just not laugh at this episode. I'm not saying that Kaufman sucks (on the contrary I can see how quick-witted he is), but rather his style of humour isn't suited for me.

[X]

I agree that this episode was rather weak in the 'funny' department. I still find my favorite AVGN episode to be the two-part Batman productions. Laugh my @$$ off every time I watch 'em.

[Abnormal Freak]

I'm not saying that Kaufman sucks (on the contrary I can see how quick-witted he is), but rather his style of humour isn't suited for me.

I wouldn't call him quick-witted myself. It's just the same stuff that he spews out all the time so it's just him on autopilot. "Janis Joplin! media conglomerates! I think you have a nice penis! zoinks!"

I think my distaste for Kaufman began after I saw the documentaries for his movies Citizen Toxie, Terror Firmer, and Poultrygeist. (I was obsessed with his movies for a while.) He's a grade A prick who yells at everybody for doing their jobs incorrectly, but he as the director ought to be driving the people, but instead gives no direction and just gets frustrated at everyone--everyone except for his largely incompetent movie buddies like "veteran stuntmen" who can't get the job done right and are as incompetent at what they do as Lloyd is as a filmmaker.

I guess there's something to be said for his ability to make movies out of his own pocket and make good returns and stir up and continually entertain a devoted fanbase of nutjobs, but he makes profits by feeding his staff cheese sandwiches and cutting everyone short except himself, so I'm not terribly impressed.

"I had a pussy with wings once." I'm still trying to understand why James laughed so hard at that.

[Ratty]

I wouldn't call him quick-witted myself. It's just the same stuff that he spews out all the time so it's just him on autopilot. "Janis Joplin! media conglomerates! I think you have a nice penis! zoinks!"

I think my distaste for Kaufman began after I saw the documentaries for his movies Citizen Toxie, Terror Firmer, and Poultrygeist. (I was obsessed with his movies for a while.) He's a grade A prick who yells at everybody for doing their jobs incorrectly, but he as the director ought to be driving the people, but instead gives no direction and just gets frustrated at everyone--everyone except for his largely incompetent movie buddies like "veteran stuntmen" who can't get the job done right and are as incompetent at what they do as Lloyd is as a filmmaker.

I guess there's something to be said for his ability to make movies out of his own pocket and make good returns and stir up and continually entertain a devoted fanbase of nutjobs, but he makes profits by feeding his staff cheese sandwiches and cutting everyone short except himself, so I'm not terribly impressed.

"I had a pussy with wings once." I'm still trying to understand why James laughed so hard at that.

Lol sounds like you've let your knowledge of the behind-the-scenes get in your way of enjoying the art. This is one of the reasons I largely try to avoid learning about the personal histories and opinions of artists who's work I enjoy, though sometimes it can't be helped. Like a lot of people say that Ender's Game is a great book/series but I just couldn't read it after finding out the author said the American people should overthrow our government before allowing gays to marry. Same thing with the Earth Worm Jim series and its creator's bigotry. Sometimes you find an artist so repulsive that it even reverses previously positive opinions you've held about their work, which seems to be the case for you and Troma. I think for creators who lived in another time it's easier to be more "forgiving" (for lack of a better word) than for contemporary ones, this for example is why I mostly give H.P. Lovecraft a pass though I still find his racism jarring at times.

[Abnormal Freak]

Oh, Kaufman's dicketry didn't prevent me from liking his movies for the years I loved his movies. Just gradually over time his schtick got tiresome, and with it my tolerance for him as a human being as well.

If my personal feelings toward a person were to affect my view on their art, I'd pretty not have a music/movie/comic collection save for a small handful of goodies probably.

[Lelygax]

Well, lets expect that AVGN 112 will be better.

[Munchy]

I wouldn't call him quick-witted myself. It's just the same stuff that he spews out all the time so it's just him on autopilot. "Janis Joplin! media conglomerates! I think you have a nice penis! zoinks!"

I think my distaste for Kaufman began after I saw the documentaries for his movies Citizen Toxie, Terror Firmer, and Poultrygeist. (I was obsessed with his movies for a while.) He's a grade A prick who yells at everybody for doing their jobs incorrectly, but he as the director ought to be driving the people, but instead gives no direction and just gets frustrated at everyone--everyone except for his largely incompetent movie buddies like "veteran stuntmen" who can't get the job done right and are as incompetent at what they do as Lloyd is as a filmmaker.

I guess there's something to be said for his ability to make movies out of his own pocket and make good returns and stir up and continually entertain a devoted fanbase of nutjobs, but he makes profits by feeding his staff cheese sandwiches and cutting everyone short except himself, so I'm not terribly impressed.

"I had a pussy with wings once." I'm still trying to understand why James laughed so hard at that.

You know, I loved the first Toxic Avenger, and I still do. It tries so hard to be funny, and it isn't, but that somehow makes it funny anyway.

But FUCK Poultrygeist. That movie is a waste of fucking atoms. So many Troma movies need to be put on a rocket and sent directly into the Sun.

I was kind of interested in watching the episode until reading your post. Watching a lot of Troma films led me to believe Kaufman was a prick, and I suppose that instinct was right on the money. It makes me really sad because from what my friend told me of this episode, Kaufman sounded like a nice guy.

[Pfil]

I think this is the AVGN episode I liked the less.
He almost didn't talk about the many, many gameplay defects of the game. I remember playing it in my PSP when I had the NES roms collection. It was so hard...
But what I didn't like about this episode is that I find Kaufman extremely annoying.

[Ratty]

So I just found out that Troma has apparently uploaded a ton (most?) of their movies on youtube for free, and they don't appear to be region locked https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU4O0LNYmaOczcSMHA_FE1Mw