Back during my college years, I considered myself a rarity as an English major who could quote Shakespeare and Troma movies. Although the lines from The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ‘Em High were a bit shorter than those required to prove you have a grasp on The Bard. But it turns out those two things weren’t so far apart on the culture spectrum since Troma co-founder and director of their major titles Lloyd Kaufman was a graduate of Yale. While his degree was in Chinese studies, the Ivy League school must have forced him to read a few Shakespeare plays to achieve a sheepskin. Deep in his career, Kaufman has found inspiration in Shakespeare. Akira Kurosawa adapted Shakespeare’s King Lear into his samurai masterwork Ran. Lloyd Kaufman remembered The Tempest and out flowed #Shakespeare’s Shitstorm.
On a celebratory cruise, drug company Avon Bard lets its business associates know about their upcoming miracle drug Safespacia. The expensive prescription pill lets young adults feel like they are in the bubble of a safe space. The fiscal projections let everyone know that a giant wave of money is going to be flowing into the drug company run by Big Al (My Super Ex-Girlfriend‘s Abraham Sparrow) and Antoinette Duke (Lloyd Kaufman in drag). Instead of a dull drug presentation with a Powerpoint presentation, they immediately bring out strippers, non-prescription drugs and other vices. This turns into an all-out orgy. The young social media influences on the deck are engrossed in a rave. Before the debauchery dominates the night, a pod of Killer Whales encircles the ship. They aren’t feeling too well and leap over the boat while losing bowel control. The vessel becomes overwhelmed with killer whale poop causing everyone to abandon ship. The stinky survivors wash up on the shore of Tromaville, New Jersey. This is where Big Al and Antoinette learn that they have been lured to the distant land by the scientist Prospero (played by Lloyd Kaufman – not in drag). His drugs were stolen by the couple to make their company huge. Prospero has been stuck in Tromaville for a long time with his blind daughter Miranda (A Ring for Christmas‘ Kate McGarrigle). He has developed the nastiest forms of revenge in his lab. He plans on doing horrible things to not merely the drug company duo, but everyone else that was on the ship. This is Troma style revenge so there’s a lot of grotesque effects overwhelming the screen. But can he go through with it all when Miranda finds love with the wrong guy
#Shakespeare’s Shitstorm brings together everything you expect from Lloyd Kaufman’s cinema and makes it even more stomach churning. This elevates the grossness found in The Toxic Avenger. Lloyd has fun with social justice warriors and unchecked capitalists. No group is safe from his style of humor that covers characters with dayglo goo and corn filled poo. The movie lives up to the title. Kaufman pushes the boundaries right from the start when one character comes to a drastic ending while holding hands with their child. Kaufman makes movies that never seem to ask, “Is this too gross?” Which is great if you enjoy a cinema experience that isn’t appealing to the lovers of lukewarm. Where else do you get a tribute to the inspirational leap from Free Willy except the Killer Whale poops on major characters? This is filmmaking that embraces excess while maintaining a low budget. This is classic Troma. #Shakespeare’s Shitstorm practices no restraint on the Shakespeare references or the Shitstorm.
If you’ve never seen a performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest; feel free to just write your school paper based on watching this movie. If you want to get into graduate school at Yale, why not propose a thesis on the feces of #Shakespeare’s Shitstorm. Lloyd is a legacy there.
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 4K UHD brings out the gross details found in a Troma film. The Audio is DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0. You’ll hear all the gross details in the sound mix. The movie is subtitled.
Two Blu-ray discs with the movie and bonus features.
Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman (1:37) has the director happy to show us the 4K UHD of the uncut version of the film.
Producers Commentaries includes Lloyd Kaufman, Justin Martell, John Brennan and Mark Finch swapping stories about making the film in Tromaville and Albania.
Cast Commentaries includes Zac Amico, Teresa Hui, Amanda Flowers and Dylan Mars Greenberg reflecting on being in a Troma film.
A Heaping Serving Of Troma! (6:31) has John Brennan and Yuki Nakamura’s Patreon Buffet talking about the movie. Yuki served as production designer. Yuki was also working with John on The Last Drive In with Joe Bob Briggs. Great moment as Yuki had to drive a scissor lift down a street block. This is a bonus feature you can’t skip.
Trailer Gallery includes Teaser (1:15) made to look like The Shining Trailer with the elevator doors, first Trailer (3:14) that includes an introduction from Lloyd Kaufman, second trailer (2:24) and third trailer (1:23) that makes it seem like a Shakespeare production.
Theatrical Trailers has 11 Troma titles including the original Toxic Avenger.
Radiation March (0:54) is a modern dance piece about the dangers of pollution.
I’ve Been Tromatized! (1:50) is a musical number at the Troma office.
Invite Troma To Your Next Sleepover (2:06) has two girls learn that their night isn’t complete without Troma’s streaming site.
Troma In Times Square! (1:01) is about media conglomerates stealing your movie’s rights. You should get Troma Now! streaming.
Brown Is The Warmest Color (94:33) is a behind the scenes documentary that promises to be better than film school. You do learn how to make realistic poop to fling around the set. Troma rented a house for the summer as headquarters and flophouse for the production. They also use a few rooms for studio space. John Brennan who is wrote the theme song to Joe Bob’s Last Drive In is a producer.
Tromalbania (26:32) takes Troma to Albania in 2018. They shot part of the film in this country. They shot part of the film in Albania. Lloyd Kaufman claims the they had whales that could poop on command. We see how the Albanian crew made poop cannons. Lloyd and some of the cast come over to shoot and be showered. They also got to use a real Albanian Naval Ship for the Tempest.
Original Songs From The Movie has four musical moments including “I’m A Proud Crack Whore.”
Historic Auditions has dozens of actors doing their best to land the their parts in Troma immortality.
Troma Entertainment presents #Shakespeare’s Shitstorm. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman. Screenplay by Brandon Bassham, Lloyd Kaufman & Gabriel Friedman. Starring Lloyd Kaufman, Erin Patrick Miller, Abraham Sparrow, Kate McGarrigle, Amanda Flowers, Debbie Rochon, Zoë Geltman, Dylan Mars Greenberg & Frazer Brown. Running Time: 95 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: October 21, 2025.
