Orson Welles would be proud ... well, maybe.
In the hands of independent filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman, Welles’ acclaimed movie Citizen Kane became Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie, a sort of parody released back in 2000.
Kaufman is in Memphis this week supporting The University of Memphis Student Film and Video Festival.
Along with the Toxic Avengers series, Kaufman and his film studio own a library of over 900 titles. Among them are Class of Nuke ‘Em High and early films from the careers of Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson and Billy Bob Thornton.
The veteran filmmaker spoke to Cynthia Runion’s introduction to film class on Tuesday afternoon, providing a forum for potential filmmakers to ask questions about subjects like how to raise money for film promotion.
Kaufman has written books about his 30 years in the independent film industry. His first book, “All I Needed to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger,” which is his memoir, was released in the late nineties. His latest book, “Make Your Own Damn Movie!” will be released soon.
Kaufman said he takes pride in knowing that his movie studio is the “only film studio to exist for 30 years without ever having a single hit.”
Yet Kaufman can be truly proud of one thing, his studio has survived and has lived to be the oldest independent film studio in America.
He said his success could partially be attributed to his films’ budgets.
“The typical budget that a Troma movie runs on is about one half of one percent of that of typical movie,” Kaufman said.
Most Hollywood movies, according to Kaufman, operate on $70 to $100 million.
He told Runion’s class that if they wanted fame and fortune, they needed to go to Hollywood.
“If you want to be able to get up at the Oscars like that guy from The Pianist did, and say what you think about the war, then the West Coast is where you need to go,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman will be on campus Thursday for a panel discussion entitled “Is Nothing Sacred in Independent Filmmaking” at 11 a.m.
The U of M Student Film Festival continues through Thursday, concluding with a screening of Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie at Muvico in Peabody Place at 9 p.m.
