Since 1978, Park City, Utah, has hosted the Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the US. However, in 1999, Troma founder/president Lloyd Kaufman saw how mainstream Sundance became and decided to do something about it. So, he founded TromaDance, “the first and only film festival of the people, for the people, and by the people.” Unlike Sundance, filmmakers don’t have to pay submission fees, and screenings are open to the general public. In its 20+ year history, TromaDance has showcased numerous low-budget, independent movies from aspiring filmmakers across the country. Two such filmmakers were Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson, who met while attending VCU to study moviemaking. Since some audiences have complained about horror films being misogynistic, Bolduc and Nelson decided to base their movie around that. So, at TromaDance 2011, their debut feature film, The Taint, was screened to a packed house.
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Synopsis
In a small, remote town, the water supply gets contaminated with toxic chemicals that affect the men who drink it. Any man who drinks the infected water becomes a savage brute who targets women to rape and kill. Thankfully, Phil O’Ginny (Drew Bolduc) hasn’t been affected, but he must bear witness to the horrors around him. While stumbling through the woods, he meets Misandra (Colleen Walsh), who killed her husband after he tried killing her. As they travel across town, they must contend with the mutated men, who sport massive, pulsating erections. Eventually, Phil and Misandra meet Ludas (Kenneth Hall), a loner with a strange mask who explains what caused the contamination. They learn that scientists were working to create a chemical to give men larger penises, but the experiments backfired. With society crumbling around them, it’s up to Phil and Misandra to put things right.
Review
On the surface, The Taint is a gross-out horror comedy with crass humor, cheap effects, and bad acting. However, if you look closely, you’ll find a reasonably intelligent film that pokes fun at misogyny. Often, people label horror as a genre about exploiting women, so Buldoc and Nelson decided to satirize this. The men are cartoonishly savage and brutal; even Phil isn’t exactly a squeaky clean hero. Misandra is the only halfway decent character in the movie, playing a role fit for Sigourney Weaver. Still, the film works because it never beats you with social commentary but instead wants to entertain. There are so many exploding penises in this movie you’d swear that Anita Sarkeesian had a hand in making this. Not only that, but in true Troma fashion, numerous bodily fluids spew out by the gallons. It’s hands down one of Troma’s grossest movies.
Drew Buldoc plays Phil as a goofy, snarky prick that doesn’t seem to care about much, and he’s excellent. He comes off like a stereotypical hipster, and seeing his nonreactions to the carnage around him is hilarious. Colleen Walsh plays the part of Misandra completely straight, which contrasts wonderfully with the insanity around her. The movie injects some 80s nostalgia but also lovingly mocks it, adding in silly romances and homoerotic workout montages. Admittedly, the plot can be disjointed since there are times when the action stops for a flashback, seemingly at random. Still, at just an hour and 15 minutes, the movie gets in and out fairly quickly and doesn’t feel padded. Most audiences will hate this, but if you’re a fan of gross-out B-movies, this is for you. Overall, The Taint is a message movie disguised as an entertainingly cheesy splatter film.
Buy The Taint from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fIWL0z.
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