Robert Golden's Beg! a Review of a New Classic

Beg! is the Brazil and A Clockwork Orange for a New Generation

Troma films are f usually for a special breed of movie watcher. With such titles as “The Toxic Avenger”, “Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid” and their latest assault on the cinematic world “Poultryguiest” Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz have brought the visions of countless directors to the world for better or worse. For independent filmmakers around the world they have a true friend in Troma. Weather it’s a shot on dv back yard slasher flick or a 35mm zany comedy made on short ends and re-cans Troma is more than happy to distribute it with all their Toxic charm.

Although most of their films are of questionable taste and quality, Troma will every so often pick up a film that is a true diamond in the rough. This year they brought one such film to the world... BEG!

Adapted from the David Glass play of the same name, BEG! is surreal and frightening celluloid nightmare, dripping from the same vein as such classic films as “1984”, “A Clockwork Orange” and “Brazil.” Considering that this film was an official selection of the Sundance Film festival, was nominated for Best film at Fantasporto and was voted ‘Best of the Fest’ at Edinburgh international film festival, it’s asstounding that it took twelve years for this film to get picked up, and by of all companies, Troma. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a huge troma fan and blame Lloyd Kaufman’s immortal “The Toxic Avenger” for infecting me with the filmmaking bug at an early age. I love routing for Troma because it is a funny twist of fate that green slime, animal parts, and big, bouncing boobs (not just female breasts but public access grade actors as well) would keep the worlds oldest independent film company running for so long.