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'Saueeze A By David Baker Gamecock Film Critic "We have a company softball team," said producer-director Lloyd Kaufman, "and one day we had the idea that amateur softball might be an amusing background to film a comedy against. We fiddled around with some stories, then hired a screenwriter." The result of Kaufman's work is Squeeze Play, a new slapstick comedy. UNLIKE MOST OTHER films playing here, Squeeze Play was made and is being released without the aid of a major distributor. Kaufman's company, New Yorkbased Troma, is handling every aspect of Squeeze Play's journey to the screen. "Two major companies were interested in distributing the film, but we felt that we would do a better job. Squeeze Play is a small film and all of the actors in it are young unknowns. We felt a large com pany probably would dump it." Kaufman said the biggest problem facing young filmmakers, like himself, is that they often can not get their films distributed. "And when they do get distributed," he said, "very often the distributor has no understanding for the film or for why GOLD IIM fWl' NUGGETS,/ / -'/ SHARKS TE / / . & HAMMER / / FORJ / / AT THE JEWELR> M ^ 2909 PLATT SPRINGS R WE BUY SCRi 1'Tii III? VW MB1 Ohio l l )ars(1(uj. March i:t. <S:()()/)./)) I he I (ncashif) ' * *: . i . . * . I l( M 'I S / 'uhllC: $(i.O() t S(;siu(k*/)/s; s:LOO $ Available ai Tin* I louse Activities ofj'ic I Kit kj Street. I This event is suorv from the National Hi Dana' Touring rrogi the S( mthern Arts l:C( h I 'resented fnj l JSC Cut i Series Committee. Tickets on sale in no. Play': hoi the film was made. "I think things are going in an unfortunate direction in that there is less and less competition. It's more and more difficult for new people to make films. When I started Troma, which was close to 10 years ago, there were a number of small companies producing feature length films. Now there are practically none. What has happened is that the smaller companies have been gobbled up or destroyed by the bigger ones." KAUFMAN SAID Troma has managed to stay in business because the company has learned to cut corners (Squeeze Play was made for less than $1 million) and because it distributes only four or five films a year. Thus, Troma can give each film the attention it M.ili III! |< i.S( i M ( M ) | I II I I h< I < ?\\ I )*->! ii| > ITO BARS, X* I \RROW HEADS, p ETH. EARRINGS Oj p ED PIECES TOO Off fl IUST $23 \f < WAREHOUSE SALE m D , W. COLA. 9 til 6 Mon Sat ll HP GOLD & SILVER HUHl\ Ballet /<>?() >2.oo j Toiunshif), the Kussell e (ii)d Centre suuie. 717 iorcd it) pari hi/ a <imnt [ nd( nvment for the Arts am in conjunction iciil) \ 'nil ion. pm c. lural H 1 TITi ? 9 Q) k.?.?L . If russell house d Tie run fo deserves. To save money, Kaufman makes his films on location. Shooting or location also, he pointed out, "keeps one foot in reality. Ther you can relate to it, and wher sometning wild happens, it's not totally ridiculous because th background is so real." "There was a movie called American Hot Wax, about rock and roll in the '50's. It was supposed tc take place in New York, but the film was shot in Southern California and it was very obvious. Lntf russell house ? Breakfai Presid Thursday, March. Russer R. EN Ill Ulllllllll \ Com r director ] 'FKo film iihio o fIo n/^ T 'tvi r*Ar?_ i lie iiiiii VYUO u liup auu i in \~vjii> vinced it was a flop because it i looked so fake. It was not a bad film, but it was offensive to have i this phoney-looking location." i KAUFMAN AND the people at Troma have built a reputation on J their knowledge of location shooting. So much so that they I were in charge of location shooting I for Saturday Night Fever, as well > as the Philadelphia scenes in ; Rocky. Kaufman is currently coi producer of United Artists' The - Final Countdown, which was _ and The Office of the sponsor st with, the P? featuring ent James B. Hold 13, 1980 Sign up i ~ x-r r\ Office R1 7:30 am Limited { 11 House The only oom I nitJcti ib l I to Dr. He EFNfeTIV 2009 Greene Street f KEE DKA1 on Wednesday G&ir from 8-10 p.m. plus our^ Before Midnight 1 from 10-12 on We WpHnp?cH^v f ^ r*X V f V v JL IV/V.7V1VA J VIV, i <5\llej J Friday CSi; I Cyarfee ing March 26 HmTCr Kaufman filmed on location in Virginia and which will be released June 20. BUT KAUFMAN'S main concern at ihe moment is Saueeze Play, because, he said, "It was done outside the established way of doing things. No banks or conglomerates were involved and anyone could have made it. If it's the success that early boxoffice results indicate, it may give a little hope to the people who feel that the business is impenetrable. " ????V President c resident erman j. n the Activities ussell House ? I Seating I charge for this I Luestions directed I jlderman! f A\ ^SL !! 1 ! * TT BEET^ rhursdav Sappy Hour d nesday ^). Thii r<rbi v r Gat Saturday l*Kuff ? * ^1 1 CILCi > 1 ( i ^