Tromeo and Juliet

Tromeo and Juliet is a uniquely provocative adaptation from Troma Entertainment, that presents a stunningly bizarre, unconventional and diverse twist on William Shakespeare's originally sedate play, Romeo and Juliet. This 1996 release, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, is packed with anarchy, absurdity, comedy, violence, and quite an over-the-top display of uneven stylistic choices. If you thought you knew everything about Shakespeare's beloved tale of star-crossed lovers, this movie compels you to think again.

The movie is immediately distinguished by its cast including Jane Jensen as Juliet, Will Keenan as Tromeo, and Valentine Miele as the villainous Murray Martini. Their performances blend the Shakespearean language with a punk rock attitude, offering something wholly unique in the process. This bizarre fusion of seriousness and farcicality is a swallow that requires a bit of acquired taste, but which nonetheless provides a vibrant spectacle for the adventurous viewer.

The narrative features all the familiar elements of the original play's story laid in a modern, indistinguishably coarse urban setting riddled with adult themes and cartoonish violence. Instead of noble families, the Montagues and Capulets are reimagined into feuding families with lesser nobility and darker profession. Tangoing in this overtly polished chaos are our eponymous lovers, Tromeo and Juliet.

Tromeo is a scriptwriter for a pornographic film company, stuck in an unfulfilling love life and burdened by the longstanding feud his father has with the wealthy Capulet family. On the other hand, Juliet, a Capulet, is oppressed by an overbearing father and a coercive fiancé, leaving her longing for a free life. Their paths cross at a masquerade party, and they fall in love, commencing a whirlwind romance filled with bizarre situations, lurid humor, and scandalous scenes.

The entire movie is threaded together with a merry mixture of elegantly poetic dialogues, which are verbatim Shakespeare, and a colorful splash of modern vulgarity and crude humor, sprinkled generously throughout the film's steaming runtime. An audacious blending of Shakespeare was indeed a daring move, but Tromeo and Juliet manage to make it seem almost seamless.

Despite the offbeat humor and explicit adult content, the movie captures the essence of the original play's tragic heart, the theme of forbidden love amidst familial conflict, albeit enveloped in Troma's signature shock-value style. The passionate connection between Tromeo and Juliet feels real and heartfelt, working as the beating heart amidst the surrounding chaos. The performances by Jensen and Keenan capture the anguish and fierce defiance of their characters compellingly, resonating in astonishingly emotional moments.

The soundtrack is an aspect of the movie that deserves special mention. Comprising mainly of punk rock, it provides an edgy backdrop to the whole riotous drama and amplifies the modernized essence of the movie. The cinematography does an excellent job of capturing the grimy aesthetics, highlighting the over-the-top visual gags and maintaining the hardcore punk vibe of the movie.

Tromeo and Juliet feast on the excess of everything - be it violence, eroticism, comedy or melodrama. The presence of animated sequences, third-wall-breaking monologues, spontaneous musical numbers, and an abundance of bizarre punchlines, all combine to create an extravagant drama which is as hilarious as it is shocking.

The contrast between the poetic language and the not-so-poetic visuals is both striking and interestingly engaging. For every moment of Shakespearean exquisiteness, there's an equal counterbalance of punk-inspired chaos. However, the film doesn’t abandon Shakespeare’s themes; it takes them and runs, infusing an entirely fresh narrative spirit into them.

In conclusion, Tromeo and Juliet certainly isn't for everyone. This is a movie designed specifically for those who enjoy absurdist humor, over-the-top scenarios, and zanily warped visions of classic literature. It's a brazenly unpredictable cinematic ride shedding the confines of logic and realism, under the relentless energy and sheer audacity of Troma Entertainment. But for those who appreciate a good subversion of the drama genre, and are willing to explore unique filmmaking that shatter conventions, this film might prove to be an interesting watch.