European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse $15 million it s a disaster for us if we make $15 null inn i s s wonderful wonderful experience Kaufman Myo Kaufman is nol enamoured of California to iinds Hollywood a Bil slim Daling " we have a Liny presence in l a a sort of woman and a phone to want of expand to ii probably have a Toor. Maybe a sign the Only trouble we be had is finding the of Hells kill Hon in Beverly Hilts he says the operation is now York through and through a1 ramshackle of flicks on ninth Avenue 30 peo Pkt work in Eil Iling rooms and sales and executive offices i want an answer you Are Silling Iacre like a local screamed one Saleswoman emphasizing those Sunli Mcnol s with an array of obscenities As she addressed a business associate by phone thais Good says Kaufman who can hear the Saleswoman s phone technique for the cluttered office he shares with Horn there is a ral in Kau Man s office us name is Joy Laco and it was his daughter s Rodol int Jil displayed a vicious a croak now it s Kaufman s a he tells visitors it s an Cutro Mety rare Rabbit this explanation did nol pro decl a Troma employee who Camo a Fitte too close to Joy Laco Kaufman has just paid the s200 doctor Bill the furniture in the executive office is not Plush inc carpet is threadbare. There Are no plans to replace it. Both Herz and Kaufman Como 1o the office in sneakers and shirtsleeves. They Are both dark and bearded. Herz is 3b, and Kaufman is 40. Herz Speaks slowly and sincerely White Kaufman sounds precisely like Mel Brooks. They both believe in movies and they Bolh believe in in. For some time they told interviewers thai Troma a made up word actually was latin for excellence on celluloid and at dim festivals. Troma gives out perfume yes. It s called Aroma do Troma " Here s what some in pics have said Aboul Troma films has Iho air of a Home movie Marls l y in Rifle visitors from the Stanol of cheap special Al tells los Angeles times. Ineptly produced written directed and acted new York times1 most of the teen age performers appear to be recent graduates o Walc Baum s checkout counters new Day. Some say Troma produces exploration films ii does t Bolher me says Kaufman Michael does it bother you nol Jalall says Herz. But it is Clear that the critics ibes do rankle Kaufman and Herz Are not ignorant slobs. They Mel at Yale where Kaufman majored in chinese studies and Herz studied political science. Kaufman insists that in 15 years Troma Renado movies Are going to be studied at film festivals and in museums As a body of work. Our films have entertaining elements but they re also quite the issues Are there he insists. " the class of nuke pm High " Lor example deals with a very important subject nuclear Plant safety Kaufman says. The plot students at Tro Maville High school mutate after nuclear waste leaks into the water Supply the toxic Avenger. " to Cile another deals with toxic Wasle disposal according to Kaufman. The plot a nerd becomes a superhero when he Falls into a vat of Green swill " squeeze play " he says deals with the relationship o men and women and women s the plot 1 Vives and girlfriends of a factory sol Ball team form their rown team to play the men. Along the Way there is a wet to shirt contest there Are some signs that Troma is changing. It is releasing films that were made independently and working with Independent filmmakers on others one monster in be closet was made with a s4 million budget and included appearances by Paul Dooley Howard Duff. Stella Slevens and John Carradine. Another. A Midrose features Lisa Eichom As a truck Driver who struggles to maintain her Independence on Minnesota s Iron Range. And Troma has added the wedding parly Brian Deparma s first film to its Library Kaufman fell it was important historically her insists that he would refuse to make a $20 million movie if he were Given the Chance. 1 first of All. It s unnecessary he says and second of Alt it s a cynical use for that much Money people Are starving around the world. There Are a whole Host of problems and there Are limits to How a rational society expends its resources Twenty million dollars for a single movie7 ridiculous. Twenty million dollars for six or seven movies now thai makes sense " k pm Elk Stu Telesh Epping service Are spreading in the United states to such outlets a retail Stow airports Hoiet. Shopping by computer United press International interactive computer systems or Iho store in a Box concept of shopping is gaining ground among . Retailers and at least one user i predicting these systems will become an Industry Standard touch screen video display terminals offer re mailers the Means of showing their customers a full inventory without having to pay the Price of Sis ing All thai merchandise on the premises. Slock is pooled Al a Central location and shipped to the customer usually within a week. These interactive systems which use video disc technology to link the computer s storage capacity with the video disc s visual display and sound capacity operate with a simple Finger touch to Access reams of data. The technology gives retailers a Way to merchandise a Complete line of products and services profitably. The first retailer to Lake full advantage of the technology is Florsheim shoe company which has already installed 250 electronic salesmen in stores and is in the process of installing some 150 More the company expects to have 2,000 units in place within two years. The Florsheim system puts customers in touch with the company s Complete inventory of men s shoes some 19,000 combinations. No store could hold hat kind of inventory but it is fully accessible via computer regardless of store location once a selection is made the shoes can be delivered to the customer within seven Days. Other systems used Mother companies display not Only inventory bul provide information on How certain products Are made give instructions on How to perform certain tasks and Olfer of Omahon on store credit terms and policies this will not replace salespeople emphasizes Perry Odak president of by video inc. The Sunnyvale California firm thai makes the interactive computer Florsheim is using it s just a Way to make salespeople More Levi Strauss and co is also marketing its men s jeans through interactive video systems Zale corporation s Bailey Banks and Biddle jewelry stores ire hawking their Rel Wilches Waterford Crystal and other expensive gew via videodisc. These companies Are All using by Idoo s products bul the California company is not she Only Rhu Tisnor of interactive video systems and Soll Ware however it s still a fledgling Industry if you look your shoes off. You could probably count us on your appendages says Steven l. Roden. President of co sell. An Allan la based maker of interactive video disc equipment there Are or ably less than 20 companies but three years ago. There were just iwo or three " most major retailers Are looking Al these systems. Says Doug g Hosking. National director of electronic shopping consulting Loi the accounting pm touche Ross Hosking is reluctant to speculate on How far this technology will penetrate the retailing Industry bul says based on some study results interactive video disc terminals have proven they can be economical and a successful adjunct to in store Lowe s is using the interactive videos As an information tool at a Lowe s store video Kiosk a customer can obtain information on installing Kitchen cabinets or bathroom fixtures plus the proper tools needed to do the Job i think this is a Good Aid to says Don Davis vice president of sates Lor Lowe a adding it is Loo soon to Tell whether the kiosks will become a permanent fixture right now we re us trying to determine what use in s being put to whether people Are using it out of curiosity of if it 5 ready helping i hem Randy Lively of the Zale Cor Dallas is More Ellhu Sishc Over the video disc technology s retail applications although the 50 terminals Hal Zales is testing Are information Only the company May lest a transactional Model with the ability to take customer orders if preliminary results Are promising that Prospect is moly. He says the interactive video s real value to Zales is that it allows a Small store Access to a Large inventory of products without having to expand store space to keep a larger inventory on hand. Saturday. October 3.1987 the stars and stripes Page 17
