This is the last straight comedy produced by Troma before they found their niche in action/horror spoofs and the only film directed mostly by Michael Herz. Its a very sophomoric and amateur take off on Porky's and Meatballs 2 designed to be zany and irreverent. Troma's early comedies all suffer from sleaze, grime and laziness, but they usually have a redeeming sly sense of satire and a fun cartoon logic thanks to Lloyd Kaufman. "Turn On" then is very interesting Troma fans as they can see just what Herz' contributions were before he stopped teaming with Kaufman. Herz directs "Turn On" with a humanist energy. His actors are happy and free and he pays no attention to blocking or coverage. He's all about performances. The later Troma films are missing this naturalistic acting style and the sensuality Herz seems obsessed with. Kaufman is definitely a better director of action and comedy but maybe Troma would've grown stronger with Herz's style still complimenting Lloyd's.
Review of The First Turn-On!!
