I've seen a fair bit of Troma over the years, some enjoyable, some tolerable and some a choir to get through but for some reason one of the most famous movies, perhaps it's most iconic - The Toxic Avenger - has passed me by, I mean I saw the kids cartoon series (and even own the Toxie figure) which is strange that it exists when you think about it, but I am now ready from some b-movie goodness.
Yep, I loved this - a great mix of goofy comedy and OTT gore and violence, the acting is of course b-level stuff but that just adds to the charm.
Melvin Ferd III, might just be the the most pathetic weakling in cinema history (the nerds from Revenge Of The Nerds would probably even shun him), who works as a janitor at the Tromaville Health Club where he is tormented by his customers. They grew more violent even killing a young on a bike in a hit and run, finally they trick Melvin into kissing a sheep while he's in a pink tutu (makes sense in context) and he chased around the health club by them and other customers and ends jumping out of the second story window into a vat of toxic waste that causes severe burns and disfigurement, he heads up to try and scrub it off but he turns into a deformed creature of superhuman size and of strength and thus we get the Toxic Avenger.
Even to this day some of the scenes of violence would still go be considered quite dark - mans arms in a frier, shooting a dog, the hit and run with the boy etc. - I can only imagine what people thought of this 30 years ago if I'm still commentating on it's effectiveness now, and for me it mixed it well with intentionally funny stuff, all in all there is not a second of screen time wasted on something that doesn't stand out
Overall an excellent movie, this is rightly the poster child for Troma, if you are doing a cult movie night or club I would recommend you would show this because people will eat it up and seriously future Oscar Winner Marisa Tomei pops up in the version I watched.
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