29 - The Toxic Avenger

Connection To SUPER - Lloyd Kaufman appeared in Super and produces, writes and co-directors (as Samuel Weil) here.

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.

28 - Super

Connection To BEAUTY SHOP - Kevin Bacon, who was going to be one of the connections sooner or later wasn't he?

Super, was one of 3 films came out around the same time that dealt with people who had no superpowers whatsoever deciding to become "heroes", the other two films where Defendor (getting there first in 2009), Kick-Ass - Kick-Ass being the best known of the bunch (and the only based on a comic) is the one the other two compare it too, people can potentially be disappointed though because neither have the big-ness about them as both are small budget in comparison. Super, though for my money is the best of the three and like Chloé Moretz in the Kick-Ass movies as an ace in it's hole of it's own and that's the one and only Ms. Ellen Page.

Make no mistake the film around her is great (as are other performances) but this movie belongs to Page,

The film has a fantastic animated opening featuring all the main characters and tells the story of Frank (Rainn Wilson), whose narration tells you he only as two good memories in his life - marrying his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) and helping a police officer catch a robber because of directing him where to go. He draws them in crayon and hangs them on his wall. Sarah, a recovering addict leaves Frank for Jacques (Kevin Bacon) who gets her hooked on the drugs again. Frank has a vision which he is touched by the hand of a good, and meets the Holy Avenger (a great cameo from Nathan Fillion) - who is a superhero from a public access how and is told he as chosen for a special purpose - and that is to become a superhero, he goes to a comic book store for inspiration and meets Libby (Page) who though he says he's creating a new comic book character sort of sees through it, he then creates a superhero costume and takes up the name of The Crimson Bolt.

His weapon of choice is mostly a pipe wrench and he begins to fight crime to various rule breakers from the major (child molesters) to the by comparison minor (somebody who cuts in line) and becomes a media sensation.

The film is very enjoyable from start to finish, Libby ends up becoming involved when wounded he goes to hers for help and she ends up becoming his sidekick (Boltie) and the cast is great - Wilson plays Frank so well that we don't completely think he's a loony when he has the visions and ends up being a superhero and Tyler, though not given much to do. Bacon the villain of the piece plays it excellently charismatic who sees The Crimson Bolt/Frank more of a nuisance at times then his arch-nemesis but like I said the film belongs to Page who is such a brilliant ball of energy that the film shines most brightly when she's on screen - crazy but still as the Page cuteness about her that I fancied her despite how dangerous she would clearly be if she was real.

I'd say the film is the darkest of the three real life superhero movies from the same time, it seems the smallest production (though the budget between this and Defendor I imagine are the closest), but after the inevitable shoot out ending it finishes on a nice note...

Overall I absolutely loved this, it might have a bit a sour taste for some people to truly love it like I do but anybody willing to give it a chance will be pleasantly surprised.