Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 17, 2023

1984’s “The Toxic Avenger” is the movie that put Troma Entertainment on the map. Previously employed as a distribution machine for titillation comedies, Troma hit pay dirt when they switched their focus to silly splatter efforts and horror pictures, finding a rabid audience who couldn’t get enough of their specialized brand of winky mayhem. “The Toxic Avenger” is the prototype for subsequent Troma endeavors, mixing a bewildering cocktail of one-liners and ultraviolence in a production that actually desires to make audiences laugh, even while it kills a kid and a dog, and points a shotgun at a baby. Still, the earnestness of the feature is amazing, always working to find a note of absurdity to molest as directors Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman (billed here as “Samuel Weil”) bathe the screen in blood, nudity, and slapstick, funneled into a superhero spoof with a vague environmental message. Nearly 40 years after its initial release and “The Toxic Avenger” still manages to trigger disgust and a handful of laughs, representing not only a key Troma financial victory, but it’s quite possibly their finest original work.

Melvin (Mark Torgl) is a hopeless weakling working as a janitor at the Tromaville Health Club, where he mops floors and is subjected to constant bullying from its customers, including Bozo (Gary Schneider) and Slug (Robert Prichard), and their girlfriends, Julie (Cindy Manion) and Wanda (Jennifer Babtist). When a prank goes horribly wrong, Melvin jumps into a barrel of toxic waste, with the resulting mutation turning him into a powerful monster with strong moral values. Out to help the fine folks in Tromaville, the Toxic Avenger (Mitch Cohen) is transformed into a hero, a development that irritates Mayor Belgoody (Pat Ryan Jr.), whose corrupt ways are threatened by this new arrival. As Toxie takes a blind girlfriend in Sara (Andree Maranda), the melted savior is marked for death by Mayor Belgoody, threatening the future safety of the beleaguered community.

For additional information and analysis, please read the 2014 Blu-ray review.

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

In 2014, Troma Entertainment released "The Toxic Avenger" on Blu-ray, offering an acceptable viewing experience. The company returns to the title for a new UHD release, bringing this grimy, goopy movie to 4K, looking to give fans the ultimate presentation. It's certainly a hotter look at the feature, with colors quite bright, delivering strong reds and toxic greens. Primaries are cranked but not unappealing, bringing out the comic book-iness of the endeavor, finding sharp views of costuming and signage. Greenery is defined, along with the cool concrete of urban areas. Skin tones are natural. Detail is strong, exploring somewhat extreme skin particulars and makeup showcases. Tromaville interiors are open for inspection, and city exteriors retain a pleasing depth. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is nicely resolved. Source carries some defined wear and tear, with points of damage and jumpy frames, especially in the final "reel." Mild discoloration is detected at times, and opticals are rough, but this appears to be an inherent issue.

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is a step up from the Blu-ray's lossy option, but there's only so much to be done with "The Toxic Avenger," which is, sonically, more of a blunt instrument. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible, handling most of the screaming fits with care, but there's some unavoidable shrillness. Music isn't precise, but scoring efforts and soundtrack selections are acceptable, supporting with pop beat. Sound effects are blunt but appreciable.

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

UHD

• Intro (1:35, HD) visits Troma Entertainment honcho Lloyd Kaufman in his office, where he welcomes viewers to the "re- digitized director's cut" of "The Toxic Avenger." He also claims the feature is a major influence on current superhero entertainment, naming "Deadpool" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" as direct descendants.

• Commentary #1 features co-director/producer Lloyd Kaufman.

• Commentary #2 features actors Gary Schneider, Robert Prichard, and Dan Snow, moderated by a member of the Troma Team.

Blu-ray

• Intro (4:22, HD) by Lloyd Kaufman finds the cult movie icon in "Hawaii," riding a surfboard while sharing information about "The Toxic Avenger." Michael Herz also appears in a hospital bed.

• Commentary #1 features co-director/producer Lloyd Kaufman.

• Commentary #2 features actors Gary Schneider, Robert Prichard, and Dan Snow, moderated by a member of the Troma Team.

• Behind the Scenes and In Production Slideshow (4:19) presents numerous snapshots that showcase the creative force behind "The Toxic Avenger," detailing location work, stunt efforts, and cast camaraderie.

• Interview (18:39, HD) with Jennifer Babtist is a very sedate chat with the actress. Recalling her time on-set, Babtist describes the locations, her discomfort with nude scenes, and her eventual relationship with co-star Prichard. Her role in "Class of Nuke 'Em High" is also discussed, and the actress is joined by her daughter in the last third of the interview.

• Interview (2:37, SD) with actor Robert Prichard offers a brief recollection of the audition process and comfort with his "Toxic Avenger" legacy.

• Interview (8:41, SD) with actor Mitch Cohen, who played the mutant superhero, recalls his experience working under layers of heavy make-up, his unavailability to comeback for the film's sequels, and ends with a tour of his office day job.

• Interview (4:38, SD) with actor Dan "Cigar Face" Snow shares a few tales of his time on "Toxic Avenger," including the origin of his character's name and the challenges of the location, working around garbage in a dank alley.

• Interview (15:23, SD) with Michael Herz (with questions supplied by Lloyd Kaufman) is more of a career overview, with the director and co-founder of Troma describing how financial panic initially drove his interest in a filmmaking career. Anecdotes concerning "The Toxic Avenger" are included, but Herz hits a variety of topics, including Madonna's interest in a Troma role, the incredible employee turnover at the studio, and his tips for upcoming moviemakers. The featurette is overtly jokey (with a twist ending), but interesting.

• "Mark Torgl's Special Video" (6:18, HD) presents the original Melvin in his backyard, sharing original props from the movie while engaging in painfully unfunny banter with a pair of models.

• "40 Years of Troma" (2:03, SD) is a short appreciation of the studio's achievements.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:11, SD) is included.

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you want respectable, measured cinema, "The Toxic Avenger" isn't a movie to seek out. It's macabre and shameless, with a tenuous grasp on plot after an hour of punch-drunk direction. What it lacks in skill and precision, it makes up in entertainment value, with Herz and Kaufman respecting the value of chaos as they labor to create a cult movie epic that tickles and tortures with equal intensity. Perhaps it falls short in many areas of filmmaking professionalism, but "The Toxic Avenger" is lively and twisted enough to please. If only Troma knew how to bottle this type of cinematic grotesquery.