The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 20, 2014

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. 30 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.

“The Toxic Avenger” has a weird joyfulness that’s infectious, even while it stages ghastly deaths and dismemberments. Kaufman and Herz construct a rather effective silent comedy in the midst of all the brutality, with the picture playing just as effectively with the sound shut off. With a cast that wildly gesticulates with every line reading, broad physical comedy, and a hulking, deformed hero, it’s fairly easy to follow the feature without hearing it, as it periodically reaches Vaudeville-style shenanigans. It’s not a tasteful endeavor (maybe babies should be spared the magic of moviemaking), but it has a defined spirit that carries the adventure from beginning to end, stopping occasionally to assess character motivations and explore the romance between Toxie and Sara. Horrible, and I mean horrible stuff happens in “The Toxic Avenger,” but rarely does the effort sit around and wallow in ugliness, always on to the next bit of awful it can manipulate into horror and comedy.

Herz and Kaufman serve up quite a buffet of incidents in the feature, challenging screenwriter Joe Ritter to piece together a coherent take on a superhero origin story (he almost succeeds too). There’s Bozo and his points-based system of hit-and-run homicide, Mayor Belgoody and his panic to bring down Toxie and preserve his comfortable way of life, and the general activity within the health club, which is apparently a haven for public humiliations, drug dealing, and sauna masturbation experiences. “The Toxic Avenger” is dusted with cocaine, soaked in blood, and teeming with excess, reaching its zenith with a mid-movie showdown set in a taco restaurant, where Toxie busts up a robbery, removing arms and deep-frying hands in the process of cleaning up criminal filth (another crook is turned into a human milkshake). If there’s any scene that highlights the functional marriage of sick and silly, it’s this confrontation. The production also fills “The Toxic Avenger” with impressive stunt work, with bodies crashing into cars, jumping out of buildings, and set ablaze, generating an impressive smashmouth tone of surprise as this low-budget picture manufactures a few honest thrills during its run time. There’s unexpected bigness to the effort, an accomplishment that extends to make-up work, which is credible considering limited resources, and brain-squishing sequences supply their intended ick.

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation emerges with a fresh scan of the film for its HD debut, and "The Toxic Avenger" looks agreeable on Blu-ray, favoring a bright and bold color scheme that registers successfully here. With period-specific costuming and extreme toxic encounters, hues are presented with stability and depth. Skintones are equally inviting, eased along with convincing make-up effects. Detail is satisfying, providing a textured look at gore zone visits and the rubbery exterior of Toxie, R-rated highlights are viewed in full, and facial reactions (a Troma specialty) are filled with grime, sweat, and creases. Black levels are secure, with a little lost to crush. Framing is a little tight on signage. Damage is consistent, but scratches, warping, and speckling aren't distracting. Grain is handled tastefully.

The Toxic Avenger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound mix struggles to keep the lawless antics of "The Toxic Avenger" in order, presenting rather sharp highs that are uncomfortable at times, with a crispiness that scrubs off true clarity. Dialogue isn't lost, with banter passable and violent reactions understood, securing outlandish performances. Hiss and pops are present, varying in intensity. Soundtrack selections are supportive and scoring cues are adequate, generating more of a cluster of sound instead of something defined. It's a limited reach on a lossy mix.

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

• 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 (18:40, 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 (2:38, SD) with actor Robert Prichard offers a brief recollection of the audition process and comfort with his "Toxic Avenger" legacy.

• Interview (8:42, SD) with 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 (4:39, SD) with 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 (15:24, 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" (6:19, 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.