Other Titles • Health Club Horror (1983) • Atomic Hero (1985)
Synopses for The Toxic Avenger (1985)
1.
Coming soon!
(18 votes)
2.
One moment Melvin's a 90 pound weakling, and the next -- with a little help from some toxic waste -- he's THE TOXIC AVENGER! Now Melvin's in shape to get back at all the creeps who have ever tormented him. So those bad guys had better watch out... because Melvin's got superpowers beyond their imagination.
(18 votes)
3.
The most widely known of Troma Films' stable of low-budget exploitation, The Toxic Avenger is an exuberantly crude poke at superheroes and monster movies, delivered with a healthy dose of cheap gags, splattery special effects, and T&A. It's also a genuinely funny film, and its no-holds-barred attitude has a grubby charm that eludes most gross-out comedies. The Toxic Avenger opens with an absurdly vicious crew preying upon Melvin, a nebbishy janitor. Their pranks land him in a vat of chemical waste, which transforms him into a lumpy monster that deals out gruesome revenge. Directors (and Troma company heads) Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz aim low in detailing "Toxie's" vengeance spree, and the subsequent carnage should please gorehounds. But they're also savvy enough recognize the film's limitations, and wisely camp things with plenty of slapstick. The result is a frantic and funny mess that should amuse even the most dour cult movie fan. --Paul Gaita
(16 votes)
4.
Unrated Director's Cut! 21 years ago, a legend was born that forever changed the face of American Cinema... After falling into a misplaced barrel of nuclear waster, nerdy 90-lb. janitor Melvin is transformed into THE TOXIC AVENGER, the world-famous hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength! The rest, as they say, is history! THE TOXIC AVENGER went on to become a cult smash, spawning three sequels, comic books, action figures, websites and even a children's cartoon series! THE TOXIC AVENGER is part of the American lexicon, Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, Trey Parker and many other credit THE TOXIC AVENGER as an influence in their youth. On this 2 DVD set, see exclusive never-before-seen interviews with directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and stars Robert Prichard, Dan Snow, and Mitch Cohen, the original Toxic Avenger. This set also includes interviews with Toxie fans from around the world, the original theatrical cover art and an exclusive look at "The Toxic Avenger Musikill"!
(16 votes)
5.
He was 98 lbs. of solid nerd until he became... The first Super-Hero... from New Jersey!
This is the story of Melvin, the resident geek at the local health club. One day, Slug and Bozo (some resident jocks) chase Melvin around the club and Melin ends up plunging out of the window into a tub of toxic waste. Melvin is transformed into The Toxic Avenger and he is a geek no more! Toxie fights crime and gets revenge on his enemies like a true hero.
(15 votes)
6.
The foundation stone of the Troma label's trash-movie empire, The Toxic Avenger introduces the character of nerdy janitor Melvin, who suffers heaps of abuse from local bad-guys and is stuffed into a vat of toxic waste while dressed in a ballerina outfit. He emerges mutated into a Swamp Thing/Hulk-style monster hero who romps around the blighted township of Tromaville, New Jersey, offing the grotesque villains in nastily gruesome ways and mooning over his blind true love. The Troma style is unique, and perhaps predates the anything-gross-for-a-laugh approach of the Farrelly Brothers by a good 10 years, but it sometimes wavers between the good-natured gags and genuinely unpleasant plot images that somewhat spoil the tone. Entry-level filmmaking, but with surprisingly professional head-squashing effects and a degree of enthusiasm that breaks down most resistance. Several sequels have ensued, including The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie. -- Kim Newman
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