The Toxic Avenger (1984)

Directors:

Michael Herz
Lloyd Kaufman

Writers:

Lloyd Kaufman (story)
Joe Ritter (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

11 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Not all monsters are scary to people. Not if it's one fighting crime in the Garden State.

Plot:

Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when mop boy Melvin Junko falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose.

Plot Keywords:

Health Club | Boy | Toxic Waste | Mayor | Corruption

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Andree Maranda	...	Sara
Mitch Cohen	...	The Toxic Avenger (as Mitchell Cohen)
Jennifer Prichard	...	Wanda (as Jennifer Babtist)
Cindy Manion	...	Julie
Robert Prichard	...	Slug
Gary Schneider	...	Bozo
Pat Ryan	...	Mayor Peter Belgoody (as Pat Ryan Jr.)
Mark Torgl	...	Melvin Junko
Dick Martinsen	...	Officer O'Clancy
Chris Liano	...	Walter Harris
Dan Snow	...	Cigar Face
Doug Isbecque	...	Knuckles
Charles Lee Jr.	...	Nipples
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Leroy (as Pat Kilpatrick)
Larry Sulton	...	Frank
Michael Russo	...	Rico (as Mike Russo)
Norma Pratt	...	Mrs. Haskell
Andrew Craig	...	Fred
Ryan Sexton	...	Johnny
Sarabel Levinson	...	Melvin's Mom
Al Pia	...	Tom Wrightson
Reuben Guss	...	Dr. Snodburger
Kenneth Kessler	...	The Toxic Avenger (voice)
Barbara Gurskey	...	Barbie (as Barbara J. Gurskey)
Donna Winter	...	Mayor's Secretary
Mary Ellen David	...	Woman Whose Car Gets Stolen
Dennis Souder	...	Drug Dealer
Joe Zarro	...	Mr. Wilson
William Christopher Weiss	...	Body Builder
Dan Hogan	...	Aerobics Instructor
Myrna Williams	...	The Kansas Runaway
Richard Duggan	...	Ice Cream Man
Bruce Morton	...	Tony
John Stobaeus	...	Truck Partner
Joe Supor Jr.	...	Truck Driver
D.J. Calvitto	...	Boy on Bicycle
Cosmo Wilder	...	Mayor's Secretary
Brigitte Douglaston	...	Mayor's Secretary
Nancy Compansanto	...	Mayor's Secretary
Andrea Suter	...	Mayor's Secretary
Xavier Barquet	...	Man Killed in Mexican Restaurant
Matt Klan	...	Boy Hero
Joey Calderone	...	Boy Selling T-Shirts
Sherry Park	...	Woman in Salon
Vickie Usher	...	Woman in Salon
Barry Shapiro	...	Bruce
Andy Stamatin	...	Chauncey
Betty Pia	...	Woman in Salon
Teddy Copley	...	Blonde Teeny Bopper
Dolly Hall	...	Girl in Health Club
Alisha Riggs	...	Girl in Health Club
Vicki Juditz	...	Girl in Health Club
Roxanne Maranda	...	Girl in Restaurant
Maxine Hayt	...	Sara's Neighbor
Teresa Simpson	...	Body Builder
Don Costello	...	Sara's Neighbor
June De Young	...	Reporter (as June DeYoung)
Joe Curtis	...	Policeman
Peter Racini	...	Policeman
Martin Scott McMann	...	Policeman
Ed Carrion	...	Policeman
Charles Dicagno	...	Policeman
Bruce Zimmerman	...	Policeman
Skip Hamra	...	Policeman
Eileen Nad Castaldi	...	Woman in Restaurant
Nathan Jon Castaldi	...	Baby in Restaurant
Britt Martinsen	...	Hero Fan Club
Kristen Martinsen	...	Hero Fan Club
Lisa Martinsen	...	Hero Fan Club
Dianna Flaherty	...	Teenage Drug Buyer (as Dianna-Jean Flaherty)
Donna-Marie Stipo	...	Health Club Member
Mary Cox	...	Distressed Mother
Jessica Perkins	...	T-Shirt Salesperson
Giorgio Calderone	...	Hero Fan Club
William Klan	...	Interviewer
Margaret Riley	...	Lady Crossing Street
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rick Collins	...	Unnamed Bully (uncredited)
Patricia Kaufman	...	Woman with Popcorn (uncredited)
Lenny Mandel	...	The Rabbi (uncredited)
Alandra Miller	...	Swimmer (uncredited)
Donald O'Toole	...	Man That Hates His Mother-in-Law (uncredited)
John Reidy	...	Terrorist (uncredited)
Emma Terese	...	Health Club Girl (uncredited)
Marisa Tomei	...	Health Club Girl (uncredited)
Karl Woitach	...	TV News Cameraman (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Herz
Lloyd Kaufman		(as Samuel Weil)

Writing credits
Lloyd Kaufman		(story)
Joe Ritter		(screenplay)
Lloyd Kaufman		(additional dialogue) &
Gay Partington Terry		(additional dialogue) (as Gay Terry) &
Stuart Strutin		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Michael Herz	....	producer
Lloyd Kaufman	....	producer
Stuart Strutin	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Lloyd Kaufman
James A. Lebovitz		(as James London)

Film Editing by
Richard W. Haines		(as Richard Haines)

Casting by
Brian Katkin
Stacy Kelley
Rhonda Krafchin

Art Direction by
Alexandra Mazur
Barry Shapiro

Makeup Department
Jennifer Aspinall	....	special makeup effects
Ralph Cordero	....	special makeup effects assistant (as Ralph G. Cordero II)
Tom Lauten	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Caroline Baron	....	production manager
Nelson Vaughn	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph Solomito	....	first assistant director (as Joe Solomito)
Joe Zubrovich	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Brian Davidson	....	assistant to art director
Susanna Neuhaus	....	assistant art director
Jim Reaven	....	assistant art director
Ruth Siekievitz	....	assistant to art director

Sound Department
Patricia Brolsma	....	boom operator
Tommy Louie	....	boom operator
John Elias Michalakis	....	sound editor
Aaron Nathanson	....	sound mixer: Magno Sound
Mark Pancza	....	sound recordist
Robert Schoenholt	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Mathew West	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Ray Abbott	....	stunts
Xavier Barquet	....	stunts
Brad Bryant	....	stunts
Charles Croughwell	....	stunts
Jeffrey Lee Gibson	....	stunts (as Jeffrey Gibson)
Alex Harper	....	stunts
Scott Leva	....	stunt coordinator
Durrell Nelson	....	stunts (as Durrell Nelson Jr.)
Mick O'Rourke	....	stunts
Tom Sierchio	....	stunts (as Tom Sierchia)
Jeff Strutin	....	stunt cars & mechanics
Matt Vogel	....	stunt special effects rigger

Camera and Electrical Department
Scott Buckler	....	lighting director
Chris Castillo	....	key grip
Jim Grib	....	lighting director
Denis Hahn	....	rigger: camera car
John Heron	....	assistant camera
David Knox	....	assistant camera
Marc Kroll	....	lighting director
Bob Mackey	....	grip
Michael Mayers	....	assistant camera (as Mike Mayers)
Ron Schlaeger	....	loader
Susan Starr	....	first assistant camera
Alex Aurichio	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bryna Levin	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Richard Hirsh	....	second assistant editor
Robert Keith Mecca	....	third assistant editor
Alan J. Polyniak	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Mark Hoffman	....	composer: theme music
Dean Summers	....	composer: theme music

Transportation Department
Alan Kohn	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Eileen Nad Castaldi	....	public relations director
Mark Greene	....	location manager
Maris Herz	....	administrative executive
Amy Hurley	....	craft service assistant
Charles Kaufman	....	creative consultant
Patricia Kaufman	....	administrative executive (as Pat Swinney Kaufman)
Susan Kaufman	....	creative consultant
Joseph Solomito	....	production executive
Andy Stamatin	....	craft service
Mark Torgl	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Troma Entertainment

Distributors

• Troma Entertainment (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1986) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Lightning Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Lightning Video (1987) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Siren Entertainment (1998) (Australia) (VHS)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Video Sales Network (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Videart Opticals (optical effects) (as Videart)

Other Companies

• Magno Sound  sound services

Also Known As:

"Atomic Hero" - West Germany
"El vengador tóxico" - Spain
"Il vendicatore tossico" - Italy
"Toksyczny Msciciel" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Toxic" - France

Runtime:

87 min | Canada:78 min | USA:82 min (unrated version: Directors Cut) | Argentina:87 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | USA:78 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 (director's cut) | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) (director's cut) | Singapore:(Banned) | Norway:15 (director's cut) | Italy:VM14 (VHS rating) | Canada:18+ (TV rating) | USA:R (cut) | Spain:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Finland:K-18 (director's cut) | France:-12 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Argentina:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Boonton, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Troma Entertainment

Trivia:

The scene where a toxic waste drenched Melvin soaks in his bathtub was largely directed by Mark Torgl himself. The water in the tub was ice cold, and attempts were made to warm it up. Ultimately, Torgl chose to bear the discomfort and get the shot finished.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Toxie is chasing Julie, Julie runs into a room, locks the door and puts a plank of wood to secure the door. As she does, she cries and whimpers, yet her mouth doesn't move.

Quotes:

[Melvin catches Slug and Wanda having sex in the locker room]
Slug:Get out of here you pervert.
[Wanda pulls out a switchblade]
Wanda:Or I'll kill you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Evil Aliens (2005)

Soundtrack:

FACTOR 1

The posterchild for the 'so bad it's good' film brigade...

Lacklustre direction by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, a goofy script (by Joe Ritter), truly poor FX and even worse acting all add up to, for some strange, abstract reason, a stupidly enjoyable film experience.

Maybe it's the camp sounding music, the over the top (and in some cases *way* over the top) 'acting', or perhaps it's just the fact that it's so unashamedly weird and downright cheesy that makes it such fun to watch, who knows? Whatever the reason this definitely isn't a film to spend long hours contemplating such things, instead just sit back and enjoy the crazy show.

Performance wise, as already mentioned, none of the actors give even remotely decent performances, with the exception of Andree Miranda who's actually pretty good in her role as Toxie's blind girlfriend. All of the other actors are so far over the top (or indeed just so downright terrible) that by films end they too have somehow managed to take on their own distinctly cheesy charm and add greatly to the whole 'so bad it's good' motif.

As I may have mentioned once or twice before 'The Toxic Avenger' is cheesier than a block of cheese factories, and as such it takes a special type of person to enjoy 'this type of thing', however for those with their tongue planted firmly in cheek, and for lovers of schlock cinema and 50's z-grade monster movies this is a must see. For most everyone else though it's probably best avoided and will most likely induce headaches and annoyance rather than belly laughs and amusement. Which of the above descriptions best suits you I'll leave you to decide for yourself.

7/10