Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)

Directors:

Richard W. Haines
Lloyd Kaufman

Writers:

Richard W. Haines (screenplay) &
Mark Rudnitsky (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It rotted their bodies. It corrupted their minds. And thats's the good news.

Plot:

The pupils at a high school next to a nuclear power plant start acting and looking strange after buying contaminated drugs from a plant worker.

Plot Keywords:

School | Nuclear | High School | Nuclear Power Plant | Marijuana

Cast

Janelle Brady	...	Chrissy
Gil Brenton	...	Warren (as Gilbert Brenton)
Robert Prichard	...	Spike
Pat Ryan	...	Mr. Finley (as R.L. Ryan)
James Nugent Vernon	...	Eddie
Brad Dunker	...	Gonzo
Gary Schneider	...	Pete
Théo Cohan	...	Muffey
Gary Rosenblatt	...	Greg
Mary Taylor	...	Judy
Rick Howard	...	Spud
Lauren Heather McMahon	...	Taru (as Heather McMahan)
Chris McNamee	...	Joe
Anthony Ventola	...	George
Arthur Lorenz	...	Dewy
Donald O'Toole	...	Mr. Westly
Seth Oliver Hawkins	...	Lumpy
Lerae Dean	...	Cathy
Reuben Guss	...	Mr. Hyde
Jennifer Prichard	...	Miss Stein (as Diana DeVries)
Lauraine Austin	...	Mr. Austin
Dianna Flaherty	...	Denise (as Dianna-Jean Flaherty)
Sloane Herz	...	Tromaville Kiddies
Lily Hayes Kaufman	...	Tromaville Kiddies
Don Costello	...	Nuclear Worker
Frank Cole	...	Mr. Flint
Sam Scardino	...	Mr. Hansch
Barbara Ann Missbach	...	Barbi
Andy Newton	...	Beethoven
Skip Hamra	...	Nuclear Worker in Basement
Donnie Reynolds	...	Tom
Joe Severino	...	Jimmy
Jeffrey Grossi	...	Bill
Maezie Murphy	...	Mrs. Crabtree
Rick Collins	...	Ron Simms
Bob Schenck	...	Harry
Belle Maria Wheat	...	Mrs. Murphy
Libby Miller	...	Mugged Woman
Ronald E. Giles	...	Dr. Herz (as Ron Giles)
Donna Nardo	...	Girl on Party Steps
Ann McCabe	...	Westly's Secretary
Kitty Alson	...	Gym Teacher
Thomas Feeney	...	Orderly
Richard W. Haines	...	Dr. Howard
Leonard Tepper	...	Bald Teacher
Nicky Baker	...	Bake Sale Person
Seth Kadish	...	Bake Sale Person
Louise Edwards	...	Bake Sale Person
Ava Kelly	...	Bake Sale Person
Elizabeth Lambert	...	Bake Sale Person (as Elizabeth [Locky] Lambert)
Gerald Willaidom	...	Bake Sale Person
Gersa Arias	...	Bake Sale Person
Glaurys Arias	...	Bake Sale Person
Brian Quinn	...	Monster
Erika Zatt	...	Group at Party
Michael Popowitz	...	Group at Party
Jon Kurtis	...	Muscle Man
Virginia Kurtis	...	Muscle Man's Chick
Kevin G. Shinnick	...	Nuclear Worker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Bresnahan	...	Kid at Party (uncredited)
Jeffrey Gish	...	Bake Sale Person (uncredited)
Michael Herz	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Kevin Schmidt	...	Bob (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard W. Haines
Lloyd Kaufman		(as Samuel Weil)

Writing credits
Richard W. Haines		(screenplay) &
Mark Rudnitsky		(screenplay) &
Lloyd Kaufman		(screenplay) &
Stuart Strutin		(screenplay)
Richard W. Haines		(original story)
Graham Flashner		(additional material written by)

Produced by
Michael Herz	....	producer
Lloyd Kaufman	....	producer
Stuart Strutin	....	associate producer
James Treadwell	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ethan Hurt
Michael Lattanzi		(musical score composed by)

Cinematography by
Michael Mayers		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard W. Haines

Casting by
Ann McCabe

Art Direction by
Arthur Lorenz
Art Skopinksy

Makeup Department
Leslie Delano	....	makeup assistant
Trish More	....	makeup assistant (as Trish Moré)

Production Management
Eileen Nad Castaldi	....	production supervisor
Sandra Byrd Curry	....	production manager
Art Skopinsky	....	post-production manager
Elizabeth Whitman	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ann McCabe	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Tom Chichester	....	sound editor
Mark Pancza	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Wilfred Caban	....	pyrotechnician
Scott Coulter	....	special effects makeup
Scott Coulter	....	special effects
Kay Gelfman	....	special effects supervisor
Tom Lauten	....	animatronic creature construction
Tom Lauten	....	animatronic creature designer
Brian Quinn	....	special effects makeup
Brian Quinn	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Theo Pingarelli	....	matte photographer
Theo Pingarelli	....	special matte effects

Stunts
Jeffrey Lee Gibson	....	stunt coordinator (as Jeff Gibson)
Andrew Newton	....	stuntman

Camera and Electrical Department
Pamela Auditore	....	gaffer
Alex Aurichio	....	camera assistant: second unit
Donald Bialer	....	grip: second unit (as Don Bialer)
Bonnie S. Blake	....	camera assistant: second unit (as Bonnie Blake)
Denise Brassard	....	camera operator: second unit
Geb Byers	....	assistant camera
Jim Grib	....	associate director of photography
Jim Grib	....	lighting director
Lloyd Kaufman	....	camera operator
Marc Kroll	....	lighting director
Leonard Marks	....	gaffer: second unit
Michael Mayers	....	camera operator (as Mike Mayers)
Andrew Newton	....	assistant grip
Nelson Otero	....	key grip
Theo Pingarelli	....	camera operator: second unit
Chris Rotter	....	grip: second unit
Craig Stockwell	....	assistant grip
Victor Taplin	....	camera assistant: second unit

Casting Department
Graham Flashner	....	associate casting director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Michael Reefer	....	assistant costume director (as John Reefer)
Ivy Rosovsky	....	costume director

Editorial Department
Terry Brown	....	post-production assistant
Brad Dunker	....	assistant editor
Gordon Grinberg	....	assistant editor
Ted Knighton	....	assistant editor
Nilson Neuschotz	....	apprentice editor
Alan J. Polyniak	....	associate editor
Justin G. Rosenholtz	....	post-production coordinator
James Nugent Vernon	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Barreto	....	original songs
David Behennah	....	original songs
Biohazard	....	composer: nightmare music
Clive Burr	....	original songs

Transportation Department
Nicholas Gregory	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Cinde Berkowitz	....	location manager
Carol Claverie	....	production office coordinator
Burt Cohen	....	accountant: nuclear
Thomas Feeney	....	craft service
Debbie Fritz	....	bookkeeper: nuclear
Dan Frye	....	production apprentice (as Daniel Frye)
Maris Herz	....	administrative executive
Michael Herz	....	presents
Ira Kanarick	....	accountant: nuclear
Charles Kaufman	....	creative consultant: nuclear
Lloyd Kaufman	....	presents
Patricia Kaufman	....	administrative executive (as Pat Swinney Kaufman)
Ruth Kaufman	....	technician: nuclear
Stanley Kaufman	....	attorney: nuclear
Susan Kaufman	....	creative consultant: nuclear
Roger Kirby	....	attorney: nuclear
Kim Meltzer	....	craft service
Gary Moscowitz	....	accountant: nuclear
Alan J. Polyniak	....	production consultant
Milton Zeiberg	....	attorney: nuclear

Thanks
Dennis Souder	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Troma Entertainment

Distributors

• Troma Entertainment (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Columbia Music Entertainment (1987) (Japan) (VHS)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Troma Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Troma Team Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Troma Team Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Troma Team Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Atomic College" - France
"Atomskolan" - Sweden
"Napromieniowana klasa" - Poland
"Sairasta menoa" - Finland
"Szkola pachnaca plutonem" - Poland (TV title)

Runtime:

85 min | Japan:96 min | Sweden:76 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:18+ (TV rating) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Italy:VM14 | Italy:VM18 (tv rating) | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (MPAA rating) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Annunciation Church School - 49 Demarest Road, Paramus, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Troma Entertainment

Trivia:

The original title for the film was simply; 'Nuke 'Em High'. It was changed in hopes of people mistaking it for Class of 1984 (1982).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The ambulance that picks Chrissy up from the high school, though bringing her to local Tromaville Medical Center, clearly says MEDICAL CENTER Jersey City on the back doors.

Quotes:

Spike:Time to die!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pot Zombies (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

B.J.'s Message

Seminal Troma

Class of Nuke 'Em High is one of Troma's best loved and most seen films. This film helped to define the Troma formula that crap addicts the world over would grow to love - gory violence, gratuitous nudity and black humour, all mixed with a large dose of irony and an incredible lack of taste.

Class of Nuke 'Em High was released just after "The Toxic Avenger" and it shares a similar nuclear theme. In this case, a nuclear waste facility is leaking toxic goo into the local high school with some rather unfortunate consequences for the student body. Unlike the poor nerd in the film's brilliant opening sequence, our heroes are not directly exposed to the toxic waste. Rather, Warren and Chrissy smoke marijuana grown on the grounds of the nuclear power plant. This ultra-potent pot not only makes Chrissy incredibly horny, but mutates her unborn child and imbues Warren with super-human strength.

The film then focuses on Warren's rivalry with the Cretins (former honours students who have turned into freaks after smoking one too many toxic joints) and Chrissy's rampaging miscarried foetus (which lives in the toilet and hides out in a vat of toxic waste). These situations provide the filmmakers with plenty of opportunities for hilarious sight gags, gory violence and camp action - and they deliver.

As with much of Troma's early output, this film has been crafted with considerable care and attention to detail, despite budgetary restrictions. The plot has its own ludicrous sense of logic and the direction is captivating - Kaufman, Herz and Richard W. Haines all share a directorial credit but the action sequences reek of Kaufman's mercurial style. I love the scene where Warren literally punches one of the cretins through the mouth, down into his chest. The special effects also deserve a mention. The creature effects used for Chrissy's mutant foetus are hilarious.

The Class of Nuke 'Em High does not quite match "The Toxic Avenger" for originality or style, but it is a great example of what Troma does better than any other studio and why they are still around 20 years later.