The Toxic Avenger (1984)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Directors:

Michael Herz
Lloyd Kaufman

Writers:

Lloyd Kaufman (additional dialogue)
Lloyd Kaufman (story)
(more)

Release Date:

11 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

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

Plot:

This is the story of Melvin, the Tromaville Health Club mop boy, who inadvertently and naively trusts the hedonistic...

Plot Keywords:

Health Club | Toxic Avenger | Superhero | Corruption | Toxic Waste

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
Xavier Barquet	...	Man Killed In Mexican Restaurant
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	...	Toxic Avenger's 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	...	Skippy - Boy On Bicycle
Cosmo Wilder	...	Mayor's Secretary
Brigitte Douglaston	...	Mayor's Secretary
Nancy Compansanto	...	Mayor's Secretary
Andrea Suter	...	Mayor's Secretary
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 (in alphabetical order)
Lloyd Kaufman		additional dialogue
Lloyd Kaufman		story
Joe Ritter		screenplay
Stuart Strutin		additional dialogue
Gay Partington Terry		additional dialogue (as Gay Terry)

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)

Art Direction by
Alexandra Mazur
Barry Shapiro

Makeup Department
Jennifer Aspinall	....	special makeup effects
Ralph Cordero	....	special makeup effects assistant
Tom Lauten	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Caroline Baron	....	production manager

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

Sound Department
John Elias Michalakis	....	sound editor
Mark Pancza	....	sound recordist

Stunts
Ray Abbott	....	stunts
Xavier Barquet	....	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
Alex Aurichio	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bryna Levin	....	wardrober

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

Other crew
Mark Greene	....	location manager
Joseph Solomito	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Troma Entertainment

Distributors

• Troma Entertainment (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1986) (Canada) (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)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Troma Team Video (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Video Sales Network (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Health Club (USA) (working title)
Health Club Hero (USA) (working title)
Health Club Horror (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min | Canada:78 min | USA:110 min (director's cut) | USA:82 min (unrated version) | Argentina:87 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

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) | 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 head-crushing scene was based on a time when Lloyd Kaufman was backing a car out of his garage and accidentally hit his younger sister. Nobody was harmed, but the memory haunted him for years.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the car goes off the cliff towards the end, you can see crew members watching and a red van with crew members in it.

Quotes:

The Toxic Avenger: You fat slob. Let's see if you've got any guts.
[Toxie then punches the mayor in the stomach and rips out his guts]
The Toxic Avenger: Officer O'Clancy, take care of this toxic waste.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tromeo and Juliet (1996)

Soundtrack:

IS THIS LOVE

The "Citizen Kane," uh, Citizen Toxie of b-pictures...

For those that don't know, there are intentionally "bad" movies, and then there are intentionally bad movies; "The Toxic Avenger" is the latter. Troma Entertainment is the undisputed king of bad b-pictures, but the 1985 cult hit "The Toxic Avenger" ranks as their finest effort. Essentially a take on superhero movies and sci-fi pictures, "The Toxic Avenger" is Troma's "Citizen Kane."

With co-directors Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman at the helm, respective veep and president of Troma Entertainment, "The Toxic Avenger" begins with a humiliating prank gone horribly wrong. Melvin, the resident 90-pound geek and janitor of the Tromaville health club, is fooled into thinking a blonde bimbo wants him. But instead the prank, which involves a stuffed goat and pink tutu (don't ask), goes wrong and ends with Melvin diving out a second-story window and landing in a vat of misplaced toxic waste.

What emerges from the bubbly green goop is Tromaville, New Jersey's hideously deformed, bloodthirsty vigilante mutant monstrosity who sets out on a vendetta against all forms of evil in his hometown, particularly against the jocks (who are too sick to be believable) who made him what he is. Meanwhile, Toxie eventually finds romance with a blind woman who is unaware her boyfriend is responsible for the recent wave of gruesome vigilante killings (in essence, they're the perfect couple).

A sick and depraved sense of humor is flaunted throughout this low-budget film project, which is in itself (to the politically-correct), an inspired, mean-spirited, overtly racist, funny, and completely, utterly insane cult flick that also reveals a slight penchant for animal cruelty.

The acting is atrocious, the gore is plentiful and the low budget shines, but there's no question I loved this flick. Like any horror film, it's rightfully found its place in this film lover's heart.

Vote for Citizen Toxie in 2006!

10/10