The Toxic Avenger (1984)

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

Directors:

Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman (as Samuel Weil)

Writers:

Lloyd Kaufman (story), Joe Ritter (screenplay)

Stars:

Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Jennifer Babtist

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andree Maranda	...	Sara
Mitch Cohen	...	The Toxic Avenger (as Mitchell Cohen)
Jennifer Babtist	...	Wanda (as Jennifer Baptist)
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
David Weiss	...	Chief of Police
Dan Snow	...	Cigar Face
Doug Isbecque	...	Knuckles
Charles Lee Jr.	...	Nipples
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Leroy (as Pat Kilpatrick)

Storyline

This is the story of Melvin, the Tromaville Health Club mop boy, who inadvertently and naively trusts the hedonistic, contemptuous and vain health club members, to the point of accidentally ending up in a vat of toxic waste. The devastating results then have a transmogrification effect, his alter ego is released, and the Toxic Avenger is born, to deadly and comical results. The local mop boy is now the local Superhero, the saviour of corruption, thuggish bullies and indifference. Troma classic with good make-up effects and stunts, a pleasant surprise indeed.

---

Plot Keywords:

troma | superhero | pollution | absurd violence | outcast | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Officially sanctioned Toxic Avenger fan site Troma

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Health Club

Filming Locations:

Boonton, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$475,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Troma Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min 78 min (R-rated) 91 min (Japanese cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rick Collins, who would later go on to play the Chairman in The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989) and The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989), makes a brief appearance in this movie. He plays one of the bikers who harass Sara (Collins is the one who is holding her cane).

---

Goofs

The windows on the old lady's car change in between shots; at first, both are rolled up, then one is rolled down for Toxie to strangle Slug, finally both windows are rolled up again.

---

Quotes

Bozo: Julie, does it count if i graze em.
Julie: You got to destroy them, Bozo... I want them dead.
Bozo: Oh, now we're gonna get em. Come on, come on, come on now. Where the fuck is everybody, where the fuck is everybody.
Bozo: How much is a kid on a bicycle.
Slug: Where.
Julie: 28 Points if you get both the kid, and the bike.
Julie: Let's take a closer look,
Wanda: Oh, he's a cute little boy isn't he.
Julie: How pretty late, aren't ya buddy.
Wanda: The coast is clear Bozo.
[...]

---

Alternate Versions

The original R-rated version is also available in CD-ROM format.

---

Connections

Referenced in An Evening of Troma-tainment with Lloyd Kaufman (2012)

---

Soundtracks

The Stalk
Written by Delmar Brown

User Reviews

the epitome

Troma's best to this day, I still believe. Actually, I haven't seen the vast majority of their movies, but this has got to be the one on top. I love this! Deservedly the companies' most widely recognized film, it can't be ignored for it's willingness to go ahead and do whatever the hell it wants! The acting is completely ridiculous, but when was the last time you had so much fun watching??? The effects are pretty good, nice and gooey in all the right parts....If you've got a special place in your heart for satire, or just like bad, goofy movies, this is the one to see. All the pieces fall into just the right places.