Plot: Tromaville is overrun with crime and corruption, as even the mayor and high ranking police officials are on the take. No one is safe from the rampant criminals, even old ladies and young children are being killed in the streets. At the Tromaville Gym, a meek janitor named Melvin (Mark Torgl) is harassed by bullies and mocked by beautiful girls. The pranks go too far however when Melvin is humiliated and chased by a crowd of the gym’s patrons. A truck of toxic waste is outside while the drivers snort some blow and when Melvin stumbles outside, he ends up in a barrel of radioactive sludge. He survives, but is transformed into a hideous, though powerful mutant creature. He puts his new powers to good use however, saving an honest police officer from some street thugs. He is driven to combat crime and protect the innocent, but when the corrupt Tromavilla leaders learn about his actions, can even the Toxic Avenger restore justice?

Entertainment Value: One of the true icons of cult cinema, The Toxic Avenger made Troma a household name and threw down a gauntlet against Hollywood. Decades later Troma still wages that war against mainstream movies and of course, most of their movies have the same cinematic DNA used in The Toxic Avenger. This movie might be low budget, but it has all you could want in a cult classic and then some. Tons of hot girls, ample violence, amateur actors, and wild stunts all wrapped in an 80s soaked, politically incorrect package. Future Troma cinema would ramp up the naked girls, blood, and chaos, but the original still has a unique charm. The performances are abysmal but unforgettable, from the loud mouth jocks to the vapid airhead girls to the classic turn by Cindy Manion as Toxie’s blind, but wise girlfriend. This is just non stop fun and entertainment, a movie no fans of cult cinema can go without.

This is Troma and while it was an earlier production, it still has that beloved formula of naked girls, rampant blood, and outlandish atmosphere. The nudity count is lower than you might think, but a few breasts can be still be seen. The sex scenes are non graphic, with pants on for Toxie plows his blind lover. The bloodshed counter ticks high though, with numerous scenes of low rent gore. The kills aren’t just bloody, they’re also creative and often hilarious. Deep frying a guy’s hands, tearing off an arm, and milkshake murder all happen in one scene, for example. Troma would up the ante in later films, but there are still some fun kills here. If you like hokey dialogue performed by shaky actors, you’ll be in heaven here. The voice over for Toxie is classic and there are just too many quotable lines that stand out to mention. This is a crazy movie to be sure, but not quite as batshit crazy as Troma’s later output. Even so, The Toxic Avenger stands the test of time and still qualifies as one of cult cinema’s truly iconic films.

Nudity: 3/10

Blood: 7/10

Dialogue: 7/10

Overall Insanity: 7/10