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How can you call yourself a horror fan,
if you have never seen "The Toxic Avenger"??? I
must have asked this question a million times too many so-called
horror fanatics. Love it or hate it, Troma's "The Toxic
Avenger" has forever influenced the way we watch horror
movies today.
Born out the dark and deranged mind of Lloyd Kaufman (co-founder
of Troma) in the early 80's, Toxie, as his adoring fans
have come to call him, helped to establish a new standard
for
underground filmmaking. This environmental crusader has
become a symbol of freedom for children and adults alike
and a mainstay
for the collective conscious of this here planet earth.
But beyond his rise to superstardom in animated features,
his
own toy line and comic book series, Toxie's misadventures
helped to create one of the most entertaining, influential,
and fun horror films of all-time.
There are many reasons why "The Toxic Avenger" is
such a cool movie. Most fans may not realize that classic
films such as "Evil Dead 2" and "DeadAlive" own
a great debt to the chances that "The Toxic Avenger" took
in further establishing a successful formula for the horror-comedy.
Where on the other hand, hardcore junkies should revel in
the amount of gore and violence that is infused in the heart
of this film. It is from this foundation that the true spirit
of independent cinema is left to blossom.
The success of The Toxic Avenger was followed by a string
of commercial and artistic triumphs in a similar vein, blending
fantasy, heavy action, comedy, and eroticism in a style that
can only be described as “Tromatic”. These films,
including the Class of Nuke ‘Em High trilogy, Sgt.
Kabukiman NYPD, and Troma’s War, were often ignored
or scorned by the intelligentsia of the time but spoke to
an entire generation of young people who rejected the pandering,
commercial films of the mid-to-late 80’s. Some of these
Troma fans went on to become filmmakers themselves, including
Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Mike Judge, Peter Jackson,
and Trey Parker.
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