Some films should never be remade - we’re all looking at you, THE PRINCESS BRIDE. When I first broke the news on this site that Legendary Pictures had acquired the rights to reboot THE TOXIC AVENGER, I pretty much felt that adage applied here, as well. The original TOXIC AVENGER is a singular film experience firmly rooted in its time and punk rock sensibilities. Created by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, THE TOXIC AVENGER of 1984 tells the story of Melvin Ferd, a sex-crazed nerd at a sports club who endures bullying at the hands of some truly repugnant scumbags. When one of their pranks goes too far and finds Melvin face down in a barrel of toxic waste, he emerges as a hulking monster. Through some hamfisted exposition we learn that he has been imbued with a barometer for evil that compels him to eradicate villains. The rest of the film is a blood-soaked tale of vengeance and violence that pushes the limits of good taste and good filmmaking.
Troma Entertainment, the studio behind THE TOXIC AVENGER, specialized in B-movies that championed unorthodox stories, practical effects, nudity, profanity, and hyper-violence. Herz and Kaufman were pioneers in stateside films that echoed the influences of early Peter Jackson and Italian Giallo filmmaking. When news broke that a major American studio was remaking this wholly original time capsule of superhero schlock, many were concerned. None more than the original creator, Lloyd Kaufman. I got to chat with the GOAT a few weeks ago in an energetic and largely unusable interview. In early developments for a remake, Kaufman recalls “They had signed Arnold Schwarzenegger, which I didn’t particularly think was a great idea. There were a couple of false starts, but luckily for us we hadn’t signed anything. Actually, Adam Rifkin (THE CHASE, CHILLERAMA) was the first one to come up with a re-imagining. He I would’ve gone with without a doubt, but they couldn’t get it together. But Macon Blair is like a gift from God.”
For the uninitiated, Macon Blair is the writer and director of the 2016 Netflix gem I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, as well as a producer and actor in the stellar thriller GREEN ROOM. His involvement in THE TOXIC AVENGER reboot brought the production back to its gory, DIY roots, incorporating a punk-rock ethos and a heavy insistence on practical effects. “The key is that the film has pathos. It’s got the familial thing, it’s got the underdog thing, and the Joycean Epiphany when Toxie explodes and says “I’m going to make the world a better place!” Kind of like in PEACEMAKER where John Cena says “We’re going to have peace all over the world if I have to kill everybody!” That’s Troma humor, perfectly.”
Kaufman would know. Troma Entertainment is where James Gunn got his start, and it has influenced countless other popular filmmakers, such as Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Eli Roth, and even Oliver Stone. I asked Lloyd Kaufman what achievement brings him the most pride, between creating Toxie, empowering others with his book MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN FILM, or the roster of filmmakers he’s inspired. His answer, surprisingly, was a quote from Voltaire: “‘Il faut cultiver notre jardin.’ We must cultivate our own garden. I’m most proud of the fact that Micahel Herz and I have been partners for 52 years. We’ve never had a written contract. He has the bank account. He’s the board. We’ve been honest. I’m happy to say that we’re litigation free, which is more than I can say for some of these other slobs.”
Macon Blair, with Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz aboard as producers, has created a TOXIC AVENGER that honors the original while creating something new and timely. The motivations of a sex-crazed teen don’t really translate well into the age of consent, so the titular Toxie has been aged up and reimagined as Winston Gooze, played by the ubiquitous Peter Dinklage. Rather than a mother figure that anchors him to his former humanity, Winston has a stepson, played by Jacob Tremblay, for whom he chooses to fight. Our Toxie has allies, too. Taylor Paige (BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F, “Welcome to Derry”) stars as a plucky reporter trying to expose the shady exploits of a health conglomerate dictating life in their city. Which brings us to the villains.
Every hero is only as good as his villains, and with 40 years of hindsight, that might be the redeeming quality of 1984’s THE TOXIC AVENGER. For all of its unnecessary nudity and thin characters, it had some truly deplorable villains that run down innocent children and take Polaroids of their bodies. We cheer when Toxie literally tears them apart, but with more film to make, he uncovers corruption in the city of Tromaville. In Blair’s version, the corruption ladder is the central villain, brought to the street level by The Killer Nutz, a Hollywood Undead-style band of Juggalos that play awful music and perpetrate even more awful violence at the behest of their manager, Fitz Garbinger (Elijah Wood). Fitz is, in turn, given his orders by his older brother Bob (Kevin Bacon), the head of a lifestyle brand that poisons its patrons. Add in some acolytes and mob connections and you’ve got plenty of baddies for Toxie to waste.
The brilliance of this new TOXIC AVENGER isn’t in its vengeance story, however. Not to say that it isn’t well done, but more than anything, this movie is hilarious. From its opening scenes with the Nutz attacking a newspaper reporter attempting to break the story of corruption, winkingly named Mel Ferd, to a side-splittingly funny scene when Winston is informed of his terminal brain condition, this film uses the conventions of screenwriting to incorporate metacommentary on film, horror, and mystery tropes. It’s surprisingly intelligent, despite the toilet humor, carnage, and profanity. There’s an undercurrent of heart in this film, but it is admittedly pretty far down there. The squeamish won’t even bother to look for it, while horror hounds may dismiss much of the pathos in favor of more ripping of appendages. For the rest of us, Macon Blair has made a film that’s funny, heartfelt, and gory enough to be sickeningly fun.
As if that weren’t enough to celebrate this film, there’s the marketing. From partnering with Liquid Death to speak out against toxic sugary sodas to erasing at least $5 Million in medical debt, this film is wearing its activism message on its sleeve. Maybe that’s why it’s so funny to me that when I asked Macon Blair about the film’s messaging, he sort of shrugged it off.
I spoke with Macon Blair two months ago about this hilarious film and I’m delighted to finally share our interview and his unique view on this property and this character.
THE TOXIC AVENGER finally releases in theaters this Friday, August 29th. Be a pal and Show the Fuck Up for Toxie and let me know if the remake met your expectations or if we need to dump all those involved in an acid bath.
Until next time, take care.
-McEric, aka Eric McClanahan-
