The Toxic Avenger #3

I wasn't even aware that Toxie had his own series these days! I think this issue came out a few weeks back.

© The Weirding, 2024

On Frightmare - A Review

Frightmare is a good example of Troma's mixed fare. Though it has since established itself firmly, early Troma sometimes played it straight and generally got it right, as with Frightmare. It is a by-the-numbers vampire flick in the Hammer tradition, but it is a decent entry into the field, despite its utter lack of originality. Frightmare is less "steeped-in" or "inspired by" than "cobbled together from."

It follows the Hammer formula basically to the tee, with a little dose of 1950's urban legend and some good-old, early '80's punk rock culture thrown-in for spice. It is not an "update" but a rehash, especially so soon after the original Hammer Dracula films were made, but at least it's an effective one. It also owes a big tip of the hat to Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, but only for its "not a vampire" premise. Regardless, it is a traditional horror morality tale in leg warmers and jean jackets, told under neon lights.

The lush sets, wardrobing, and excellent acting keep you engaged despite the fact that it telegraphs its every move -- all of which you've seen before. The imagery is deep, vibrant, and iconographic, but there is no mistaking Frightmare's true nature-- you've seen this done before, and you've seen it done better. You've seen it done by Hammer (several times over, in fact).

Frightmare, and several movies like it, actually built Tromaville and put Toxie and his classmates through school. By 1984-85, Lloyd Kaufman had found the Troma template and I don't think he ever looked back, but Troma's early years were a careful mix of trashy, over-the-top gorefests and more traditional fare. Someone once told someone else, who told some reporter for some magazine or something, 'You make one movie for the money you need to make the movie you want to do,' (close enough!) and I believe that was Kaufman's vision for Troma from Jumpstreet.

Frightmare may be a schlocker, but it really is a decent flick that, while it owes literally everything to Hammer, shows that there are some solid, spooky players roaming Tromaville's city streets.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

On Surf Nazis Must Die - A Review

Surf Nazis Must Die (SNMD) is not much of a horror movie -- in fact, it is only barely that at all -- but it is a Troma movie, which means you are likely to be disgusted at some point. Like most Troma movies, Surf Nazis Must Die is more pointlessly tasteless than anything else.

While the name is synonymous with tastelessness and over-the-top gore today, it was not unusual in the early 1980s to pull a straight flick out of the fledgling company. Troma was a real mixed bag in those days, but by the mid-1980s, with the success of such titles as The Toxic Avenger, Tromaville had become overrun by outlandish, cartoon stereotypes of the cartoon stereotypes found in every genre flick. Quite brilliant in its regard, but also an acquired taste, and a knowledge of the genre is a must to truly appreciate Troma flicks.

Troma usually employs the same tropes as other horror flicks, and Surf Nazis Must Die is little more than a revenge flick with a tinge of blacksploitation. Unfortunately, Troma is also known for failing to develop a real plot, characters, or story, and follow-through on them, and this movie is no different. Like all Troma films, the visuals are the payoff, and SNMD definitely delivers in bursts, but the whole blaxploitation angle is downplayed about halfway through and the movie loses focus as it tries to "explore" the titular nazis and their whole... thing.

There really isn't much to see here, but Surf Nazis Must Die somehow manages to keep your attention right to the abrupt conclusion, at which point you will promptly forget everything that just happened. It is a good view for fans of both the company and the genre, but more for historical context than anything else.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010