On a budget of $500,000, The Toxic Avenger was a hit upon release, grossing $800,000 and receiving mostly favorable reviews. The film was also a hit on home video, which helped to put Troma on the map as an independent. Following the success, co-founder and president Lloyd Kaufman decided that this is the direction that Troma should take moving forward. For their next project, they hired Richard W. Haines, who recently wrote and directed the horror-comedy Splatter University. He and Kaufman would team up to tell another story surrounding nuclear waste, but this time set in high school. Perhaps taking inspiration from Mark L. Lester’s Class of 1984, they decided to inject some blood, boobs, and crude humor. Hell, they even added “Class of” to the title to trick people into thinking they were seeing Lester’s film. In any case, 1986 saw the release of Class of Nuke ‘Em High.
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Synopsis
In the city of Tromaville, the local nuclear power plant springs a leak that seeps into the nearby high school. The radiation starts affecting the students, turning the preppy honor roll into a gang of vile and malicious Cretins. Lovebirds Warren (Gil Brenton) and Chrissy (Janelle Brady) are the only ones who suspect something, but no one seems concerned. Warren’s friend Eddie (James Nugent Vernon) scores some weed from the Cretins, who promise him it’ll provide an “atomic high”. At an indoor bikini party, Eddie gets Warren and Chrissy to smoke it, which leads to them making love. They end up having vivid hallucinations, Warren starts killing the Cretins, and Chrissy vomits a small creature into a toilet. As Spike (Robert Prichard), the Cretins leader, plans his attack on the school, something is lurking and on the prowl. Just what’s going on at Nuke ‘Em High?
Review
If The Toxic Avenger put Troma on the map, Class of Nuke ‘Em High solidified their image in independent cinema. Much like their previous film, this one revels in the blood, boobs, and gross-out humor to near excessive levels. Also, similar to Toxie, this has that same slapdash, rebellious nature to it, which makes it feel even more independent. For as low as the budget is, many of the effects are well-done, especially the melting and creature effects. There are some optical effects thrown in, especially during the hallucination scenes, though these are few and far between. Admittedly, parts of the movie feel isolated from each other, like they’re random scenes stitched together without any connective tissue. Like Toxie, some scenes are pure Troma chaos, but there are tons of filler scenes in between that drag. Honestly, the quote on quote plot doesn’t really pick up until 20 minutes in.
The acting is about on par with The Toxic Avenger: intentionally silly and exaggerated performances with actors making ridiculous faces. The Cretins, in particular, are the most over-the-top and are having fun playing such colorful villains with unique designs. Brenton and Brady fit the role of the archetypal high school couple, and Vernon works as the comedic relief. It’s interesting seeing Prichard and Gary Schneider playing reverse roles from the characters they played in The Toxic Avenger. Going back to the film’s slapdash nature, one negative aspect is that the editing sometimes comes off as choppy. Troma films are known for being chaotic, but the slightly disjointed editing can make it difficult to know what’s happening. On a final note, the soundtrack is great, filled with some really catchy rock songs including the title song. Overall, Class of Nuke ‘Em High is another enjoyable entry in Troma’s cinematic library.
Buy Class of Nuke ‘Em High from Troma Direct: https://bit.ly/36fOrhO
