While not a mega-blockbuster, The Toxic Avenger put Troma on the map and established Lloyd Kaufman as a cult figure. But while their landmark superhero horror-comedy became a cult phenomenon, it didn’t seem to do much for actor Mark Torgl. After playing Melvin the Mop Boy, he didn’t act in anything until Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV in 2001. To commemorate the original’s 30th anniversary, Torgl was invited as a guest to the Mad Monster Party Convention in 2013. While there, Torgl was accompanied by filmmaker Joe Nardelli, who filmed his time at the convention. This sparked an idea between the two to make a mockumentary about Torgl’s whereabouts after the original film. With the fanbase’s and Troma’s support, they raised $4,500 to shoot their fan project, which took roughly four years. In 2017, Toxic Tutu premiered worldwide at that year’s Mad Monster Party Convention, where it all began.
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Synopsis
After thirty years of being out of the public light, Mark Torgl makes his first-ever convention appearance. He meets all his loyal fans and is reunited with Lloyd Kaufman, who immortalized him as Melvin the Mop Boy. Unfortunately, before he can take in the sights and sounds, Mark is taken away by armed goons and presumed missing. On The Toxic Avenger, Torgl was exposed to toxic waste, which disfigured his face and has since resurfaced. The sludge has been linked to several deaths, as well as caused heightened sexual stimulation, which makes it highly valuable. At the same time, the kidnappers who abducted Mark are two sisters who specifically want him for their nefarious purposes. As the fans scramble in a panic, a group known as the Tutu Brigade sets out to rescue Mark. What do the sisters want, and what made Mark disappear for so long?
Review
Long before I started doing Troma Tuesdays regularly, I was a massive fan of the studio and Lloyd Kaufman. As a fan, I was interested in seeing a mockumentary about what happened to Mark Torgl, thinking it’d be fun. Unfortunately, while the film has ambition, Toxic Tutu stumbles over itself and becomes a disappointingly chaotic mess. I understand this movie had a minuscule budget, but I’ve seen much better-looking movies that cost very little. At first, the film starts like a mockumentary, with Mark Torgl being followed around as he tours the convention. There are some genuinely fun moments, and it’s heartwarming seeing Torgl reunite with Kaufman after all these years. Unfortunately, once Mark gets kidnapped, the movie seems to forget it’s a mockumentary and goes off the rails. What follows is so cluttered and all over the place that it’s hard to know what’s happening.
We jump from Torgl touring a convention to a conspiracy about the toxic waste he ingested and how it resurfaces. Then, there are subplots about rival sisters, the director trying to uncover secrets at Troma, and overly convoluted backstories. I’m all for guerilla filmmaking, and sometimes what you capture in the moment works better, but it doesn’t work here. It doesn’t help that most of the acting is terrible, except for Torgl, Kaufman, Joe Nardelli, and Genoveva Rossi. Granted, there are some fun cameos from Diana Prince, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Mel Novak, and Shawn Phillips. We get a few interview segments with some of the original cast, which is a nice touch. Still, unless you’re a die-hard Troma fan, you will most likely hate this rather messy and unfocused mockumentary. Overall, Toxic Tutu is a film made by fans for fans, but that’s about it.
Buy Toxic Tutu from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WSTFsa.
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