Director(s) – Richard W. Haines (Splatter University, Head Games) and Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead)
Starring – Janelle Brady (Teen Wold Too), Gil Brenton (Lexx, Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV), and Robert Prichard (The Toxic Avenger, Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space)
Release Date – 1986
Rating – 4.5/5
Tagline – “Readin…Writin…and Radiation!”
When I started writing reviews for my blog back in 2011 I promised to only write reviews for films that I have just watched for the first time. That way I will be able to go into the film with a fresh, new look and no memories of previous viewing experiences. That would prevent me from making a biased review. However, just like with any rule, I sometimes have to make an exception to that rule. Recently I was able to get a screener for newest installment in the Nuke ‘Em High series Return to Nuke ‘Em High Vol. 1.
After watching that film I really wanted to watch the original trilogy and decided it would be a good idea to review them all since I have yet to see parts II and III. The first film in the series is hands down my favorite Troma flick with The Toxic Avenger following close behind. So I took down my box set, dusted it off, and gave the entire trilogy a go!
**Spoiler Alert**The film takes place at a high school in Tromaville. The school is located directly in front of a nuclear power plant that has just experienced a chemical spill. The chemical has found it’s way to the school where it has turned the honor roll students into drug dealing mutants known as The Cretins. The Cretins sell weed laced in chemicals from the power plant that has extreme side effects for those that smoke it.
It is then that we meet the lovely couple Warren (Brenton) and Chrissy (Brady). Warren and Chrissy smoke a joint at a party and follow it up with a little hide the sausage. That night Warren mutates into a bloodthirsty killer that tracks down members of the Cretins and kills them while Chrissy is pregnant (in a sense) and flushes the abomination down the toilet. The Cretins retaliate and kidnap Chrissy while taking over the school. Warren enters the school to save his love but there is something else in there…lurking.**Spoiler Alert**
When I was in middle school I absolutely loved this film, however, the only way I could see this film was on a recorded VHS that was missing the first 5 minutes. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I was able to figure out what the actual title of this was. I have probably seen this film at least 20 times but not a single time in the last 5 or so years until recently and I have to say that it is just as much fun now as it was the 15 years ago when I first saw it.
The acting in this film is bad but it is the kind of film where the cast act bad intentionally. The characters demonstrate the wrong emotions at the wrong time and completely misread the situation. With that being said, I think the cast is amazing for being able to do that on purpose. The story is one that has been seen before but not that much before the release of this film. The story is fun and work exceptionally well for a horror comedy. The story would have been a solid story as a campy 60’s sci-fi flick as well. However, if it was turned into a serious flick it would have fell apart ending in a shitstorm.
Finally, the film has a lot of special effects and on screen kills…and I mean a lot. The kills are fun and can easily be compared to the kills found in any S.O.V. horror flick. The special effects are also fun and very impressive. In fact, the special effects and death scenes are the biggest selling point of this film. Overall, Class of Nuke ‘Em High is a classic example of a campy 80s horror film with great special effects. If you have yet to see this Troma flick then do yourself a favor and buy it now!
