Director – Craig Pryce (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Goosebumps)
Starring – David Scammell (E.N.G., Street Legal), Kathryn Boese, and Derrick Strange
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 3.5/5
UHD Release – 4.5/5
Several years back, close to ten years ago now, I snagged a few bootleg flicks at a con for dirt cheap. Before you shit all over me, these films were not available on disc at the time and I always make sure I buy a copy of the film when an official release is eventually made. I only buy these boots when I really want to see the movie and it’s my only option to check it out. Coincidentally, this was the last boot I had bought because so many amazing films were finally finding releases on disc.
A few months back Terror Vision announced the UHD release of the 1990 comedy horror flick Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter which just happened to be one of the boots I bought. It’s a super fun flick that feels like a parody of direct to video sci-fi action flicks of the time. I quickly snagged this release that came with a press pass, t-shirt, and so on. This pre-order was a few months in the making but well worth it. As soon as I could I tossed it in and hit play.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a reporter who is investigating a radiation leak at the local power plant. The director of the board tells him there is no such leak and takes him for a personal tour of the plant. However, things do go well for the reporter when the director of the plant throws him into a pool of radioactive material. The company behind the power plant plays it off as an accident where he died but they were never able to retrieve his body. That’s because he never died. The chemicals left him disfigured while giving him a touch that burns along with acid spit. The company behind his hideous transformation set their sights on his girlfriend to tie up loose ends unknowing that he is very much alive. Using his new found powers, he begins killing the board and their director one by one. **Spoiler Alert**
Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter is a film that most would skip over. However, fans of Troma and no budget direct to video flicks of the late 80s will truly appreciate this one. It’s far from perfect but it’s a lot of fun.
The acting in this one feels reminiscent of the S.O.V. flicks of the early 90s. Honestly, I really enjoyed the cast and the characters they portrayed. The characters fit the story very well and the cast brings a lot of energy. They do show inexperience but it’s still enjoyable performance for the most part.
The story for this one reminds me a lot of the classic Troma flick The Toxic Avenger with normal person falling into toxic waste and gaining radioactive powers. The film continues the radioactive theme with the acid spit and burning touch. The film does differ in who the person was before being exposed to it and goes with a more traditional action style film. It is a bit of a missed opportunity not going full Darkman with the story but it’s still fun as is.
Finally, the film has a lot of fun effects. The make-up effects look fantastic. It’s hard to do a character with severe burns in a post-Nightmare on Elm St. world but this one works. We also get several other fantastic make-up effects gags. While the deaths are not as gory as I would have liked, I still enjoyed them and how they focused on the theme of the film. Overall, Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter is one of the many films that I review where the general public will immediately hate it while those that love low budget cinema and unusual flicks will really enjoy this one. I highly recommend checking out this one from Terror Vision while you still can!
Special Features:
Commentary with Craig Pryce (director/co-writer), David Wiechorek (co-writer), David Scammell (Mike R. Wave), and Grant Vistorino (Randy Cawk)
Commentary with Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation and Film Historian Jason Pichonsky
Making Revenge Of The Radioactive Reporter (23min)
Origins and Advice: Meet The Makers Of Revenge Of The Radioactive Reporter (7min)
Remembrance & Rumination Of Revenge Of The Radioactive Reporter (15min)
VFX Discussion with Craig Pryce and Visual Effects Supervisor John Gajdecki (30min)
Radioactive Reporter Screening with Q&A (2024) (31min)
Slide Show
Still Gallery
Trailers
