The Toxic Avenger Collection: 4K UHD Set

As Lloyd Kaufman likes to point out on each of the newly remastered disks on this box set, we have TA in 4K. The 1984 film, The Toxic Avenger holds a very special place in my heart. I originally watched it on Betamax, when my mom rented it for me while I was home sick from school. I think she thought she was renting kids movie for me.  She thought wrong! Ironically, Toxie did wind up having his own kid-friendly cartoon years later, much like other R-rated properties like Robocop and Rambo. While none of the three sequels that followed were anywhere near as impactful as the original, they all still managed to deliver some goofy Toxie fun. If you are a Toxic Avenger fan, I am pleased to report that this 4K collection is just what you have been waiting for.

It all started nearly forty years ago with what would go on to become the signature film for Troma Entertainment’s, The Toxic Avenger. Set in the fictional town of Tromaville, New Jersey, health club janitor Melvin Ferd jumps out of a window and into a barrel of toxic waste after a group of deranged customers play a nasty trick on him. The toxic chemicals transform the 98-pound Melvin into a hideously deformed mutant of superhuman size and strength. Now, whenever Melvin senses evil around, he is driven to destroy it and unlike heroes from the Marvel and DC universes, The Toxic Avenger kills the evildoers. This includes the city mayor who happens to be behind most of Tromaville’s crime. The Toxic Avengers is equal parts horror and comedy and pulls off both beautifully. I sadly can’t say the same about the first two sequels.

In The Toxic Avenger Part II, Tromaville has once again become a nice place to live, now that Toxie has purged the town of all evil. Unfortunately, the chairman of Apocalypse Inc, which specializes in polluting the environment with toxic chemicals wants to get rid of Toxie. When attempts to kill him fail, the chairman, pays off Toxie’s therapist to talk him into going to Japan to find his long-lost father. While Toxie is gone, Apocalypse Inc takes over Tromaville and torments the town’s citizens. Of course, Toxie does come back and puts an end to Apocalypse Inc…well, that is until The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie.

In the third film and easily the worst of the lot, Toxie finds himself now employed by Apocalypse Inc and unknowingly helping destroy the town he loves. Toxie took the job to pay for his blind girlfriend’s eye surgery and didn’t think too much about what kind of work the corporation was doing. Never made much sense after the events of Part II.

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV is the most unique of the sequels. While it has never been one of the more popular, it did go and correct some of the issues that plagued parts II and III. First off, they fixed Toxie’s voice which sounds more in-line with the first film. The gory kills are once again quite nasty. Finally, we are treated to our very first live-action multiverse story, decades before Marvel and DC. While the fourth and final film in the series isn’t as memorable as the original, it wisely reboots the film, ignoring the events of the previous two films. Again, this is something that was done years before franchises like Halloween and The Exorcist tried it.

The original negative for The Toxic Avenger Part II was missing several short dialogue sequences in the first quarter of the film, which has been removed for pacing issues. However, since those film elements could not be located, Troma inserted those scenes from the highest quality digital master.

All four films were scanned from the original camera negatives and presented in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR with English DTS 2.0 stereo audio. Each film presentation is an improvement over their Blu-ray releases. Citizen Toxie might have the strongest presentation due to the more recent production. Environments look detailed, the greens of the toxic waste really stand out, especially with the later films. The practical effects look even more gruesome at times. The improved 2.0 DTS-HD audio is also step-up from the Blu-ray. While it won’t blow you away, it gets the job done and honestly, that’s all that is needed for such low-fi productions.

If you are a massive Toxic Avenger fan, this set is definitely for you. While the film’s aren’t available in 4K individually yet, this set might cost you a pretty penny, thankfully the holidays are coming up and you know what to put on your gift list.

TOXIC BONUS FEATURES:

• New 4K scan and restoration (from the films’ original camera negatives*) of each film presented in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR with English DTS 2.0 Stereo audio
• New introductions for each film from Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger
• Optional English Subtitles for the deaf or hard of hearing on all discs
• Collectible Toxic Avenger Postcard
• Region Free 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs

THE TOXIC AVENGER [Unrated Director’s Cut] 4K Ultra HD

• Prologue by Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Cast Members Robert Prichard, Gary Schneider, and Dan Snow
• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman

THE TOXIC AVENGER [Unrated Director’s Cut] Blu-ray

• Introduction by Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Cast Members Robert Prichard, Gary Schneider, and Dan Snow
• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Interviews with Cast Members Jennifer Baptist, Robert Prichard, Mitch Cohen, and Dan Snow
• Interview with Co-Director Michael Herz
• “Mark Torgl Talks About The Toxic Avenger” featurette
• Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
• Trailers

THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II [Unrated Director’s Cut*] 4K Ultra HD

• Prologue by Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman

THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II [Unrated Director’s Cut*] Blu-ray

• Introduction by Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary With Director Lloyd Kaufman
• “At Home with Toxie” Mockumentary
• Interview with Cast Member Lisa Gaye
• Japanese News Report On The Filming of The Toxic Avenger Part II
• “Radiation March” Short Film Directed by Lloyd Kaufman
• The American Cinematheque Honors 40 Years of Troma
• Trailers

THE TOXIC AVENGER PART III: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF TOXIE [Unrated Director’s Cut] 4K Ultra HD

• Prologue by Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Cast Member Joe Fleishaker

THE TOXIC AVENGER PART III: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF TOXIE [Unrated Director’s Cut] Blu-ray

• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Cast Member Joe Fleishaker
• Behind the Scenes of the “Return to Nuke ’em High Vol. 1” screening at MOMA
• The American Cinematheque Honors 40 Years of Troma
• “Make Your Own Damn Horror Film” – Behind the Scenes of Old 37 with Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley
• “A Halloween Carol” Short Film
• Infomercial for “Rabid Grannies” Blu-ray Release
• “Radiation March” Short Film Directed by Lloyd Kaufman

CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER PART IV [Unrated Director’s Cut] 4K Ultra HD

• Prologue by Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Editor Gabriel Griedman
• Audio Commentary with Cast Member Trent Haaga

CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER PART IV [Unrated Director’s Cut] Blu-ray

• “Apocalypse Soon: The Making of Citizen Toxie” Behind the Scenes Documentary
• Audio Commentary with Director Lloyd Kaufman
• Audio Commentary with Editor Gabriel Friedman
• Audio Commentary with Cast Member Trent Haaga
• Tribute to Lemmy Kilmister
• The American Cinematheque Honors 40 Years of Troma
• Trailers

By: Marc Ferman