Bride Of Killer Nerd (1992)

i must have seen a different film!!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

BRIDE OF KILLER NERD is the inevitable follow-up to KILLER NERD, the title referencing THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Sadly, even by Troma standards these two films aren't any good at all. They're shot on video black comedies in which geeky characters are celebrated and turn the tables on the bullies who oppress them in various silly ways.Imagine THE TOXIC AVENGER without the main character becoming a toxic superhero and you'll see how these films are. The production values are rock bottom, the humour is forced and unfunny, and there really is no reason to watch a bunch of characters mumbling their way through meaningless dialogue - unless you're a glutton for punishment.

Terminally dorky oddball Harold Kunkle (the singular Toby Radloff in stellar spazzoid form) finds a soul mate in the form of sweet nerdette Thelma (a winningly gawky portrayal by Heidi Lohr). This daffy duo of dweebs join forces to fight back against those cruel folks who mercilessly persecute them for being different. Writers/directors Mark Steven Bosko and Wayne Alan Harold bring a much darker and more mean-spirited tone to this follow-up to the enjoyable original: The violence committed by the geeky leads manages to be quite gruesome and nasty, with an inspired parody of the famous "Psycho" shower scene and an especially brutal castration rating as the definite harsh highlights. Once again, Radloff's distinctly idiosyncratic presence keeps the picture afloat. Moreover, the romance between our two socially maladjusted misfits possesses a certain innocent off-kilter charm while their savage killing spree is very startling and ferocious, with Thelma's grotesque white clown make-up making for a genuinely creepy sight to behold. The rough cinematography by Alan Stevens boasts a few nifty stylistic flourishes. Sean Carlin's funky bumping score does the right-on groovy trick. Good twisted fun.

Here's the thing: Harold is a nerd, and in the first movie (Killer Nerd, which I am yet to see) he killed violently all of the people who had persecuted and ridiculed him and generally made his life a misery, including his mother. Now he's all alone and contemplating suicide. As luck would have it though, one day at church he meets Thelma, a fellow nerd, and they team up. They get invited to a party and are soundly humiliated and, guess what? Go on, have a go. That's right, they go on a killing spree to exact revenge on all those who tormented them.Shocking acting, woeful dialogue, terrible direction, this is good fun. Though not in The Toxic Avenger league, this is still a sound Troma release.

It's great to see Kunkel make a comeback. Even though this one can't live up to the standards of the first "Killer Nerd" (but what could live up to those lofty standards?), it is still amusing and a pleasant way to pass ninety minutes.