Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Yeah, I'm a fan of Troma films, to me their the Mad Magazine of movies (in my book anyway); their not the kind of films you take seriously, they don't take themselves seriously. This film is my sixth favorite in my list of Troma movies. I remember discovering this film in the horror section seeing that VHS cover which is cool looking, of course I couldn't see the film because I was too young back then to rent it out and I couldn't stay up for "USA Up All Night", but now that I was old enough this film it was a pleasant surprise because like the radioactive waste going though the school it was contagious fun.I really like the premise which is absurd which makes it all the more funny, having a nuclear power plant built a mere few blocks from the high school; what idiot thought that was a good idea is any ones guess (same could be said about building plants in general). So yeah, the whole high school has unsafe written all over it as we see the plant has more leaks than a discount Yakut and is causing nasty side effects to some students.The effects are great really like the make up effects and design on the radioactive creature, that looks like something out of the "Swamp Thing" comic series; as well as the gore effects which are on par; like at the very beginning some random nerd mutates and burns out which was nasty but a cool effect all the same. Or even some scenes of body horror which are almost worth of the Croningburg films.However for me what really powers this film are in it's humor as well as music. The music in the film is great, it's one of my favorite movie tracks there are just a lot of memorable and fun songs; the theme is great it's one of my favorite themes and it's really catchy. The humor is also great both visual and verbal, there are a lot of memorable jokes and quotes.What's interesting is the fact that the main characters are really The Cretins whom are a mutant gang. Yeah, their villains that are true to their name, but their just a lot of fun and they have a lot of memorable lines and moments. Really like the look of them which just screams wild and crazy and wardrobe malfunction at the same time which is part of why their unique.Spike is my favorite character whom is the leader of the gang, this guy is a total jerk but funny all the same. Really like that punk rock wig and facial make up it's sort of true to the punk rocker style. He's pretty much a guy that just wants to get what he wants in the worst way possible by any means.Gonzo is another favorite, this guy is just a total animal from the facial rings he wears, wild behavior, and just the fact that he doesn't talk much but make some weird animalistic noises.Muffy is my third favorite, on a side note I actually had a crush on this actress shame she didn't do more; she is just a bad girl all the way which is what makes her all the more nuclear hot, what can I say I'm attracted to bad girls. From her outfit but mainly just her personal which is feisty and sizzling bad.There are just lots of funny memorable moments I'll say a few I like I certain fight scenes from a fight in the restroom which is decent, it's not like the battle from "The Warriors" but it worked all the same, the funny thing about that was the fact Spike stupidly keep punching the wall, but then again when you fight in limited space that can happen.Or one with a mutated Warren against some gang members which was solid as it delivered on the gore effects and had my favorite kill in the film where we see Warren bury his fist in the throat of a gang member which was jaw dropping, you gotta see it to believe it.But of course my favorite scene is the evacuation of the school itself which was really exciting and hilarious; yeah if I ever heard there was going to be a nuclear meltdown at the school I'd bolt like hell too. As well as the vandalism where the Cretins are just destroying the school, sort of reminded me of part of the climax of "Rock N' Roll High School" but that was a lot of fun because it's not like that idea of demolishing the school was never was in the back of our minds.However what I really like is despite all the craziness and the humor with it, this film is surprising very moral/thoughtful as it parodies and satires on real life issues like Nucular Power the irresponsible use of it and total disregard for safety. As well as other issues like drugs, STDs, and teen pregnancy and their dangerous consequences; and school violence.Class of Nuke Em High is an explosion of humorous lunacy.Rating: 3 stars

Your typical 80s Troma film is a trashy low-budget piece of B-movie excess featuring lousy acting, lame humour, comic-book violence, gratuitous nudity, bad music, and even worse fashion; generally, this kind of exceedingly puerile, deliberately crappy nonsense has me cursing the day Lloyd Kauffman was born, but very occasionally I find that the Troma formula actually delivers a pretty good time, as is the case with Class of Nuke 'Em High, which displays just enough manic inventiveness and anarchic energy to ensure that boredom is never an option. Lots of gloopy gore and the impressive sight of lovely Janelle Brady in (and out of) her bikini also go a long way to make this one much easier to endure.Janelle plays Chrissie, one of the students at Tromaville High School, which lies in the shadow of the town's nuclear facility. When Chrissie shares a joint with her boyfriend Warren, unaware that the weed has been grown on the toxic land adjacent to the power plant, she finds herself in a sudden state of arousal leading to some impromptu rumpy pumpy with her more than eager beau. Of course, as everyone knows, unprotected sex while high on radioactive reefer can result in the birth of an ugly slug-baby only a few days later, a creature that can rapidly grow into a massive monster given the right environment—such as a warm basement full of toxic waste, just like the one under Tromaville High!With wee gags, fart gags, a gang of outrageously daft punks, lots of ugly people, a swim-wear frat party, and plenty of surprisingly decent make-up effects (including the monster punching right through a woman's head), this clearly isn't high art, but if you're only going to watch one Troma film in your life, and you cant lay your grubby paws on Poultrygeist or The Toxic Avenger, you might as well make it this.

Typical Troma-trash, this smutty 80's flick is considered one of the "highlights" of Lloyd Kaufman's notorious production studio, alongside "The Toxic Avenger" released one year earlier. "The Toxic Avenger" is far superior if you ask me, but this demented splatter-flick is nevertheless endurable as well; just make sure you leave your full brain capacity at the door. The events take place in Tromaville, a little town that proudly claims to be the toxic chemical capital of the world, and they certainly aren't lying. The safety precautions in the local nuclear power plant are substandard, to say the least (even Homer Simpson never was this nonchalant) and toxic waste seeps through to the nearby high school. The first intoxicated victim is the stereotypical nerd, who starts spurting green stuff out of all his body cavities, but his death is believed to be an accident because he had no less than TWO microwave ovens in his house! Oh, the humanity! Shortly after, however, the nuclear leaks also affect the school's weed plantation and thing really start to get messy. After smoking a joint at a party, the cutest couple in school produce a gigantic worm monster that settles in the basement and feeds on teenage scum. "Class of Nuke 'em High" is bottom-of-the-barrel horror film-making, with dialogs so dumb they hurt your ears and make-up effects that give a whole new meaning to the word tasteless. If you enjoy watching faces melting away, getting crushed or splitting in half, this is definitely a must-see! Unlike the aforementioned "The Toxic Avenger", this film suffers from a couple of really dull and overlong moments where nothing really significant happens, like for example when Chrissy and Warren try to figure out what's wrong with their hormones. The crude humor isn't as effective as in "Toxic Avenger" and the acting performances are unforgivably amateurish. Proceed only if you're an avid Troma-fanatic.

Okay, like everything that comes from Troma, this is not for the faint of heart and if you don't like senseless violence in your movies then steer clear of CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH. I think they go over the top on certain things in these movies and it can get in the way of the story. The creature effects are impressive considering it's 1986. The story is a tad strange and the acting is over the top at places. But it's also a comedy, so the over the top acting and effects might be part of the dark humor. All and all an entertaining movie and the sequels are good in their own right, they also have their own flaws, but I will get to them when the time comes. I give the first and best CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 9 STARS.