‘Citizen Toxie’ Is Troma at Its Filthy...

Troma boss Lloyd Kaufman has been out in pressure speaking up Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger, a spirited reimagining of the studio’s 1984 cult basic set to irradiate an entire new era when it hits theaters this month. However when io9 received an opportunity to speak to Kaufman on the latest San Diego Comedian-Con, we needed to ask: after watching Blair’s movie, which different movie within the huge Troma archives ought to a newly minted fan flip to subsequent?

“The fourth Poisonous Avenger film, Citizen Toxie,” Kaufman stated with out hesitation. “It offers with abortion, it offers with college shootings, [the environment]—it offers with every part that an American may be pleased with proper now. It was made in 2000, it’s 25 years previous, [and] all these issues are nonetheless worse than ever.”

A couple of minutes later, he doubled down on Citizen Toxie, saying that after Blair’s new movie, “It’s one of the best one. I like that one one of the best.”

Kaufman directed and co-wrote the movie—full title, Citizen Toxie: The Poisonous Avenger IV—which begins with a suspiciously familiar-sounding narrator (Kaufman pal Stan Lee) recapping the unique movie, apologizing for the 2 “rotten” films that got here after, and relaying a agency assurance, backed up by on-screen textual content, that “That is the Actual Sequel.”

With that taken care of, we plunge proper into an onslaught of equal-opportunity offensiveness. If one thing makes you recoil, retch, or each, simply hold tight as a result of one thing a lot extra repulsive and terrible is about to occur 30 seconds later. Troma’s complete strategy is to focus on the lowest-hanging fruit attainable, all whereas making enjoyable of everybody and every part and taking a blowtorch to something resembling political correctness.

There is a plot propelling all of the rapid-fire gags knowingly slathered in unhealthy style. The movie begins on the “Tromaville College for the Very Particular” on “take a Mexican to lunch day” as a gang of gun-toting grownup infants bursts in and begins slaughtering college students. It’s an excuse for an ungodly array of poop jokes, lurid groping, gratuitous nudity, outrageous gore, exaggerated performances… and extra, all of which continues all through the film. Conserving in thoughts that frightening a visceral response is the entire level, you possibly can resolve straight away when you can abdomen the remainder.

Nevertheless, when you resolve to stay round, you’ll see an really fairly intelligent setup emerge: when the college blows up, Toxie (who’s rushed in to rescue everybody) and two of the “very particular” college students find yourself in a mirror universe. It’s “Amortville” somewhat than “Tromaville,” and if that’s too high-concept, some man you might need heard of named James Gunn stops by to do a Stephen Hawking imitation (his character is known as “Flem Hocking”) and spew out a bunch of pseudo-physics explanations.

Whereas Toxie’s blundering round a by some means worse model of his personal actuality, “Noxie”—quick for the Noxious Offender—seems in Tromaville in his place. Chaos ensues, the native Nazis rejoice, and Citizen Toxie makes good on its title by giving Noxie his personal black and white newsreel that unfurls like a much more debauched Citizen Kane. We additionally get amusing character variations in every universe, together with a number of hapless Troma “superheroes.” All of the whereas, the evil Noxie causes as a lot destruction as he can and Toxie frantically tries to make his means house—a process that takes a nudge from The Wizard of Oz to perform.

Finally, the 2 face off utilizing mops that sound curiously like Star Wars lightsabers. However it’s possible you’ll be exhausted lengthy earlier than the ending, which contains a Kaufman cameo (after a film full of them; except for Lee and Gunn, there’s Eli Roth, Motorhead’s Lemmy, porn star Ron Jeremy, Corey Feldman, and doubtless extra). And even if you’re vibing with the jokes, Citizen Toxie should still trigger precise offense. For me, the racist dragging scene—which replicates an precise hate crime that viewers in 2000 would absolutely have recalled—pushes issues too far, even when on this context the supposed homicide sufferer’s head survives and turns into a charismatic addition to the supporting solid.

There’s admittedly not a number of depth occurring right here, and positively zero nuance. However beneath all of the gallons of bodily fluids, there’s a sure free-spirited chaos that guides Troma’s strategy. The studio’s not attempting to “personal” any delicate viewers or insurgent in opposition to wokeness, ideas which didn’t even exist again in 2000. Above all else, it’s aiming to entertain, taking the grossest route attainable to attain that aim.

And whereas Citizen Toxie is filled with disgusting jokes and stereotypes, its misshapen hero is genuinely attempting to be man. That’s one thing that carries over into the brand new Toxie Avenger, which updates Troma’s extra, uh, antiquated qualities in one of the best methods attainable, leading to a movie that’s extra intelligent than crass (however nonetheless crass when it must be). Each movies additionally share some key takeaways: don’t be an asshole. Arise for what you consider in and battle for many who can’t. And embrace no matter makes you bizarre and completely different—like being a Troma fan, for example.

Citizen Toxie: The Poisonous Avenger IV is streaming free on Prime Video and can also be accessible on Troma’s personal streamer, Troma Now. The Poisonous Avenger hits theaters August 29.

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