Plot: What’s it about?
Tromaville High has never been that good of a place to send your kids to learn, but of late the school has been even worse than usual. It seems as though the nuclear power plant nearby has been leaking radioactive toxic waste and that waste has been flowing right onto the school ground, into the water system and all other aspects of the place. Students have been contaminated and are showing signs of radioactive poisoning and in some extreme cases the kids have become mutated. As if the leaks weren’t bad enough now there are some contaminated drugs been sold to the students, which means the whole situation is about to get a whole lot worse. The kids begin to suffer and become freaks, but none worse than the honor society students who become twisted and depraved beings. These once bright and brilliant children have become The Cretins and started their own motorcycle gang which rules the school. What will happen to this horrific place? Will the damage done ever be repaired? Who knows and who cares, just sit back and enjoy this Troma classic.
If you’re a Troma addict then this title is a must have, as no Troma collection could ever complete without this all time classic. I feel this is one of Troma’s most known classics along with The Toxic Avenger and this one has all the needed ingredients to make even the most demanding Troma fan pleased as punch. As you expect from a solid Troma movie this one is loaded with super cool make-up and gore effects, some of which are downright disgusting and vile. In other words, this is terrific stuff! The blood flows like wine and splatters everywhere and the creature effects are usually very solid, although a couple of them seem cheesy. But who doesn’t expect a little cheese from their Troma, I know I do. There is some pretty funny dialogue found here and some highly amusing bodily function gags, which includes one hilarious flatulation scene which I love. This isn’t high brow cinema, but if you expected that from this film you need to have your damn head examined, you freak. I recommend this title to all fans of Troma films and with a loaded disc issued, this one belongs in the private collection so pick it up!
This film was directed by Richard W. Haines and Lloyd Kaufman, who serves as the moral and financial backbone to the studios of Troma. This guy (Kaufman) takes a lot of slack for making blood filled and nudity laced flicks, but since the fans keeping snapping them up I’d say he is in the right business. I mean sure the level of technical directing is lower than your usual Hollywood movie, but let’s see one of those flashy directors make a movie on a low budget like this. Nine out of ten times, I’ll put my money on Troma to make a more entertaining low budget picture. The compositions and what not seem in order throughout the movie, which is really all you need from a movie like this. The directors also manage to pull adequate performances from the actors, which might have been difficult when you think about the circumstances this film was made under. Kaufman also directed The Toxic Avenger, Troma’s War, Tromeo & Juliet, and many other Troma staples. The cast in this film does an adequate job, but then again never expect superior acting from a Troma flick. The cast includes Robert Prichard (Alien Space Avenger), Gilbert Brenton, Pat Ryan (Street Trash, Eat And Run), Janelle Brady (The ALLnighter), and James Nugent Vernon.
Video: How does it look?
Class Of Nuke ‘Em High is presented in a 1.33:1 or full frame transfer, which seems to be an acceptable aspect ratio. While an anamorphic widescreen version would be a welcome turn, this open matte version provides an adequate visual presentation. The colors seem bright and bold and I didn’t notice any smears, flesh tones also remain natural throughout. The contrast is solid also and contains complex shadows and high detail level. There are some compression errors, but they never distract from the movie. This isn’t as good as we expect from this format, but it is the best this movie has ever looked.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t the kind of movie where you focus on the audio, but this release contains an effective track which offers a solid audio experience. The music sounds clear and undistorted and the effects come through well also. The effects are usually lower impact type stuff, but some powerful sounds emerge and this mix makes them all sound adequate. The dialogue sounds good with no volume or clarity issues I could detect at all. This isn’t the best audio out there, but for a stereo track it’s pretty damn good.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As usual Troma has issued a features packed disc with both a wealth of Troma goodies and some film specific bonus materials as well. You’ll find scenes from Tromaville Cafe’s television show that deal with this film as well as the theatrical trailer for this film and other Troma classics. A very cool five and half minute interview with Robert & Jennifer Prichard has been included, in which they discuss their memories of the production. A terrific assortment of seven deleted scenes has been jammed onto this disc also and I think fans will be quite pleased to view these. I also found a nice array of still photos in the Class Of Nuke ‘Em High “Fear Book,” which was a cool addition. A hilarious audio commentary with co-director Lloyd Kaufman makes for an interesting and informative listen and I recommend all of his tracks to Troma fans. Kaufman discusses many aspects of this movie and how he has evolved his style over the years, very cool stuff. The package lists a second commentary track, but I was unable to locate it using the menus or remote control. If you know how, please fire me off an email.
