Atomic College

Troma usually gives us demented violent comedies and they are really cool if very politically incorrect. I love them. This film is also cool. It has no real plot, but it's fun to laugh at the weird stuff going on. It is funny, but not as dark as the average troma film. If you were just trying to get into troma movies, this would be a good place to start. Not as gory as Toxic Avenger, Not as funny as Kabukiman, but still a cool movie.

When it comes to stupid trash films, Troma have no equal; and while the vast majority of their output is absolute rubbish, now and again you'll find a few gems in the rough; and unlikely as it may seem, Class of Nuke 'Em High is one such gem. The film presents a post-apocalyptic style similar to that seen in films such as The Warriors and Escape From New York, and blends it with the idea of a school being run by several students; which is reminiscent of the hit thriller Class of 1984. This is all then mixed in with stoner culture; as its toxic weed that causes all the problems, and you have a recipe for a successful trash flick. The film opens with a 'routine nuclear evacuation drill' at Tromaville High; a school situated next to a nuclear power plant. One kid goes mental, and it's not long before we see that a local gang are buying weed from a nuclear plant worker and selling it to the kids at school. The weed grows faster than normal; and there's a reason for that, as toxic waste has contaminated it and pretty soon the kids of Tromaville High start acting rather strangely...

If this film was made by any other production company; I'd probably say it has a point to make about the advent of nuclear power, but since this is Troma it's clear that they've simply lifted a common fear and turned it into a schlock film. There's absolutely no point to it; but seeing all the general carnage is a lot of fun, and director Richard W. Haines isn't afraid to go completely over the top, despite the obvious limitations of his special effects budget. The film plays out something like a zombie movie; although there are influences from other sources, and not all the afflicted characters turn into mindless beings. The gang at the centre of the film is an interesting troupe, and their style fits the jokey tone of the film very well. It's good to see a film like this that has a sense of humour, and absolutely nothing in the film is to be taken seriously; shown best by the fact that the central location is 'Tromaville', and is the 'toxic chemical capital of the world'! The special effects towards the end get a little silly, but it's all in good fun; and while this movie won't be to everyone's tastes, if you enjoy schlock horror - you'll love this!

Troma amuses me, no doubt, but I really like the older stuff better. "Class of Nuke 'em High" is a great example. Nowadays it's like Troma's gotten TOO good at what they do, which sort of kills the charm of their special brand of filmmaking (Though I anticipate "Citizen Toxie"). This one's pretty funny in just about every way, completely ridiculous all around. I love that the pot grows right outside the power plant and only 1 or 2 workers notice. I love how all the signs featured look like someone glued cut-out construction paper letters to a piece of poster board. I love the dialogue from the fat guy who runs the power plant. I love the Cretins' incredible overacting, and who couldn't love the monster? The heroine's pretty cute, too, and this is just that special brand of cheezy charm Troma used to bring us....I guess it's tough to recommend it to anybody who doesn't already have a taste for this stuff, but if you do and haven't seen it, rent it! And check out the narrator's voice in the trailer when he announces the title....

Funny: The comedy is wittier than you'd expect. Along with the obvious gross gags, there are some deadpan character reactions that made me laugh, like when some of the men checking the plant for radioactivity were dropping like flies and their colleagues, who were standing right beside them, didn't seem to notice or care. Also, you learn a useful lesson here: when you find a barrel full of green slime that smells bad and makes weird noises, DON'T stick your hand into it!

Sexy: The heroine is cute, but the two (or were there three?) bad girls are from another planet!

Gory: Considering the budget they probably had to work with, the gore effects are ingenious. The mutations, mutilations and monsters all look good.

I've not seen enough Troma films to compare this with, but it's fun for at least one viewing. (**1/2)

If only my highschool was like this...eerily predicting a violent chaotic state of highschools in the future loaded with biker gangs and mutants. I first saw this movie on USA's "Up All Night" back in the early 90's when I was about 8 years old and it became one of my favorite late night viewings especially since I was very heavy into the Toxic Crusaders. Movies like this and the Toxic Avenger played a big part in my childhood and thanks to Lloyd Kaufman's influence I am the sick demented horror fan I am today...as if it's a bad thing. 10/10