Class of Nuke 'em High (blu-ray review)

Release Date: June 1st, 2010
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 1080p
Runtime: 1hr 28min
Discs: 1

The Package: Troma has finally released Class of Nuke 'em High on blu-ray (after a month delay) and the package is a mixed bag. Coming to us in a standard blue blu-ray case, the cover art is very attractive, using the same art as the theatrical art. The back is, however, very plain looking. I'm not one to complain about back art, but it just looks a little to sloppy.

The Picture: Troma has delivered a surprisingly good transfer. Framed at 1.85:1 (I was scared that they were going to use a full frame transfer) and presented in 1080p, this transfer is good considering the source material. Colors are bright and vibrant. The print seems to be untouched, meaning that Troma didn't clean it up. I like that they didn't do this, as it adds a film like quality to the transfer. There is no evidence of DNR and the grain level is high. Troma has done a very good job with this transfer.

The Sound: Troma gives us a lossy 2.0 Dolby Digital track. Like the transfer, this track just adds to the Troma experience. Dialogue is clear and the effects are well done. Even though this is not a lossless track, it still is pretty good.

The Goodies: This is the first release that Troma has put out that doesn't contain a wealth of special features. I was kind of disappointed until I realized that quality of the special features makes up for the lack of quantity.

-Audio Commentary: Troma founder Lloyd Kauffman is on hand to guide us through the behind the scenes of Class of Nuke 'em High. Kauffman is always and engaging commentator and this is no different. Kauffman talks about his co-director and gives many stories about the shooting of this movie.

We also get 5 deleted scenes that are not really worth the time other than a scene in which a character has a meltdown after smoking some weed.

Nest up is an interview with two of the co-stars of the movie who feel in love and got married. This interview runs about five minutes and is only mildly interesting.

Rounding out the special features is a pointless two minute interview with the cameraman, a two minute segment of a girl taking her top off, and the usual assortment of Troma trailers

All in all, the special features are a little lacking (save for the outstanding commentary). I was hoping for a little more, being that this is one of Troma's more famous movies, but I can live with it.

The Film: Troma's output in the eighties was staggering, considering how many movies they are able to make now. Troma put out a lot of movies during the eighties and each one of them a different beast.

They started out the decade releasing comedies, but soon they were releasing horror comedies. Their first one, The Toxic Avenger, was a monster hit (pun intended) and with their next release, Class of Nuke 'em High, they took the concept of the horror comedy to a whole new level.

I was very entertained by this movie. I had not seen it in a while and it is just as good as I remember it being. Troma has a way of making things funny that shouldn't be. There is a kind of love in every one of their movies.

Troma is kind of like Pixar, in a way. Like Pixar, Troma makes movies that they want to make and they don't care if the movie flops, they just know that they made a good movie. But unlike Pixar, Troma has yet to sell out. Troma has been around for almost forty years and they make the movies that they want to, instead of just making movies for the hell of it.

Class of Nuke 'em High was followed by two sequels. While they are not as good as the original, they are better than most of the crap that Hollywood puts out. Troma is a true original and I hope they stay that way.

The Scores

The Picture: ***1/2
The Sound ***
The Goodies ***1/2
The Film ***1/2

Overall Score ***1/2 (not an average)

Random Notes

-Since Machete has gotten a release date (Sept. 3rd) and Hobo With a Shotgun is going into production, do you think that we will see the other Grindhouse trailers get turned into movies? I would like to see Thanksgiving, but I don't think the other two will work.

-So the screening of the Nightbreed workprint recently has gotten almost no coverage other than Fangoria talking about it. Why is there no reaction? I have searched and the only thing I found was the Fangoria piece. I want to know what people thought about it.

-Shutter Island has been announced for dvd and blu-ray release on 6/8. Like what Paramount did with the recently released The Lovely Bones, the dvd will have no special features, while the blu-ray will have two documentaries. This seems like the studios are giving dvd buyers the shaft when it comes to special features.

-Speaking of The Lovely Bones, if you have a blu-ray player you should pick this title up. The picture is flawless and the documentary on disc 2 is one of the best I have seen.

-So there are been scenes put up on the net for Human Centipede and I just have to say that I am more curious with every story that comes along about this movie.

-Troma has quietly pushed back the blu-ray releases of Tromeo & Juliet and Dark Nature. This is the second time that Tromeo & Juliet has been pushed back. Now Troma has four blu-ray releases set for May 25th: Tromeo & Juliet, Surf Nazis Must Die, Class of Nuke 'em High, and Dark Nature. Hopefully Troma has pushed these titles back to ensure that the quality is excellent, but they seem to be having a hard time getting their second blu-ray release out. Only time will tell.

Tromeo and Juliet Blu-ray Delayed

I just got word that Troma's blu-ray release of Tromeo and Juliet has been delayed until April 27th, 2010. No word yet as to why, but I will keep you updated. You can still pre-order the movie over at Amazon. Click the link below to do so.

Surf Nazis Must Die Coming to Blu-ray

While looking thru Amazon I found a listing for Surf Nazis Must Die on blu-ray with a release date of May 25. I have sent out an email to my contact at Troma and when I get a response, I will update this post.

Class of Nuke 'em High Blu-ray Delayed (Updated)

Some of my readers have emailed me telling me that Class of Nuke 'em High on blu-ray has been delayed. The release, originally scheduled for release on April 27th is now showing up on Amazon with a release date set for May 25th. I have sent out a letter to Troma to set the record straight and will update you when I hear back from them. You can still pre-order the blu-ray from Amazon by clicking the picture down below.

Update: I just got an email from Troma confirming the delay of Class of Nuke 'em High, They needed more time to work on it.

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (blu-ray review)

Movie ****

Blu-ray ***1/2

Troma has been around for more than thirty-five years and they are one of the only studios (yes, I consider them a studio) that hasn't changed what they are about. Sure, they have changed with the times, if they hadn't then they would have gone under a long time ago. But they are the only studio that actually listens to their fans. This is what makes them successful. So it comes with great joy that I can tell that, with Poultrygeist, Troma is sticking to what they do best: entertain and offend.

The story of Poultrygeist is very simple. A fast food restaurant has built their building on an ancient Tromahawk burial ground. Even though they are told this they do not care because it's all about making the money. This, of course, is a bad mistake as the people who are eating the food are being turned into chicken zombies. Yes, I said chicken zombies. Anyway, it is up to our hero, Arby, to save the day.

That is the plot in a nutshell. Of course, there is a lot more going on, but Troma tries to keep their plots simple. No one is going to argue that, but what Troma is good at is giving us honest satire masked by the plot of a horror movie. The biggest target, in this and many other Troma movies, is big corporations. Troma has a big problem with corporations taking everything from us and turning us into drones and this movie is not exception.

While taking on big corporations, Poultrygeist also has the aim set at racism, stereotyping, terrorism enviormentalists, and of course, greed. Troma has always been about the little guy and they go to great lengths to appease to the people who have been screwed by the system. I love Troma satire even though it isn't very subtle.

You can also tell that a lot of hard work and passion went into this project. In the early to mid-90's Troma had hit a creative wall. Their output wasn't very good, but here and in Citizen Toxie you can see that they have gotten past that wall and are back on track.

Poultrygeist also features some of Troma's best production values. The restaurant always feels like a real restaurant- they shot the movie in a closed down McDonald's- so they get some real bang for their buck. Also Poultrygeist doesn't have a micro budget feel to it. Some of their older movies had a guerrilla feel to them, but here the movie looks and feels like a Hollywood movie. That's not a slight against Troma, but goes to show how much they have grown.

This is also the first time that Troma has done a musical. (Cannibal! doesn't count as they didn't make that movie, they were just the distributors) The songs are pretty catchy and song with enthusiasm, but they don't really add anything to the movie. You can take them out and still have a great movie, but they are welcome and keep the spirit of Troma alive.

As always, Troma movies are gory and Poultrygeist doesn't disappoint. The make-up for the chicken zombies is very well done and some of the other effects are pretty effective. Resident tromite Joe Fleishaker probably gets the worst death in the movie. I would describe it to you, but you have to see it for yourself.

In the end, Poultrygeist is a great Troma movie. I would go so far as to say that this is their best movie since the original Toxic Avenger. Poultrygeist is filled with everything a Troma fan could want and a little more.

The Blu-ray: Poultrygeist comes to us in a standard blu-ray case with very attractive artwork. There is not insert, but there artwork on the inside of the case.

The Picture ***
Preserving the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, this is a pretty nice 1080p transfer overall. Comparing it to the dvd, this appears to be the same transfer. This is good and bad news. The good is the black levels are deep and the transfer has a film quality to, no DNR applied. The bad is that there are a few instances where there are blemishes on the print. They go by pretty fast and are hardly noticeable. Having seen the movie in theaters, I can say that this transfer is very close to what I saw in the theater and I am very impressed with this transfer.

The Sound ***
Troma has given us the same 2.0 mono sound that was found on the DVD. It's kinds of weird though, as I found this soundtrack clearer and more distinct then it's DVD counterpart. Still it would have been nice to have a 5.1 mix, but give Troma time and they will deliver.

The Goodies ****
Troma has always been good at giving fans the best when it comes to special features and the Poultrygeist blu-ray doesn't disappoint. They even throw in some blu-ray exclusives to sweeten the pot. All of the special features- except for the introduction are presented in standard definition.

Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman (blu-ray exclusive) 5min This is the first thing plays before the movie (obviously) but this is a new introduction to the film. Lloyd, in his own funny way, explains the difference between blu-ray (or in Tromaville, brown-ray) and dvd. This is a very funny introduction and should be viewed at least once.

Audio Commentary #1- This commentary track features Lloyd Kaufman and writer Gabe Friedman. This commentary is more technical than the other commentary, but the two seem to be having fun talking about the movie and it's rocky road to release.

Audio Commentary #2 (blu-ray exclusive)
This commentary features stars Jason Yachanin and Kate Graham and is a pretty good track. The actors were recorded separately and sometimes their info overlaps, but it is a pretty good track so this is something that can be overlooked. Yachanin dominates the track.

Poultry in Motion 82 min
This is a fly on the wall documentary that has become a staple on Troma dvds. We see everything about the production and the doc doesn't hold back in showing how Lloyd directs. This is a fascinating documentary.

Chewing the Fat With Joe Fleishaker blu-ray exclusive) 3 min
Shot during the shooting of the introduction to the blu-ray, this little interview shows just how fat and immobile Fleishaker has become over the years. This is actually the saddest thing on the disc.

Poultrygeist NYC Premiere 10 min
This featurette was shot at the New York premiere of Poultrygeist. We get the cast and crew's reaction to the movie that they bled for.

Designing the Monsters 8 min
This featurette shows the monster designers not really showing how they designed the monsters, but having trouble getting the muscle suit out of the mold.

Recording the Songs 6 min
The title says it all. It shows the cast recording the songs that are sang in the movie. More musicals need to have a special feature like this as it shows how much hard work actually goes into making these songs work.

Filming the Meat Grinder 4 min
This is just an alternate take of what is shown in the documentary.

Rooftop Reshoot 6 min
This featurette focuses on a reshoot that Lloyd did so that he could have Debbie Rochon in the movie. It is incredible to see how they shot this one shot then to see how it is flawlessly integrated into the movie.

Joe Fleishaker Gets a Head Mold 9 min
The title of this featurette is pretty self-explainatory, but we learn how a head mold is made. Very informative.

Chicken Ass 5 min
This is a short film about a disease known as, you guessed it, chicken ass. The short is one note and not very good.

Cellu-Lloyd Closet- This is a section with a series of featurettes.

-Make Your Own Damn Omelette 2 min This is a commercial for the Make Your Own Damn Movie box set.
-Blow Me...Away: Shooting the ACB Explosion Sequence 14m
Here we are given a look at how Troma made the restaurant blow up at the end of the movie, without really blowing it up.
-Make Your Own Damn Sound Design 23m
Troma has always been known for the aggressive soundtracks. They use a lot of ADR to create new jokes and atmosphere. Here we are given a look at how much work goes into creating their soundtracks

Deleted Scenes: Here we find four deleted scenes. 8 min

-Ron Jeremy's Alternate "Happy Ending"
-Charlotte Kaufman's Death Scene
-Time Bomb!
-The Humus S-U-I-C-I-D-E song

Theatrical Trailer

Lovely Scenes from Bergman's The Virgin Spring
This is the promo reel shown to exhibitors to spread awareness for the movie.

2 Music Videos, and trailers for The Hanging Woman, Toxic Avenger, and Combat Shock round out the special features.


Overall: Troma has entered the high-def game with a very impressive debut. The picture and sound are both top notch and the bonus features are outstanding (they even threw in some blu-ray exclusive special features). If Troma keeps this up (and I know they will) then they will be one of the leading independent companies releasing movies on blu-ray.

Five Favorites: Troma

In honor of Poultrygeist being released on blu-ray next week (Troma's first blu-ray), I have decided to start a new feature. The feature is called "Five Favorites" and will be updated every week or so with a different list. This week's list is about Troma movies.

5. Terror Firmer- This was the first Troma movie that I didn't like the first time I saw it. I felt that the movie was too long and had to much business to attend to. Now, after viewing it a few times, I find these criticism as virtues. Lloyd Kaufman is giving us an abridged look at how a Troma movie is made. This is like a behind the scenes documentary played for laughs and horror.

4. Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV- The first time I saw this movie was at a screening in Nashville, TN. Lloyd introduced the movie, then showed us the making of documentary afterwards. This was the first time I had seen a Troma movie on the big screen and it was worth every minute. I love this movie. This is the best Toxic Avenger movie since the first. (I happen to enjoy two and three as well) Citizen Toxie is a great movie that you can watch when you are feeling down.

3. Tromeo and Juliet- This is the only Troma movie that I showed to my friends and, needless to say they are no longer my friends, but not because of Troma. They found the movie to be weird and boring. I found it to be funny and entertaining. The movie takes Shakespeare to a place he has never been taken before and we are better because of it.

2. Toxic Avenger, The- Instead of making a straight forward horror movie, Troma decided to make a horror-comedy where the monster was the hero. While this movie was not my first Troma movie (Toxic Avenger Part 2 popped my Troma cherry) it was the one that showed me what a great Troma movie is. Filled with equal parts horror and comedy, The Toxic Avenger is one of the best movies to come out of the eighties.

1. Poultrygeist- I know that this movie is relatively new, but it contains everything that a Troma movie is known for and adds a new element: singing. The music is very catchy and this is the best looking Troma movie. It is funny and disgusting all at the same time.

My First Run in with Troma

I still remember my first Troma movie. There was a video store across the street from my house and my parents would take me and my brother to it every weekend. I was browsing the horror section, looking for something that would catch my eye, when I saw it. The box art had this monster on it with a girl on his shoulder shooting a machine gun. I thought to myself that this movie has to be seen. The movie was The Toxic Avenger Part 2 and even thought I had not seen the first one, this video store didn't carry it, I snapped it up.

When I got home I went into my room and popped the cassette into my VCR. What I saw was something that I had never seen before. The monster was the good guy, his girlfriend was blind, and he fought very unusual bad guys. This was far from the movies that I had grown up watching. Even though I had watched a lot of horror movies, this had something different to offer. After I finished watching the movie I knew that I had to see the first one.

After weeks of searching I finally found a copy of the first Toxic Avenger movie. Aftr watching the movie I became a life long Troma fan. With their politically incorrect material and an anything goes attitude, Troma has given me more than twenty years of solid entertainment. They are just what I need for when I am feeling down.

Throughout the years Troma has given us one masterpiece after another and they don't seem to be stopping anytime soon. With the introduction of their Tromasterpiece collection in 2008 to their recent adoption of blu-ray (their first, Poultrygeist, hits shelves in a few weeks) Troma is gaining a brand new audience. That's why they have been around for more than thirty-five years. I love Troma and will continue to support them. When I have kids I will introduce them to Troma and all it's wonders.

Troma's War hitting DVD this tuesday

Don't forget that Troma's War is hitting DVD, as part of Troma's Tromasterpiece Collection. This is going to be  great release. Troma has done very nice work with their Tromasterpiece collection and this one is not going to disappoint.

Here is the original trailer for Troma's War:

Redneck Zombies Archival Material

Our friends over at Troma have posted Archival Material for Redneck Zombies. These are the special features that were left off of the Tromasterpiece Collection due to space limitations. Click on the title of this post to see what was left off.

Class of Nuke 'em High Blu-ray features revealed

Yesterday we told you that Troma had announced Class of Nuke 'em High for a blu-ray release on 4/27/2010. Now we have learned what the special features are.

-New interviews with cast and crew
-Audio commentaries by co-director Lloyd Kaufman and Theo Pingarelli
-special effects and miniatures creator
-Nuke 'Em High School Sweethearts: picture commentary by stars Robert and Jennifer Prichard
-Scenes we thought we lost during the Chernobyl disaster
-Original theatrical trailer
-Scenes from the Tromaville Cafe TV show.

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead blu-ray special features and artwork

Troma has announced the special features and sent over artwork for their first blu-ray release.

Special Features include:

 

-Att-hen-sion getting commentary by director Lloyd Kaufman and writer/editor Gabe Friedman

-Commentary by stars Jason Yachanin and Kate Graham

-Introduction by Troma co-founder Michael Herz 

-Interview with Troma star Joe Fleishaker 

-Sexy rooftop re-shoot 

-Explosion effect featurette 

-Ron Jeremy's "alternate happy ending" 

-Troma's first egg-a-morphic widescreen presentation 

-Music videos 

-deleted scenes 

-trailers

 

Notice there us no mention of the documentary that came on the DVD. Hopefully they will include it.

Class of Nuke 'em High on Blu-ray

Troma has also anounced Class of Nuke 'em High for a Blu-ray release on 4/27/2010. Again no specs have been given, but expect some special features. Troma is usually good about giving their fans something.

Tromeo & Juliet on Blu-ray

Troma has announced there hit movie Tromeo & Juliet for a Blu-ray release on 3/30/2010. No specs have been given, but I think that the special features will resemble those found on the special edition DVD released a few years back. Check back soon for complete specs.