What is it about horrific topics that captivates the human imagination? Why do violent incidents which would repulse the average person in real life cause excitement and amusement in films? I wouldn’t know from personal experience, since I’ve never been a horror film fan. However, as a film critic, I find it interesting to study the themes used in movies of different genres.
One of the most offbeat releases of 2023 is “The Toxic Avenger.” This title doubtless sounds familiar, since it is a new take on a 1984 movie with the same name from Troma Entertainment that became a cult classic. The original “Toxic Avenger” began a franchise about the unlikely superhero Toxie, including three sequels, an animated television series, a stage musical, a comic book series, and a video game. This newest take on the story was written and directed by Macon Blair, but it was still produced by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, like the previous films.
The Latest
This new version of “The Toxic Avenger” has been in discussion since 2010. It was originally planned to be a PG-13 “family friendly” take on the story in the style of the “Toxic Crusaders” animated series. It went through a series of production teams and casts before Legendary Pictures took over the reboot in 2018, with Kaufman and Herz as producers. This new take, which follows in the original’s footsteps of heavy-handed albeit comical violence and suggestive content, also receiving an R rating.
The story takes place in St. Roma’s Village, a small town dominated by a greedy company poisoning the citizens with chemical toxins. The main character is a lowly janitor, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), who provides for his adolescent stepson, Wade (Jacob Tremblay). After being diagnosed with brain cancer, Gooze goes to his employer, Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon), and begs for financial aid for potentially life-saving treatment. The selfish employer rebuffs him, so Winston resorts to theft. While attempting his robbery, however, the janitor falls into toxic waste, emerging horrifically disfigured but transformed into the Toxic Avenger. Armed with his similarly transformed mop, which is weaponized with the lethal chemical mixture, he becomes a vigilante and exacts revenge on those who mistreated him.
The Greatest
“Phantom of the Opera” was the second American film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s highly popular Gothic novel “Le Fantome de l’Opera” from 1910. In 1925, Universal Pictures adapted it into the famous silent film starring Lon Chaney, which kicked off Universal’s horror fad. A talkie remake was discussed at length before the 1943 Technicolor film came to fruition. Starring Claude Rains as the Phantom with Susanna Foster as his muse, and Nelson Eddy as his opera singer rival, it remains one of the most unusual takes on this popular story. Unlike the novel, the 1925 film, and both stage musicals about the Phantom, this movie is about a normal man who only becomes a Phantom after suffering an accident. Although later films have also featured this angle, the 1943 was the first adaptation to do so.
Erique Claudin (Rains) is a violinist at the Paris Opera who has been secretly sponsoring the training of promising young soprano Christine Dubois (Foster). When he is dismissed from the orchestra because of losing his left hand’s agility, he is penniless, having spent his life’s savings on Christine’s voice lessons. His main concern, however, is to keep paying for her training with the prestigious Signor Ferretti (Leo Carrillo). He tries to sell the concerto he wrote for some ready cash, but the publisher, Pleyel (Miles Mander), rudely dismisses him. When Claudin hears his composition being played in the next room, he assumes that Pleyel has stolen it and strangles him in an enraged fit. Horrified, Pleyel’s assistant splashes a tray of record etching acid in Claudin’s face, and he runs screaming from the room. He seeks shelter by the subterranean lake beneath the opera house. Donning a prop room mask and cape, he becomes the Phantom of the Opera, who will stop at nothing to make Christine a star.
Two Different Monsters
As different as a black comedy superhero movie about toxic waste and a gothic horror movie centered around classical music might seem, these two movies are surprisingly similar. Both are remakes of beloved cult classics. Both gave the title character a sadder story arc, making him more emotionally compelling. Both include a mixed bag of violence, social justice themes, and goofy humor.I’ve talked a lot about these two movies’ similarities, but the difference between them is simple and stark. “The Toxic Avenger” is rated R “for strong violence and gore, language throughout, sexual references and brief graphic nudity.” “Phantom of the Opera” manages to convey disfigurement, four murders, intense emotions, and complex romantic relationships without the offensive content which earned the new film its rating. That’s the difference between modern movies and Golden Era films.
