News

Satranic Panic: "Dark Star Pictures is releasing renowned director Alice Maio Mackay’s Trans slasher/horror Satranic Panic On Digital and On Demand August 13, 2024.

A bloody, demon-infested road movie about the power of claiming one’s identity and the importance of chosen family, Satranic Panic exposes the hypocrisy of the status quo with biting wit, killer drag, and incredible tits.

Satranic Panic made its world premiere at SXSW’s inaugural edition in Sydney before heading to Panic Fest, Salem Horror Fest and more. Dread Central raved that the film is Maio Mackay’s “most ambitious story and style yet.”

At only twenty years old, Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay has already directed five feature films, including So Vam (2021), Bad Girl Boogey (2022), T Blockers (2023), Satranic Panic, and the upcoming Carnage for Christmas. As a transgender filmmaker, Maio Mackay uses camp and comedy to boldly queer the horror genre, crafting vibrant,...

Troma Entertainment, the beloved independent film distributor and production house, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year – and as part of the celebration, they’re bringing their iconic Toxic Avenger franchise to 4K in an eight disc “Tox Box” collection! Also known as the “Tox Set”, the collection is available for pre-order on Amazon (get it Here) and has a release date of August 29th.

For this collection, all four films in the Toxic Avenger franchise have been given new 4K scans and restorations from the original camera negatives. They’re presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in Hdr with English DTS 2.0 stereo audio. Lloyd Kaufman, the President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger, has recorded new introductions for each movie. And the set also comes with a collectible Toxic Avenger postcard.

Here’s the list of bonus features that will be found in the Tox...

Longtime readers of Arrow in the Head will probably remember the article series The Test of Time. Now The Test of Time has been revived as a video series, and you can check out the new episode in the embed above! With this one, we’re looking back at Troma’s 1984 cult classic The Toxic Avenger (watch it Here). Does it still hold up nearly forty years after its initial release? Find out by watching the video embedded above.

Directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Joe Ritter (based on a story by Kaufman), The Toxic Avenger has the following synopsis: What’s faster than a spreading germ… more powerful than Mr. Clean… and more lethal than nuclear waste? Is it a floorcleaner? Is it a waste site? No… it is the Toxic Avenger, the first super hero from New Jersey! He french fries his foes…...

We're back after the holiday break with another Horror Highlights. Cop your very own Sweet Tooth vinyl figure from Funko's Twisted Metal Pop! line. Keep reading for more details and let the demolition derby games begin! We also have trailers and release details for Never Open the Door and Dark Prism.

Image and Release Details for Funko's Twisted Metal Pop! Vinyl: From Funko: "The most iconic face from the demolition derby game Twisted Metal is coming to Pop! vinyl!

A psychotic murderous monster that hides behind a vicious clown mask, Sweet Tooth features his head of flaming hair and mischievous grin!

Add Sweet Tooth to your collection this winter and get ready for mayhem!

Coming in January!"

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Never Open the Door Blu-ray / DVD / Digital HD Release Details: Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA - Maltauro Entertainment in association with Baumant Entertainment has announced the December 6th Blu-ray, DVD and...

Jim Knipfel Apr 11, 2019

We celebrate the hideously deformed superhero of superhuman size and strength, New Jersey's own... The Toxic Avenger.

Assorted comic book facsimiles of New York City may be protected by the tireless vigilance of Superman, Spider-Man, or Batman, but it took Troma Entertainment to give New Jersey a long-overdue superhero all its own, and one it richly deserved. In the annals of radically independent and hilariously low-budget American filmmaking, few franchises have achieved either the longevity or the mythical status of Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz’s The Toxic Avenger, the film that cemented Troma’s style and aesthetic, and which introduced an icon who remains as intertwined with Troma’s identity as Godzilla is with Toho’s.

But let’s back up a few years.

Throughout the 1970s, Lloyd Kaufman worked in a variety of capacities on dozens of films, from small acting roles to being Rocky...

For the second week of August, horror fans can look forward to a fun array of titles arriving on DVD and Blu-ray this week, including the Troma classic The Toxic Avenger, the cult classic Motel Hell from Scream Factory and the recent indie horror film Proxy.

Also arriving this week are the latest animated Batman feature, A Haunted House 2, a few more indie slasher films, including Crawl or Die and Bunnyman Massacre, as well as the long-awaited re-release of Santa Sangre on DVD from Severin Films.

Spotlight Titles:

Motel Hell Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD Combo)

You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent’s smoked meat in this creepy horror yarn that ’packs a punch that goes way beyond mere terror’ (Boxoffice). Vincent’s popular products contain a special ingredient that the psychotic farmer and his sister would literally kill to keep a secret! Starring...

Stars: Mark Torgl, Mitch Cohen, Andree Maranda, Cindy Manion, Gary Schneider, Robert Prichard, Pat Ryan, Dick Martinsen, Patrick Kilpatrick | Written by Lloyd Kaufman, Joe Ritter | Directed by Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman (as Samuel Weil)

For those who haven’t seen The Toxic Avenger, first of all why not? (stop reading this review and go pre-order the Blu-ray now), it is essentially the film that made Troma. Having picked up numerous films for distribution and being predominantly known for sex comedies such as Squeeze Play, Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman decided to lense their own horror film and thus The Toxic Avenger was born; in turn Troma became known for campy, over the top, “horror” movies and the rest, they say, is history.

The film tells the story of Melvin Junko, a health club janitor who is the butt of a cruel joke that goes horribly wrong after he is tricked...

Troma is prepping a new high-definition release of The Toxic Avenger. Restored from the original film materials, the Blu-ray release will also be loaded with special features and we have details on what you can expect, along with a look at the cover art:

“Welcome to Tromaville, New Jersey — a small American town, terrorized by criminals. The town’s corrupt mayor sits idly by while muggers, robbers and teenage punks victimize helpless citizens. Among the residents of Tromaville is Melvin, a nerdy, emaciated janitor at the local health club. That is, until he becomes The Toxic Avenger!

A gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong as Melvin is cast through a third story window and into a vat of hazardous toxic waste. However, an unexpected metamorphosis takes place. As the chemicals take hold of his body, Melvin turns into the Toxic Avenger, doer of good and brutal mauler of evil!

Were you aware that 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the quintessential Troma movie The Toxic Avenger? Lloyd Kaufman has announced a fully loaded high-def Blu-ray is on the way, and while we don’t have a street date yet, we do have a list of extras.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Tromaville, New Jersey -- a small American town, terrorized by criminals. The town's corrupt mayor sits idly by while muggers, robbers, and teenage punks victimize helpless citizens.

Among the residents of Tromaville is Melvin, a nerdy, emaciated janitor at the local health club. That is, until he becomes The Toxic Avenger!

A gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong as Melvin is cast through a third story window and into a vat of hazardous toxic waste. However, an unexpected metamorphosis takes place. As the chemicals take hold of his body, Melvin turns into the Toxic Avenger, doer...

The reboot of the 1980s cult film Toxic Avenger has Arnold Schwarzenegger in talks. Steve Pink and Daniel C. Mitchell wrote the script for the film which is being produced by Elysium Films as well as Richard Saperstein, Akiva Goldsman, Charlie Corwin and Michael Benaroya. The story follows Melvin Ferd III, a skinny, feeble guy who falls into toxic waste and transforms into a creature who fights crime. Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman directed the original film which starred Andrew Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Jennifer Babtist, Cindy Manion and Robert Prichard. There were three films: The Toxic Avenger (1984), The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989) and The Toxic Avenger: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989).

The new edition of the Indie Spotlight contains the latest independent horror news sent our way. In this week’s feature, we have the first information on this year’s CineMayhem Film Festival, details on Return to Nuke ‘Em High Vol. I & II, the first photos from Warhouse, and much more:

CineMayhem Film Festival Announced: “Created as a way to pay homage to and celebrate the spirit of independent filmmaking and those unafraid to take risks with their storytelling, CineMayhem’s diverse line-up includes advanced screenings of two highly anticipated genre projects including Magnet Releasing’s visceral horror anthology The ABC’s Of Death and Breaking Glass Pictures’ mindbending drama K-11 directed by Jules Stewart (Crank: High Voltage, Mortal Kombat).

CineMayhem is also thrilled to announce that it will also be hosting the World Premieres of Roadside directed by Eric England (Madison County) and the latest short film from Ryan Spindell...

Class Of Nuke ‘Em High

Stars: Janelle Brady, Gil Brenton, Robert Prichard, Pat Ryan, James Nugent Vernon, Brad Dunker, Gary Schneider, Théo Cohan, Gary Rosenblatt | Written by Richard W. Haines, Mark Rudnitsky, Lloyd Kaufman, Stuart Strutin | Directed by Richard W. Haines, Lloyd Kaufman

I’m not sure whether it’s through good or bad luck but I’ve managed to see Class of Nuke ‘Em High on the big screen (35mm) and on Blu-ray in the last few months and both times enjoyed it. There is something about Troma films, especially the ones that are higher quality; they are often bad but strangely enjoyable. It could be that I’m biased I don’t know, I tend to love Troma they’ve done a lot for not only cult movies but for the independent side of film making too. When it comes to their own films though there is no defending them,...