Atomic high!
This was a find at a car boot (flea market) on sunday and another title for my ever growing 'Quid Club' (dvds for £1). Im considering it as a lucky find too because ive been on the look out for Class of Nuke 'Em High for a while now and its proved pretty elusive. (I suppose I could have found it easily online but thats not as fun as finding the dvd in the 'wild').
I rented this movie a bunch of times in the late 80's and im happy to report, it is still a blast all these years later.
Class of Nuke 'Em High was made in 1986 by cult B-movie team Troma Entertainment, and directed by Richard W. Haines and Lloyd Kaufman. Its a mix of horror and dark comedy, if you think Mad Max meets Return of the Living Dead then you wouldn't be far out.
The action revolves around the Tromaville High School which is within spitting distance of a nuclear power plant. Students and nuclear waste. What could possibly go wrong? Well quite a bit actually, especially if you figure in the schools motorcycle gang The Cretins. (A typical member is the lady in the pic below, complete with Hitler tash). The gang (who were once known as the 'Honour Society') start selling marijuana to fellow students, stuff that has been grown in radioactive goo. Lovely.
Obviously things begin to go downhill pretty darned quickly as pupils turn all kinds of mutant after smoking the toxic weed, and chaos reigns in Tromaville. The Cretins take over the school, hellbent on destryoing it, one poor lad sees his erection grow bigger than a hay bale. Oh and there is a monster covered in lethal spikes in the basement.
You know how its going end; old spikey kills the gang, then good student (himself a Hulklike mutie) treats the creature to a well aimed laser beam to the chops. Ends with the school in bits and the baddies dead. But in keeping with tradition to these type of movies, just before the credits roll a baby gunk monster pokes its head from the ruins as if to announce the sequel.
She shops with Avon
I like Class of Nuke 'Em High. Its fun and a perfect example of the bubblegum, switch-yer-brain-off movie that seemed to flood the video shops in the 1980's. Its all here from gratitious boob shots to horny students. I like The Cretins too, especially Gonzo with his oversized nose peircings and giant bone. Punk rock caveman! Oddly enough I never imagined the gang to be all that dangerous, just purely mad. Perfect mental hospital material.
If you've not seen Nuke 'Em, ignore the bad online reviews and try to get hold of a copy. You might be suprised at how much you enjoy it because its certainly not the steaming pile of garbage some would have you believe. There are dreadful creature feature B-movies out there but this isn't one of them.
Its worth a look if only to hear the worst rendition of the 'Star Spangled Banner'EVER. Shocking.
Gutterbox Rating
