Dated, ridiculous and absurd. "Mondo Cane" to modern men's eyes, looks like this. And its subject wouldn’t have place even in the worst sensationalist show of the worst regional TV. But if we try to imagine the 1962 society and the dissemination of information of the time we realize how "Mondo Cane" was surprising and innovative, and why it has so much influence on the world of cinema.

"I Love The Monster Hero" it’s a shirt that any cinema fans should have. The monster hero is called Toxic Avenger and deserves great respect because he has built the legend of Troma.
If Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Hertz had the idea, Toxic took it, has elevated and built the stronghold of the legendary independent company.

Like any great superhero Toxic, has a history full of legends, a strange genesis and characteristics that make it unique.
Toxic it’s a popular superhero, the exact profile would emerge following a popular vote. It’s a low-cost superhero, away from Batman’s money, more contaminated than Spider Man and the humble than Superman. And it’s a real superhero, realistic and above all son of our days. Tromaville, then, his hometown, is definitely most exciting than Gotham, besides the fact that it is the world capital of toxic waste and is located not far from New York City.

All this born when Kaufman read on "Variety" an article entitled "The horror genre is dead." He accepts the challenge and with five hundred thousand dollars budget sets up, manages and produces this embarrassing trash movie.
The central figure is a certain Melvin Ferd. The classic nerd. Sick, skinny, teased by anyone. In the gym where he works as a janitor he must do everything: kiss a sheep dressed in a pink tutu and other bullying.
 
One day, during one of these episodes, Melvin flying out from a window and lands exactly in a barrel of toxic waste transported opened by a truck that was passing under the windows of the gym.
The diving header in a bin with toxic waste, disfigures Melvin, makes bruised but incredibly it increases strength and size. Melvin starts immediately with good deeds and disowned by his family moved to a shack in the suburbs of Tromaville near the garbage dump.

And here is the Toxic myth. Toxie for friends. Armed with a mop, Toxie, supervises the crime and arrives in time to foil threat. He destroy a group of drug dealers who were beating up a policeman, he saves a blind girl who was about to be raped tearing, literally, her attackers. This girl, Sarah, becomes Toxie’s wife. Better than Lois Lane.
And so Toxic become the idol of his fellow citizens, the symbol of justice of toxic waste capital. Obviously, however, it also attracts the hate of the hyper corrupt and fat mayor Belgoody who will try to eliminate him creating a smear campaign to pass it as bad.
But the forces of good will triumph, in their own way, on the evil

And it is definitely with "The Toxic Avenger" is born the word "Tromasterpiece" unlikely portmanteau of Troma and Masterpiece, which perfectly describes a film that contains all the philosophy of the cheerful Kaufman’s brigade. This "manifesto" brings together all the features of Troma: trash, sex, blood and low quality jokes. A pleasant excess repulsive at the same time, a self-ironic film, satirical and brash.
"The Toxic Avenger" is also the first horror film by Troma and first film, not accredited, of Marisa Tomei, visible in the pool scene, that is, just before Melvin flights out of the window.
The central scene of the toxic waste bins was filmed without permission and it seems that some people called police, concerned about the incident.
From the day of its release, "The Toxic Avenger" has climbed, slowly, the cult film "charts", a success so huge as to generate, as well as the classic sequel, a series of side-project unusual for a movie .. .so bad. In addition to the myriad of citations in other Troma films, there a cartoon "Toxic Crusaders", a musical, video games, merchandising and a nice monographic site. We love the monster hero.