Using Generic Characteristics of Exploitation Films to Make Social Commentary

Cinema is a vast body of work spanning more than a century. In that body of work are a wide variety of genres from many different filmmakers. In film history and theory classes we are taught about the messages, underlying themes, and social message filmmakers convey through their motion pictures, and the ways in which they use the elements of cinema to do so.

Generally we see examples from dramas, a handful of comedies, and documentaries which all fall with in different genres (hard-boiled detective dramas, gangster films, westerns etc.). We rarely are exposed to exploitation films in these courses however, because they are perceived as as nothing more than ''trash" cinema with little or no moral, social or intellectual merit, which exist only for monetary gain through exploiting sex, violence, and shock value. One such film, The Toxic Avenger uses the generic characteristics of exploitation films to make social commentary and raise awareness of social issues.

In the academic world of cinema studies, scholars, such as Jeffrey Sconce, study exploitation films under the larger heading of 'Paracinema'. 'Paracinema' covers a larger range than simply exploitation films, such as "...entries from such seemingly disparate genres as bad film, splatter punk, mondo films, sword-and-sandal epics, Elvis flicks, government hygiene films, Japanese monster movies, and beach party musicals (Sconce, 372)." It is an important area of study because it looks beyond the 'shock and awe' aspects of the genre and looks at the meaning within and the effect of such films on the viewer.

The Toxic Avenger is the story of Melvin Ferd, an unpopular, awkward, clumsy '98lb... weakling' (as proclaimed by the tag line) working at the Tromaville Health Club. After a humiliating prank causes Melvin to leap from a second story window, landing in a barrel of nuclear waste, he is transformed into a "hideously deformed creature of super human size and strength" (a phrase coined by Kaufman when describing the character). Our hero is now equipped with incredible strength and a chemical force which causes him to seek out and destroy (in the most violent ways possible) evil. Unfortunately for 'Toxie' Tromaville is overrun with corruption and psychopathy.

In order to explore what makes The Toxic Avenger an example of an exploitation film we must give this genre a definition. Author Ephram Katz, defines exploitation films as "Films made with little or no attention to quality or artistic merit but with an eye to a quick profit, usually via high-pressure sales and promotion techniques emphasizing some sensational aspect of the product {KATZ}." Wikipedia further explains that "Exploitation films feature forbidden sex, wanton violence, drug use, nudity, freaks, gore, monsters, destruction, rebellion and mayhem. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_film) "

Using our defenition we can categorize The Toxic Avenger as an exploitation film because it features extremely graphic and gratuitous violence, specifically reguarding our hero's battles with villains, he himself is freakish monster created out of a violent and horrific accident, throughout the film we see a good amount of drug use and alcohol abuse, as well as nudity and finally 'forbidden sex' in the form of 'Toxie's' relationship with Sarah the blind girl.

A major theme throughout the film is pollution, environment, and health. "I was nauseated with what was going on...I drove on a trip across the U.S. and I remember seeing miles and miles of McDonalds non-biodegradble styrofoam boxes on the side of the road", Kaufman tells us,"In 1983, when we filmed it, there was very little stink about Nuclear Waste or Pollution or their harm to our bodies and our natural resources (Kaufman 166).

The film begins with two wide shots of Manhattan. In the first shot we pan down from the sky revealing half of the New York skyline from across the river. In the frame we see the Empire State Building, a long standing symbol of the city. In the forefront we also see the broken down rubble of a pier in the water. This shot represents the ruination of the old way of life. The original symbol of man's obsession with towering buildings stands behind the rotting of the waterfront, a clear representation of the ruins created by progress.

The next shot is a shot of the more contemporary (for 1983) skyline, with the twin towers of the world trade center towering above all. Our narrator begins by introducing the images telling us "New York City, world capital of culture and industry. Here among the towering skyscrapers civilization is guided by men of progress and the wonders of Technology (The Toxic Avenger)"

As the narrator speaks the camera pans from the industrial beauty of the city, past a worn yet functioning railroad system and down into a garbage dump filled with old cars, tires and trash. Our narrator tells us," ...for all this industrial advancement, there is a price to pay. Pollution. The unavoidable by-product of today's society. Every year millions of gallons of poisonous wastes, garbage and radioactive chemicals are disposed of in nearby towns...(The Toxic Avenger)" Here the Kaufman has chosen a close up of a toxic waste barrel, filled with bubbling green goo, which cuts to a sweeping medium shot showing a lush green New Jersey playground, with children playing. The pan stops as the narrator says "...such as Tromaville, the toxic waste dumping capital of the world (The Toxic Avenger)."and in frame is a sign showing Welcome to Tromaville: Toxic Chemical Capital of the World, POP, 15,000 next to the sign is a young child of 5 or 6, playing in the lush grass of the park as well as a two beautiful, large oak trees.

These images are very effective in presenting the underlying theme of the film, that the industrial machine of capitalism, particularly in big cities, negatively impacts the lives of those in small towns and suburban land scopes. The cut from bubbling waste into children being pushed on swings is a frightening contrast between toxic disgust and suburban beauty, it is almost as if they have become one in the same, a byproduct of industrial progress.

Another example of a simple yet effective communication of this idea is the town sign. It is a 1950's style sign, welcoming passers by to a quaint suburban town which happens to be the largest toxic waste disposal site in the world. For the 15,000 people populating this Rockwellian suburb, they are living in the waste of the cities with their millions of people. For the good of the economy, capitalist structure and national society, these people live in a toxic landscape. A scary thought, that is a page out of true New Jersey life. These Tromavillians have a lot in common with the Ramapough Mountain Indians of Ringwood, who have lived in the worst superfund clean up site for decades.

As the opening progresses we are taken to the Tromaville health club, a medium sized building , with plate glass windows sporting large signs advertising Celebrate National Fitness week Join Now! and Aerobic classes 2 for 1! On the street in front of the building are loose cardboard boxes and debris. This image contrasts a beacon of capitalism, fitness, health and beauty, with the dirt, grime, and pollution created by man, a direct statement on the product of society.

We are then introduced to Melvin Ferd, a goofy, awkward nerd standing in front of the Janitor's Closet. Melvin's scrawny physique and greasy, pimply face, presenting a buck toothed baboonish grin is both inviting and pathetic. We know immediately that Melvin is the little town loser, working for the beautiful and those who wish to join them. He is simply, the smallest cog in the Tromaville beautification factory, the health club. We see in an early sequence that those of Melvin's ilk are not welcome here as part of the group, when the character Slug, a huge muscular guy rips a goofy awkward nerd type (who looks strikingly like Melvin) from an arm machine because he can complete the exercise with ease. This nerds lack of strength and ability has made him to be lesser than the beautiful people who easily do their work out, some even while being sexual.

There is a specific group of characters who particularly exemplify the idea of beautification even exemplify health. Wanda, Slug, Bozo, and Julie are attractive, popular, fit college aged clients of the health club, who are particularly nasty to Melvin every chance that they have. Each of the four characters are obsessed with having zero fat on their body and being as beautiful as they can be, meanwhile their superficial concerns do not keep them from smoking cigarettes, drinking heavily while driving, or engaging in unprotected sex.

One example of this is when Slug and Bozo are doing inclined sit ups together. They are positioned on benches opposite each other so that when they sit up they can pass a cigarette between them. One person goes down and inhales, exhaling on the way back up. Wanda, Slug's girlfriend, counts off as they 'exercise'.

This scene exemplifies two main commentaries about this world. First that beauty equals health, two young, muscularly fit men can do anything that they want. In the mindset of the characters there is nothing wrong with having a 'butt' while doing a work out. This is idea is ridiculous, a true example of burlesque, where Kaufman takes a crack at the health craze of the 80's.

Obviously smoking is exceedingly unhealthy, but to make matters worse the inhaling of nicotine causes the human heart to pump harder. Couple your already pumping heart during a work out with nicotine intake the increased potential for a heart attack is, (theoretically) magnified. Secondly, Wanda fully accepts two good looking, in shape men doing this because for her health and beauty is only on the outside.

To combat this idea of beauty equals health, we have the physical deformation of Melvin after becoming The Toxic Avenger. Prior to his submersion in toxic nuclear waste via a second floor swan dive, Melvin is scrawny, weak, unattractive, whiny and submissive. He doesn't work out, or try to conquer his enemies, he's simply a weak, meaningless, 'mop boy' stuck in a world of the beautiful (and according to Kaufman evil).

After his transformation he has become a hulking, oozing, mass of ripped green and burnt tan flesh, towering over regular humans. He is completely disfigured; a bald lumpy head, one eye which has melted to lower than the other, charred lips, create a gruesome image. In addition to his physical change, Melvin's internal struggle with those who pick on him has manifested itself as an uncontrollable ability to sense, seek out and destroy evil.

Melvin's disfigurements, his change into a 'monster' transcends the physical strength of our attractive villains. Slug and Bozo constantly work out to keep off fat and build more and more muscle in order to continue to be attractive and intimidating, where as Melvin now has bulging muscle and superhuman strength but instead of being attractive he is simply frightening. The outer beauty of our attractive villains creates devious sexuality, where as Melvin induces the urge to flee for your life.

On the inside however Slug, Bozo, Wanda and Julie are as rotted as Melvin's outer appearance. All four have unhealthy habits, especially heavy drinking, unprotected sex, and smoking. They also have deep rooted psychological problems, which manifest themselves in the real world in the form of a hit and run 'game' in which they run down pedestrians and depending on their race, gender, sex, and handicap the driver receives a set number of 'points.' At one point in the film we see them play the game.

This particular round Slug runs down a pre-teen on a bicycle, which in their game is worth 28 'points.' After hitting the boy with their car Wanda, announces that "the kid's still moving! (The Toxic Avenger)" Bozo chimes in with "No way, no fucking way you get full points! (The Toxic Avenger)" They are not only disturbed and psychotic murderers, but also obsessive compulsives. They have made a game which they are dedicated to and have fully developed to heighten their enjoyment of murder.

We see in an earlier scene that Wanda and Slug are particularly disturbed when they engage in sex in the locker room of the health club. They become turned on by discussing just the thrill of the game. "I love it when we go reel fast and they never know what hit 'em (The Toxic Avenger)" Wanda tells Slug. "I love the sound of breaking bones (The Toxic Avenger)" he tells her to which she replies "And the car driving over them, dragging their bodies (The Toxic Avenger)" and he adds "All that beautiful blood (The Toxic Avenger)" This is enough to put Wanda over the edge and she rips off Slugs shirt yelling "Slug I want you now.(The Toxic Avenger)"

A particularly interesting sequence, which utilize the main generic characteristics of the exploitation film to express the filmmaker's statement on society, industry, health, and corruption, is the accident sequence in which Melvin is exposed to chemical waste and becomes The Toxic Avenger.

First we see the use of sexuality in the form of Melvin being seduced by Julie. She tells him that she "wants to do it with you, Melvin(The Toxic Avenger)" but that he has to wear a pink leotard and tutu "If you put on my pink, then I'll take off mine!(The Toxic Avenger)" she continues as she reveals her breasts to him. Using her sexiness she convinces our helpless, buffoonish loser, to dress up in a 'sissy' fashion in order to humiliate him. This scene shows how the weak are taken advantage of by the more popular and beautiful of society ( i.e.: the rich and powerful) who use sexuality and desire to further their own (often evil) ends.

Julie and Melvin have agreed to meet by the pool where they can have sex. An excited Melvin comes to the darkened pool where he mistakenly embraces a filthy goat. When the light comes up he is kissing the goat, in his pink leotard and tutu, in front of all of the beautiful patrons of the health club whom he idolizes. He is to say the least humiliated.

Feeling completely helpless and alone he runs through the crowd, being chased by the laughing mob and leaps through a window to kill himself. This scene both re-affirms the evils of the evil popular kids and tells us that the humble Melvins of the world are often tormented to the extent that suicide (among other self destructive actions) become their only means of escape.

Instead of falling to ultimate doom however Melvin is left to endure further pain as he lands head first into a barrel of nuclear waste on the back of truck parked directly infant of the health club. Here we see even more the evils of his bullies as they laugh at his apparent pain and injury. Even after he's smoking and burning Slug proclaims "He's faking it Julie, he's faking it. If this guy can't take a joke than he stinks! (The Toxic Avenger)."

Another running theme of the film is corruption of Government. The classic idea of a 'fat-cat bureaucrat' is represented by the physically grotesque Mayor Peter Belgoody. The Mayor is a morbidly obese man in the 400lb range. To exemplify the gluttony of government official we see him in one scene laying on a table next to a six foot long sub sandwich, receiving a message from several scantily clad, beautiful young women.

Kaufman uses set design to present the difference in lifestyle between the good and just hero, Toxie, and the evil and corrupt Mayor in two juxtaposed sequences. We first see Toxic knock on his mother's door. When she opens it to see him she screams and locks the door. We then see him depressed, sitting on a pier looking out at Manhattan (a reference to the industry that caused him to become as he is). He finally finds his way to the toxic waste dump site of Tromaville.

Toxic finds an old shack within the dump and creates a home for himself, cleaning various trash inside the structure, hanging a photograph of his mom on the wall, using tires and an old table top to create a table for himself, among other things. He makes his dump a home. He then goes to rest laying on the dirty floor. Our hero who saves the innocent for the corrupt and criminal evil of Tromaville receives a filthy run down hovel, far removed from the people he protects, as his reward for a thankless job. "..he's an outsider, something ugly and unwanted...No matter how much attention he's given he'll never really belong (Kaufman 176)."

In contrast we wipe to the Mayor's den. The first image we see is an attractive woman dressed provocatively dancing sensually for the Mayor and his cohorts. As we pan over to the Mayor and company there is a second, more attractive woman wiping the sweat from the mayor's head as his friends ogle the dancer. They are sitting on a nice leather couch, in a room with a nice brick fireplace and expensive stereo in the back room. They enjoy drinks while discussing the zoning issue for the new chemical dump.

The upscale, comfortable den of the Mayor's home, where he entertains powerful and well dressed members of town councils and local organizations is a stark contrast to the filthy dump that Toxic is forced to call home. Here Kaufman uses locations and the mise-en-scene to make a statement, that the good guys are often forced to humble means where as the evil they combat prospers greatly from the violence and corruption.

Finally, The Toxic Avenger uses the generic characteristics to transform or demythologize the exploitation film in order to make social commentary. As Cawelti tells us demythologization is when a film "...deliberately invokes the basic characteristics of a traditional genre in order to bring its audience to see that the genre as the embodiment of an inadequate or destructive myth (Cawelti 238)." Here Kaufman transforms the 'monster' of traditional horror/exploitation films from the antagonist to the protagonist.

As Judith Hess Wright tells us "... the monsters are the embodiment of human evil. They are three-dimensional representations of our uncontrollable will to evil; we must conquer them if society is to survive (Wright 44)." In The Toxic Avenger the 'monster' has become the hero and his human counterparts are the embodiment of human evil ( i.e.. murderers, corrupt officials, toxic polluters, drug dealers etc.) which must be conquered by Toxie. While Toxie does use extreme acts of violence, a major characteristic of exploitation films, to thwart these villains we as viewers root for him because the villains are shown to deserve it.

For example, the first group of villains he encounters is a gang of three thugs sent (by Mayor Belgoody) to bribe Officer O'Clancy, the 'honest cop'. When he refuses to take the bribe they beat him and put a gun to his crotch in order to cause him the most pain possible in killing him. Toxic arrives on the scene and proceeds to beat them, crushing skulls, poking out eyes and shoving mops down their throats.

Although his actions are monstrous, viewers take pleasure in seeing evil people get punished in equally cruel ways as the pain they inflict or intend to inflict. We also identify with the 'monster' more than the humans because his morals are more in sync with that of normal good people even if his acts are not stereotypical of a hero. "Toxie's a combination of both fantasy fulfillment and nightmare. He's Chaplin's Tramp and Frankenstein's Monster in Steve Reeve's body. A member of his audience can both wish to be him and be utterly afraid that they are perhaps like him. (Kaufman 176).

Sex and sexual activities are also used in specific ways as a reversal of a typical horror film. In the case of the villains of the story we see sex brought on by the thought and memories of horrific murders (as discussed earlier), sexually attractive women used as eye candy and play things for the corrupt Mayor and his fellow corrupt leasers, and a scene in which Sarah, a blind woman caught in hold up at restaurant, is nearly raped. These images of sexuality are used to show the human villains, the evil doers, as using sex and sexuality in violent, perverted and disgusting ways. The most interesting, and vile, of these scenes is when Wanda is masturbating in the sauna while looking at the polaroid picture her and Julie had taken of the pre-teen they had killed earlier.

In contrast we see Toxie, our 'monster' finds his true love for the first time, when he rescues Sarah in the Mexican restaurant. She is unable to see his hideously deformed self, and knows of only his kindness and heroic goodness. Toxie and Sarah make love for the first time in a highly burlesque sequence. First we see them slowly begin kissing, then move into passionate sex, followed by a cut to the downstairs neighbors looking up at the ceiling, annoyed, as plaster and dust fall on their heads.

This is followed by the two love birds enjoying an after sex cigarette. We next see Sarah making dozens of eggs while Toxie eats a mountain of previously cooked breakfast. The use of traditional love story elements in this sequence, especially ones found in 60's through modern horror films, create a sense of realism in a broadly comedic (burlesque) fashion and it succeeds in transforming Toxie's monstrous being into that of a traditional hero.

The final transformation of the genre comes in the end sequence where Toxie and Sarah are discovered hiding out in a campground outside of an old farm. Mayor Belgoody has gotten the Governor to sanction use of the National Guard in order to capture 'the monster' but not kill him. Belgoody however has other plans. As tanks roll out and all of the local government prepare to join the military at the scene, local people decide they have to save Toxie from being destroyed because he has saved all their lives. Even the commander of the National Guard comments "I don't like the way this is going sergeant, the little people think he's done a lot for this town.(The Toxic Avenger)" This foreshadows the nearing finale. The 'little people' have even created T-Shirts in support of Toxie which sport his face and the slogan I heart the monster hero.

At the camp site the tent is surrounded by tanks, armed military, the mayor, the police force and all of the citizens of Tromaville. The commander tells the Mayor "I rechecked with head quarters, they want us to take him alive, not kill him" but Belgoody is in charge and wants to wipe him out. When officer O'Clancy points out that an innocent woman is with Toxie, Belgoody replies "That's one life for the whole town.(The Toxic Avenger)" Other people come to defend Toxie, even his mother screaming "How dare you discuss my son's life or death like this.

I'm Melvin's mother, he's a good boy!(The Toxic Avenger)" As they prepare to take him out the towns people create a human shield in front of him, protecting him. The Mayor tries in vein to get the Police and national guard to shoot anyway but they refuse. Toxie, enraged by this evil goes and violently kills the mayor, ripping his guts out, as the townspeople cheer.

This scene directly transforms the characteristics of horror and exploitation films where the monster is killed at the end by a mob of humans out to seek revenge for the creatures murderous rampage, such in Frankenstein where they burn the monster for killing the little girl. Here Kaufman tells us the real monster is corrupt politicians, and evil humans. The Mayor is only interested in protecting himself from being destroyed, not the townspeople, and in the end he is destroyed by good. Kaufman tells us that good, even at it's most questionable, conquers evil and that most people will protect that instead of destroy it.

In conclusion The Toxic Avenger is a film that uses its genre to both spread social commentary and to transform the genre to increase the effectiveness of it's message. We learn through the slap-stick, burlesque satire, and exploitation characteristics such as sex and extreme violence, the extreme evils in humanity, the effects of pollution on our world, and that a hero (good people doing good things) come in all forms weather it be a puny nerd like Melvin or a head crushing, gut ripping, but innocent and gentle monster such as The Toxic Avenger.

WORKS SITED LIST

Books

1) Cawelti, John G.. "Chinatown and Generic Transformation in Modern Film."Film Genre II. 1995.
2) Katz, Ephraim. The Film encyclopedia . 5. 2005.
3) Wright, Judith Hess.. "Genre films and the Status Quo." Film Genre Reader II. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995.
4) Kaufman, Lloyd. All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger. 1. New York: Berkley Boulevard Books, 1998.

Websites

"Exploitation Film." Wikipedia. 6/22/2007. 24 Jun 2007 /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_film>.

Films

The Toxic Avenger. Dir. Lloyd Kaufman. Perf. Mitch Cohen, Andree Maranda, Jennifer Babtyst, Cindy Manion, Robert Prichardm Gary Schneider, Pat Ryan, Mark Torgle. Troma Inc.,1983, DVD Troma Team Video.