Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1

Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1
Promotional release poster
Directed by Lloyd Kaufman
Produced by
Written by
  • Travis Campbell
  • Derek Dressler
  • Aaron Hamel
  • Additional material:
  • Lloyd Kaufman
  • Casey Clapp
Starring
  • Asta Paredes
  • Catherine Corcoran
  • Zac Amico
  • Vito Trigo
  • Lloyd Kaufman
Narrated by Stan Lee
Music by
  • Ethan Hurt
  • Kurt Dirt
Cinematography Justin Duval
Edited by Travis Campbell
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • May 16, 2013 (2013-05-16) (Cannes)
  • January 10, 2014 (2014-01-10)
Running time
 85 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 is a 2013 American science-fiction horror comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman. The film, produced by the cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment, is the fourth in the Nuke 'Em High film series.

Premise

In Tromaville High School the glee club has mutated into a vicious gang called The Cretins. Chrissy and Lauren, two innocent bloggers, must fight not only the Cretins, mutants and monsters but also the evil Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate.

Cast

  • Asta Paredes as Chrissy
  • Catherine Corcoran as Lauren
  • Vito Trigo as Leonardo
  • Clay von Carlowitz as Eugene
  • Zac Amico as Zac
  • Mike Baez as Donatello
  • Tara E. Miller as Rachel Ruysch
  • Lemmy as the President
  • Lloyd Kaufman as Lee Harvey Herzkauf
  • Babette Bombshell as Principal Westly
  • Brenda Rickert as Aunt Bee
  • Dan Snow as Cigar Face
  • Debbie Rochon as Coach Kotter
  • The World Champion as the World Champion
  • Mark Kaufman as Kabukicar passenger
  • Sam Qualiana as Bully
  • Andrew Elias as Tromaville citizen (uncredited)[2]
  • Stan Lee credited as Peter Parker as the Narrator

Production

Development

A fourth Nuke 'Em High film entitled Battle of the Bikini Subhumanoids was initially announced in 1996. Troma ran a script-writing contest that invited fans to contribute two pages with a weekly winner announced and added to the collective screenplay.[3] Despite a script being finished in 2000, this project never got past the pre-production stage.

Troma again announced production of the sequel in October 2011. Initially, it was stated the film would be made in Spain by Mushnik's Entertainment in collaboration with Chaparra Entertainment. The directors were to be Marc Gras and Dani Moreno.[4] The plot centered around a new group of Cretins who are forced into the role of the protagonists. However, this version also never came to fruition.

Filming

Kaufman began production anew in 2012, directing the film himself in New York and New Jersey. Casting took place throughout June 2012. For the first time, Troma relied on Kickstarter to raise a small amount of funds to support "animal actor" Kevin the Duck.[5] Principal photography began in August 2012 and finished in September.[6]

Allusions to other works

The film makes copious references to the FOX TV series Glee, along with many films, including Full Metal Jacket, Soylent Green, Cat Ballou, Carrie, The Hurt Locker, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Showgirls, and other Troma releases (Cannibal! The Musical, Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., The Toxic Avenger, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, Stuck on You!, Blood Hook, Rockin' Road Trip).

Release

Initially slated to be a single installment, Kaufman split the film into two volumes, much like The Toxic Avengers 2 and 3, after director Quentin Tarantino’s suggestion, à la Kill Bill.[7]

Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 began a limited North American theatrical release in the fall of 2013, beginning with a screening at the Museum of Modern Art.[8] It expanded in January 2014.

Critical reception

Reviews were generally mixed. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 57% based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10.[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

Variety deemed it "a hearty blast of Troma-branded schlock"[11] while The New York Times said Kaufman fans "will be delighted to learn that time has eroded neither his love of nudity nor his disdain for political correctness."[12] The New York Post praised the film for its "hilarious series of parodies: Carrie, Soylent Green, Glee, Cat Ballou, you name it."[13] Horror magazine Fangoria gave the film 3.5 out of 4 skulls, calling it "undeniably funny, brave and so unlike anything put out today that it practically demands respect."[14]

Sequel

Kaufman has shot Volume 2 with Paredes, Corcoran, and Amico reprising their leading roles. A Kickstarter campaign was set up to raise $50,000 for post-production costs.[15] The campaign ended on June 24, 2015, successfully raising $63,615.[16] The in-progress film - now titled Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High AKA Volume 2 - has currently an undetermined release date based on the almost finished progress of post-production work, but according to the movie's official Facebook page; screenings have started to be held (especially at the Cannes Film Festival, back in May 2017) - plus an LA premiere is planned for March 8th, 2018 at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, CA.

References

  1. ↑ http://freestylereleasing.com/return-to-nuke-em-high-volume-1/
  2. ↑ "The Legend Of Six Fingers (Review)". Horror Society. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "Bad Movies On The Web: Some People Have Lots Of Time On Their Hands...Troma Script Writing Contest". chicagotribune.com. 1996-04-15. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  4. ↑ "NEW TROMA SEQUEL – CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH PART IV". Troma.com. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  5. ↑ "TROMA Entertainment Return to Nuke 'Em High DUCKSTARTER!". kickstarter.com. 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Troma wraps principal photography on Return to Nuke 'Em High". Troma.com. 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  7. ↑ "Fleapits and Picture Palaces: RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 - A review by Paul Worts". Fleapitsandpicturepalaces.blogspot.ca. 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  8. ↑ "Return to Nuke 'Em High to be screened at MOMA, NYC". Troma.com. 2013-11-23. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  9. ↑ "Return to Nuke 'Em High (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  11. ↑ Leydon, Joe (2014-01-10). "Review: Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1". variety.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  12. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2014-01-09). "An Unpleasant Surprise on Taco Tuesday 'Return to Nuke 'Em High,' From Lloyd Kaufman". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  13. ↑ Lumenick, Lou (2014-01-10). "Gory 'Return to Nuke 'Em High' good for occasional laugh". nypost.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  14. ↑ "Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 (Film Review)". fangoria.com. 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  15. ↑ "[Interview] Asta Paredes Talks "Sociopathia" and "Return To Nuke 'Em High Vol. II"". Bloody Disgusting. 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  16. ↑ ""Return to Nuke 'Em High: Volume 2" by Troma Entertainment". Kickstarter. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
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