All Rise...

Don't worry, Judge Gordon Sullivan. It's just the radiation sickness kicking in.

The Charge

Student Power Meets Nuclear power!

The Case

Someday, we'll get a definitive history of Troma Studios, with lots of attention paid to how the studio's brand fit into various technologies (like the VHS revolution, or the turn to DVD supplements) and the work of co-founder Lloyd Kaufman. From the outside it looks like a strange combination of manic-energy and listless trend-following, but I always suspect there's something more. What I do know is that by 1991 or so, Troma was not doing great. They'd thrived in the 80s thanks to the VHS boom and a couple of really great original films (The Toxic Avenger, most famously), but as the 90s dawned, the studio saw a fall-off thanks to a pair of silly Toxic Avenger sequels and the ill-advised attempt to go mainstream with Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD. It makes a demented kind of sense that the company would double-down at this point, producing a sequel to one of its beloved (and more successful) properties, Class of Nuke 'Em High. Lloyd Kaufman handed off the reins, however, for Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown, and the result is a film that fits into the Troma canon without rising to the top of its ranks.

Only loosely a sequel to Class of Nuke 'Em High, Subhumanoid Meltdown concerns the goings-on at Tromaville Tech, the school erected on the site of the previously-destroyed Tromaville High. Roger Smith (Brick Bronsky, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD) is just trying to survive his classes, but he falls in love with a subhumanoid (one of those infected by the radiation from the local nuclear power plant) while one of the professors is trying to harness the power of radioactive mutation.

Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown has the Troma formula down to perfection. It's got the socially-conscious message about the environment and the pernicious effects of radiation. It's got a lot of unnecessary nudity and/or scantily clad women. It's got a bunch of weird special effects that involved random orifices and skin melting. There's a monster (this time a giant radioactive squirrel) who must be reckoned with, and it's all done on a budget that wouldn't fund a low-level music video in Hollywood.

Say what you want about Lloyd Kaufman as a writer/director, but everyone has to acknowledge that the guy has a solid grasp of filmmaking fundamentals. He knows how to structure a story and where to put a camera. That's never more evident than when watching some of the lesser films that Troma has produced, and Subhumanoid Meltdown is a case in point. The film has all the elements we expect from a Troma film, but the arrangement just isn't as solid as those helmed by Kaufman. Subhumanoid Meltdown opens with almost 10 minutes of voice-over that explains the backstory of Tromaville High and all the changes since that film ended. Then the film flashes forward to a giant squirrel wreaking havoc before taking us back to Roger and his love-life. These are all signs that the filmmakers never quite solved how to orchestrate their narrative. This isn't a fatal flaw—those watching a Class of Nuke 'Em High sequel aren't looking for Shakespeare—but it does suggest that the film could have been great instead of good.

What is great, however, is this Blu-ray release. Troma home video releases are always difficult affairs—sometimes they get everything just right (Tromeo and Juliet) and sometimes they get everything wrong (Rabid Grannies). Subhumanoid Meltdown is closer to the former. The film's 1.78:1/1080p AVC-encoed transfer comes from a surprisingly decent source. There are some speckles and a few hard splices here and there, but for a 25 year old film of this budget it's in good shape. Colors are spot-on, especially in the more "nuclear" sequences, and detail is fine throughout. The film is limited by age and budget, but looks amazing given those constraints. The film's Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is fine—some fans might wish for the synth-heavy soundtrack in all its uncompressed glory, but what we get here keeps the dialogue clean and clear.

Extras start with a commentary by actress Lisa Gaye who is joined by someone (maybe Gabe Friedman?) pretending to be Lloyd Kaufman. It's goofy fun but pretty informative if you can overlook the shtick. Lisa Gaye also appears for a short interview. Lloyd Kaufman makes an appearance in a featurette dedicated to a trip to the Museum of Modern Art. There's also the usual complement of Tromatic extras, including a handful of music videos, a couple of promos, and an interview conducted by Kaufman on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy with director (and Troma-alum) James Gunn.

My only major complaint about Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown is that I have no idea how this film jumped the queue of other Troma films waiting to make their hi-def debut. We need a Blu-ray of Terror Firmer and Citizen Toxie way before we need this film (or The Good, the Bad, and the Subhumanoid, the next sequel).

If you know Class of Nuke 'Em High, then you know what you're getting into with Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown). There is a lot to love about this maniacally weird sequel, even if it doesn't all hang together. The presentation upgrade is solid enough that super-fans should certainly consider a double-dip.

The Verdict

Won't melt you down, but not guilty.

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