Some monsters crawl back from the grave; others crawl from the sewer. With The Toxic Avenger (2025), writer-director Macon Blair has achieved something bordering on alchemy — turning the sludge of 1980s exploitation cinema into a molten reflection of our contemporary world. It’s less a remake than a resurrection: a grotesque, heartfelt eulogy for a time when bad taste was an act of rebellion.
The original 1984 Toxic Avenger was pure Troma chaos — an anarchic cocktail of slime, slapstick, and splatter. It was both anti-superhero and anti-society, gleefully dismembering the Reagan-era obsession with moral cleanliness. Blair’s revival doesn’t sanitise that legacy; it weaponises it. If the first film was a punk scream from the gutter, the new one is a howl echoing from the biohazard bin of late capitalism.
Peter Dinklage’s portrayal of Winston Gooze — a meek janitor transformed into a radioactive antihero — anchors the absurdity with tragic weight. Dinklage plays the part not for camp, but for catharsis: his deformity becomes the mirror of a system that feeds on deforming its own. Kevin Bacon’s villainous corporate baron, all Botox and bile, feels like a mutant descendant of every Troma CEO caricature — but here, he’s horrifyingly real.
Blair’s vision retains Troma’s vulgar spirit while finding unexpected poetry in the putrescence. His Toxic Avenger is as much about class rage and environmental collapse as it is about geysers of green goo. Every viscera-slick punch lands with the melancholy of a generation choking on the toxins it helped create. The violence is ludicrous, yes, but the laughter catches in the throat — this is camp reimagined as ecological despair.
What’s remarkable is how The Toxic Avenger feels simultaneously nostalgic and corrosively modern. Blair pays homage to Lloyd Kaufman’s transgressive humour, but refracts it through the aesthetics of contemporary superhero fatigue. His monster isn’t an accident of nuclear waste but of bureaucracy — a man destroyed by the very infrastructures meant to protect him. The film’s gore set-pieces are less about indulgence than excess as indictment: when the blood sprays, it sprays neon, irony, and sorrow.
There’s an undercurrent of empathy that never existed in the original. Blair, ever the humanist even amidst the carnage, treats his freaks with tenderness. The mutants, misfits, and malformed are no longer punchlines; they’re the ones inheriting the Earth — or what’s left of it. It’s as though the spirit of Troma grew up, got angry, and learned how to aim its sludge cannon.
The Prognosis:
In the landscape of 2025 horror, where clean franchises and polished dread dominate, The Toxic Avenger feels like a badly needed contamination. It reminds us that horror’s job isn’t always to terrify — sometimes, it’s to repulse, provoke, and unsettle in the service of truth. Blair’s remake drips with the very stuff most studios would rather wash away.
And that’s precisely why it matters. Because amid the algorithmic uniformity of modern genre filmmaking, The Toxic Avenger dares to be disgusting — and in doing so, it becomes pure again.
Released at the turn of the millennium, Hollow Man promised a slick, effects-driven update on the classic H.G. Wells tale of invisible terror. With Paul Verhoeven at the helm—then still riding high off a string of bold, provocative genre films—and a high-profile cast including Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, and Kim Dickens, the ingredients were there for something groundbreaking. But 25 years later, Hollow Man feels less like a bold new direction and more like a misstep for one of cinema’s most iconoclastic directors.
The film follows brilliant but arrogant scientist Sebastian Caine (Bacon), who, obsessed with achieving the impossible, volunteers himself for an invisibility experiment that—shock—actually works. When the reversal proves ineffective, Caine slowly descends into unchecked id, using his newfound power for voyeurism, violence, and ultimately, murder. While the premise has classic sci-fi horror bones, Hollow Man seems content to coast on digital wizardry and B-movie sleaze rather than dig into the existential or psychological possibilities it flirts with.
For Verhoeven, a director never shy about subversion or satire, this was a surprising step into formula. After electrifying audiences with RoboCop(1987), Total Recall (1990), and the now-iconic (and initially maligned) Starship Troopers (1997), Verhoeven had made a name for himself as a master provocateur—balancing exploitation with critique, violence with intellect. Even his divisive Showgirls(1995) has been reappraised as audacious camp. Hollow Man, by contrast, is stripped of that sly intelligence, reduced to a glossy, FX-heavy thriller that seems to misunderstand its own potential.
That’s not to say the film is without merit. The visual effects—cutting edge for the time—were rightly praised, earning the film an Academy Award nomination. Bacon brings a creepy physicality to the role, especially once he’s rendered literally faceless. And Shue, Brolin, and Dickens do their best to ground a story that frequently loses interest in its characters the moment they’re not running or screaming. But the screenplay fails them, turning complex performers into disposable archetypes.
What’s most disappointing is how Hollow Man wastes its central conceit. The idea of invisibility as a metaphor for unchecked power, surveillance, and toxic masculinity is timely, but the film barely scratches at these themes. Instead, it leans into tired genre tropes—gratuitous nudity, generic lab-coat dialogue, and a final act that plays like a subpar slasher in a science lab. Verhoeven’s usual satirical edge is dulled here, replaced by something far more conventional and far less daring.
Looking back, Hollow Man marks the end of Verhoeven’s Hollywood phase—a seven-film run filled with wild highs and chaotic experiments. He would return to Europe for more introspective, boundary-pushing work (Black Book, Elle, Benedetta), suggesting that the rigid machinery of American studio filmmaking had finally worn him down.
The Prognosis:
Two decades on, Hollow Man stands as a footnote in an otherwise fascinating career: not quite terrible but deeply underwhelming. For a director who once gave us corrupt cops, brain-busting rebels, and fascist bugs, an invisible man never felt so forgettable.
Released mere weeks after The Sixth Sense, David Koepp’s Stir of Echoes didn’t get the attention it might have otherwise garnered, overshadowed by the cultural juggernaut of Shyamalan’s film. Yet Stir of Echoes is a worthy supernatural thriller in its own right, deserving of renewed appreciation, especially for its unsettling atmosphere and committed performances by Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Erbe. Bacon’s portrayal of Tom Witzky, a blue-collar worker with newfound psychic abilities, anchors the film with emotional depth and an unflinching intensity that makes Tom’s haunting experiences feel palpable and raw. Erbe’s subtle performance as Tom’s wife, Maggie, complements this perfectly, grounding the narrative with compassion and skepticism, making her a compelling counterbalance to Tom’s unraveling.
Richard Matheson’s Influence on Horror and the Supernatural
At the core of Stir of Echoes is the source material by Richard Matheson, one of the 20th century’s most influential horror writers. Known for works that often blend psychological horror with speculative elements, Matheson’s narratives explore the ordinary disrupted by the extraordinary. Matheson’s storytelling roots run deep in science fiction and horror, most notably with I Am Legend, which redefined post-apocalyptic vampire lore, and Hell House, which took haunted house stories to terrifying new depths. His ability to weave supernatural horror into mundane suburban life, as he does in Stir of Echoes, continues to influence countless films and series that explore the terrors lurking within the familiar.
Matheson’s 1958 novel A Stir of Echoes was, in many ways, ahead of its time, diving into themes of hypnotism, mind control, and the thin veil separating reality from the supernatural. His approach in Stir of Echoes places existential dread at the forefront, turning the “suburban nightmare” into something tangible and deeply disturbing. Koepp’s adaptation modernises these elements, leaning into themes of suppressed trauma and the dark secrets that lie beneath everyday life, creating a reflective parallel to Matheson’s work that resonates with contemporary audiences.
A Closer Look at Stir of Echoes
The film’s story kicks off with Tom Witzky, whose life changes dramatically after a hypnotism session by his sister-in-law, Lisa (Illeana Douglas). What begins as a party trick unlocks a hidden part of Tom’s psyche, leaving him with disturbing visions of a young girl’s ghost and exposing him to a series of harrowing supernatural encounters. Unlike The Sixth Sense, which largely revolves around unraveling a single mystery, Stir of Echoes focuses on the psychological toll that comes from glimpsing beyond the veil, with Bacon’s visceral performance encapsulating Tom’s struggle as he becomes more and more unhinged by the visions that refuse to relent.
In addition to its nuanced approach to horror, the film builds a pervasive sense of dread through practical effects, shadows, and silence, a testament to Koepp’s restrained direction. The sound design, paired with moments of sudden dissonance, immerses viewers in Tom’s increasingly fractured mind. The sequences where Tom attempts to excavate the buried secrets—both literally and figuratively—of his neighborhood carry a claustrophobic intensity. The film feels close and personal, less focused on bombastic scares and more on disturbing, slow-building tension.
Bacon, Erbe, and the Unseen
Kevin Bacon’s role as Tom is undoubtedly one of the film’s greatest assets. His portrayal combines simmering rage, desperation, and vulnerability, making Tom’s journey toward self-destruction both tragic and captivating. As Tom dives deeper into his haunting visions, Bacon’s performance brings a rawness that makes the supernatural seem plausible, showcasing his ability to convey terror and fascination in equal measure. Kathryn Erbe’s Maggie is the calm counterpoint, her steady pragmatism holding the family together as Tom slips further away from reality. The chemistry between Bacon and Erbe creates a believability and sympathy for their family’s plight, grounding the supernatural elements in a relatable human connection.
Koepp’s Stir of Echoes ultimately deserves its place in the conversation around late ‘90s horror for its skillful blend of supernatural and psychological themes. While it may have arrived at an inopportune moment, in the shadow of a cultural phenomenon, its thematic depth and compelling performances keep it from fading into obscurity. Twenty-five years on, it’s a chilling reminder of Richard Matheson’s timeless influence and the potency of horror grounded in the most familiar places.
We’re fast approaching 20 years since director Ti West released his first feature film, The Roost. Since then, he has meticulously crafted his signature style behind the lens, primarily in the realm of horror. Notable among these features are The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers, and The Sacrament. However, arguably his latest venture with actress Mia Goth in what has become the X film series has garnered the most attention. The first of these, X, was a significant hit in 2022, with its unique spin on the slasher genre and notable nods to the 70s films that marked the industry, such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Just when we thought our horror appetite was satiated, West delivered another serving with Pearl, which arced back to 1918 with the titular villain, again played by Goth, and was infused with the birth of Technicolor films.
So, with the announcement that a third installment was on the horizon and would be set in the heart of the 80s—the era of big hair, big action, and high levels of glorious entertainment—needless to say, I was eager to see the finale and had highlighted this as one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
Upon watching Maxxxine, the final installment in Ti West’s trilogy, it’s evident that while the film possesses a lot of style and pays notable homage to the films of the 80s, it unfortunately falls short in substance. The era’s aesthetic is captured impeccably, from the vibrant neon lights to the pulsating synth-heavy soundtrack. The attention to detail in recreating the 80s is commendable, with West and his team clearly putting a lot of effort into making the film feel authentic to the time period.
Mia Goth once again delivers a strong performance, embodying the titular character with a raw intensity that has become a hallmark of the series. Her portrayal of Maxxxine is layered and compelling, and she brings a magnetic presence to the screen that is hard to ignore. The supporting cast also does a commendable job, with each actor fitting seamlessly into the world West has created.
However, where Maxxxine stumbles is in its narrative depth and impact. The plot feels somewhat thin, lacking the same level of intrigue and tension that made X and Pearl so engaging. While the film is packed with stylistic nods to the 80s and bursts of nostalgia, it doesn’t quite manage to weave these elements into a story that resonates on a deeper level. The themes explored in the previous films seem to be diluted here, and the emotional stakes never quite reach the heights that fans might have hoped for.
Additionally, the film’s climax, while visually impressive, doesn’t deliver the satisfying conclusion that the trilogy deserved. It feels restrained, not going as big or bold as one might expect for the final chapter of such an ambitious series. There are moments of brilliance scattered throughout, but they are often overshadowed by a sense of missed potential and unfulfilled promises.
The Prognosis:
Maxxxine‘s vibrant depiction of the 80s serves as a colorful facade, masking the deeper issues at hand—a fitting metaphor for the film itself, which dazzles with style but lacks the impactful substance beneath the surface.
It’s been close to 30 years now since those giant worm-like creatures first wreaked havoc on a remote town in Nevada called Perfection.
It was one of those lightning in a bottle movies that had the right blend of character chemistry coupled with a unique threat that trod that fine-line between b-movie horror and mainstream fodder.
Isolating the threat to one location, helped to contain the fear and tension on-screen whilst keeping the dialogue light and feel-good with central characters the viewer could identify with. Namely Kevin Bacon’s Valentine McKee and Fred Ward’s Earl Bassett as they try to out-alpha each other, usually through rock, paper, scissors.
In fact, there’s a good balance of support players involved here which add to the overall quality of the film, starting with love interest, Rhonda (who also happens to be a seismologist), to gun wielding Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) and his wife Heather (Reba McEntire) who cone packed with heavy artillery to blow these Graboids to kingdom come.
Added to the mix is the whole Graboids get smarter act, which isn’t a new concept but in this instance it forces our heroes to keep one step ahead of the underground threat and thinking on their toes about different ways to survive and ultimately defeat them.
This is a testament and smarts of screenwriter S.S. Wilson, to use the characters guile and prowess to worm their way out of a tricky situation.
It pays to have the right kind of attention paid to the plot line and the characters and lends itself to Tremors being the cult favourite that it is today. It is also why there have been a further 5 films to date, including a series and a coupe of failed pilots.
So let’s unearth the following movies and discuss the trail they have left in the franchise since its early days.
Tremors 2: Aftershocks (aka The one with the Shriekers)
Transport the action to Mexico, a few players returned for this direct-to-video feature from the original. Wilson would switch his writing chair for directing, and for his leads Fred Ward and Burt Gummer. It’s this movie that would cement Gross’ iconic character in the franchise and the reason the creators would seek him to carry the Graboid torch from movie to movie. It’s good choice but potentially overused. More about that later.
Sadly lacking in this feature is some of the chemistry that made the original so strong. The missing ingredient it would appear to be would be Kevin Bacon, who was tied up with shooting a little known feature called Apollo 13.
Whilst they do try and inject some much-needed female identity with Helen Shaver’s (The Amityville Horror) Kate, who feels like she’s crowbarred in as a love interest for Earl.
The weight of this movie’s appeal though hangs in the creatures. Film critics and fans will venture to say that the secret to any decent sequel lies in that it offers the same as its predecessor but with enough of a twist that makes it strong in its own right. Enter the Shriekers, who despite their shrivelled cock-like appearance actually offer a spin on the original by transmorphing into above land creatures, sprouting legs and using heat to guide them instead of sound.
It’s a great concept and this coupled with the Gummer factor, plus a decent turnover in sales gave enough impetus for the producers to release…
Tremors 3: Back to Perfection. (aka The one with the Ass Blasters)
Another direct-to-video release that would see Gummer back on home soil in Perfection along with the survivors of the original movie, chief among them Ariana Richard’s Mindy (a far cry from her breakout gig in Jurassic Park) and Robert Jayne’s Melvin Plug, all grown up and playing a real estate tycoon.
With the need of an action-based sidekick and with no Earl or Valentine in the mix, Gummer would need some new blood in his fight with the Graboids. In step Jack Sawyer played by Shawn Christian, but with all due respect, delivers a paint-by-numbers performance.
Instead, it’s down to the creatures to lift this feature off the ground, which they do so with the hilarious Ass Blasters, who use ignited methane to propel them into the air in order to seek out and attack their prey. This franchise is nothing short of adding another trick to the creatures to develop the danger further and despite its laughable proposition, the circle is complete in the Graboids metamorphosis and you have to applaud the writers’ use of stretching the story as far as it will go. Which leads us to…
Tremors: The Series
Sandwiched between the sextet of Tremors came a TV series set in the town of Perfection and picking up where the third one left off. Once again Burt Gummer strings the residents along against the threat from below the surface Lasting for just one season, after the Sci-Fi Channel pulled the plug. Mainly this came down to poor marketing, as audiences believed that this was to be a replacement to the successful Farscape series. It wasn’t but by then, the damage was already done. Whilst it does look dated today, some of the episodes aren’t too bad despite the odd MacGyver tech wizardry that occurs. Plus it does boast Christopher Lloyd in its cast as a local scientist.
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (aka The Western or the prequel)
It has to happen at some point in a franchise. Either you cast the whole thing in space, or you go back to its origins and the latter is what happens here for the fourth instalment of the franchise. If anything it serves to carve out some American history and pit Burt Gummer’s ancestor, Hiram against the underground creatures when a silver mine awakens them from their slumber. Michael Gross does offer up an alternative to the gun-totting Burt, showcasing Hiram as a timid and prudish businessman who has never held a gun before. And Billy Drago (The Untouchables) delivers a solid performance as the hired gun Black Hand Kelly called in to rid the town of Graboids
This sequel sees S.S. Wilson back in the director’s chair and even though he tries to capture some of the original charm, it is left wanting and never threatens to break out of its direct-to-video stereotype.
It would be another 11 years before the underground threat would be unearthed again with…
Tremors 5: Bloodlines (aka The one in South Africa)
The movie opens up with Burt Gummer as a star of his own survivalist series in the vein of Bear Grylls, in what promised to be an interesting break to formula. Instead it falls back into the ‘normal’ narrative, except he now has to fly to South Africa, where a new Graboid sighting has been recorded.
Joining him on his escapade is his new cameraman, Travis Welker (Jamie Kennedy) who offers up some much-needed humour to the franchise and coincidentally is revealed to be Burt’s son, much to Gummer’s disappointment. Of course, Travis would need to prove himself in the eyes of his father, as they seek out the Queen’s nest to destroy them once and for all.
Some of the movie falls prey to two-dimensional characters, particularly the South African tribal characters, which is a shame because it could have ventured outside the box and offered something original.
Despite this, it’s a watchable movie and moves somewhat back into familiar territory that pleased some of the fan base.
Which brings us to the latest release…
Tremors 6: A Cold Day in Hell (aka The one in the snow…kind of)
Once again, the opening of this movie offered some interesting potential, projecting the Graboids to a remote part of Canada when they attack a trio of scientist in the snow covered mountains. It was refreshing to see this new take on the genre in what could have been delivered as The Graboids Assault on Precinct 13/ Snow Station 13. Instead, we see the characters stuck at a remote station set on rocky terrain and we move away from the opening premise, which was a little disappointing.
We do get to see a new twist into the mix. Back in Tremors 3, Burt was actually swallowed by a Graboid, only to fight his way to freedom. His journey inside the creature though would find him contaminated with Graboid venom that begins to take a death defying effect on his body. What this does is sideline him a little and allow Travis (Jamie Kennedy once again returning) to take centre stage and prove his worth once more. This actually works in favour of the movie and with a nod to the original movie as we’re also introduced to a new character in Valerie McKee. The surname may be a give away to enthusiasts, as she is the daughter of Kevin Bacon’s Valentine. Jamie-Lee Money delivers a solid performance in this role with enough smarts to make her a potential returning character if there does prove to be life beyond this movie.
There is a bit of a love interest moment too between Travis and another new character in Dr Rita Sims, which is borderline ewww herritory, but kinda works too.
It’s still a little formulaic, but surprisingly this latest instalment manages to push the franchise further into a positive direction as a result.
Roll on the new series with the return of Kevin Bacon huh??
But with Syfy pulling the plug on the pilot, it seems the Graboids may need to dig their way into an alternate route if they are to terrorise the screens once more.
You delivered fine horror vehicles with Wolf Creek 1 and 2, and even croc shock horror movie, Rogue pulled some pretty deft punches in the genre.
But The Darkness leaves is decisively under par in comparison.
You have a strong A-Lister in Kevin Bacon and equally strong actress Radha Mitchell alongside him and yet the movie fails to deliver any scares or thrills.
My hunch is that this is perhaps down to a stark difference between McLean’s previous movies and The Darkness.
The previous films rely on exteriors and the external threats to our protagonists (which is no easy feat to convey so hats off to McLean on these previous outings) and how they deal with these attacks in order to survive.
The Darkness has to rely heavily on the internal struggle.
The audience must see the plight of the family and the fractures between them already that the Djinn can then exploit and take advantage of.
In other words the foundations need to be set in play before the troubles can really begin.
Instead, we see the family on a trip to the Canyon where they disturb a sacred ground.
In doing so, the demons follow them home and then start to ebb away at their flaws.
If enough focus was shone on their weaknesses beforehand there would have been more elbow room to play with here.
Instead, when the chances arise to cause a rift between them all, it feels too forced and contrived.
And in some cases, it feels like an after-thought to be tacked on after the plot line has been put together.
“Oh wouldn’t it be great, if we revealed that he has an affair?”, or “What about if we reveal that the daughter has bulimia?”
It would be one thing if the performances themselves were believable but they’re not and your left with one big mess, where nothing really ties together because of it.
It’s a real shame as I do like McLean’s work and hope this is just a momentary blip in his career. Based on the trailer for his next movie, The Belko Experiment, there’s hope that this might be the case as it does look promising.
THE 1980’s WOULD MARK the rise of horror movies, particularly in the homes with the introduction of video rental stores.
Leading the charge would be Friday the 13th, a little known film that with a small budget and with a production company that was willing to market nationwide.
The Film itself owed a lot of its success from a visionary director, Sean Cunningham (Last House On The Left) with a young cast that was willing and eager, plus some of the best blood and gore to have been seen on screen before.
The last of which would be Friday the 13th’s true calling. By teaming up with Special FX guru, Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead) who was and still is ahead of his time when it comes to capturing realistic gore for the screen, Cunningham had blended the perfect recipe of blood, gore and scares that continues to delight generation after generation and spawned a franchise.
-Paul Farrell
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