If you’ve seen thegleefully bloody red band trailerforMacon Blair’s upcomingThe Toxic Avengerremake, then you may have also wondered what the delightful song is that backs all the heroic carnage wrought byPeter Dinklage’s Toxie. With a sound that feels vaguely like it could’ve come out around the 1950s, it could be mistaken for a joyful classic, but there’s more to the track than meets the eye. Searches for it online will mostly come up empty, save for some production credits. That’s because “The Good Things” is an entirely new creation written byWillandBrooke Blairand performed byThe Whoopsie Dewswith Grammy-nominated vocalistVaughn Faison. Beforethe film arrives in theaters, Collider can offer an exclusive preview of the song with a new look at the performance in the context of the film.
In the original trailer, “The Good Things” was used specifically for the most violent moments of Toxie’s heroing duties, likemopping off jawsand exploding heads with a toss of his cleaning implement. Our exclusive sneak peek brings the full band together for what looks to be a fun performance of the song, all while scenes of Dinklage’s despair and transformation flash through. It’s a brief highlight of the artists behind the music, which will be a big part ofThe Toxic Avengerwhen it hits the big screen. This was a family affair, too,as both Will and Brooke are brothers of director Macon Blair, who let them bring together a few new and old musical friends to make something special. It’s just one piece of the work the Blair brothers did on the soundtrack, which you’ll have to wait for the film to hear in full.
What Is ‘The Toxic Avenger’ About?
Offering a new spin onLloyd Kaufman’s 1984 Troma cult classic,The Toxic Avengerhas fought a long battle to get released since it opened Fantastic Fest in 2023. Like its predecessor, it’s packed with ludicrous amounts of gore and, as such, will be released in theaters unratedafter being picked up by Cineverse. The new story follows downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze (Dinklage), a single father diagnosed with a terminal illness that requires expensive medication thathis soulless ghoul of a bossrefuses to cover. Upon trying to rob the company, Winston suffers a freak toxic accident and istransformed into the mean green mop-wielding vigilante. With his newfound powers, he sets out to violently clean up his town, one gangster, thug, and corrupt businessman at a time.
In addition to directing, Blair also wrote the remake, with Kaufman a guiding hand as a producer tokeep the Troma spirit alive. TheGame of Thronesstar is joined on screen by a fun and talented cast, includingKevin Bacon,Elijah Wood,Taylour Paige,Jacob Tremblay,Sarah Niles,Julia Davis, andLuisa Guerreiroas Toxie’s suit performer. During a conversation with Collider’sSteve Weintraubalongside the director, producer, and other cast members at San Diego Comic-Con, Dinklage hit on why, after so many years of waiting,The Toxic Avengeris coming at the perfect timeto give people a bit of joyful, violent entertainment, something that weirdly fits with the vibes of “The Good Things.”
“I just love the idea of fun violence. It sounds like an oxymoron, but in a very dark time we’re living in now, the satirical nature of this film, and the warmth at the same time… When Toxie hurts somebody, he apologizes to them for hurting them. So,it wears its heart on its sleeve. To get back into the movies I grew up on, the great [Steven] Spielberg movies, they always kept that in their sights. So, I hope people can embrace that.”
The Toxic Avengerwill be released in theaters on August 29, with “The Good Things” dropping the same day to accompany it. Check out the new teaser in the player above.
The Toxic Avenger
