On this week’s episode of The Video Store Podcast, I’m recommending four movies. They’re all from the 1980s and 1990s and all have some connection to my home state of New Jersey, even if it’s a loose one. These aren’t big studio classics. They’re weirder, smaller, and have built and kept loyal followings for decades.

The Toxic Avenger (1984)

Made by Troma Entertainment, this is probably their most well known film. It’s low budget, violent, and absurd. It was shot mostly in New Jersey, including many areas near where I grew up. The studio itself was co-founded by Lloyd Kaufman, who grew up in NYC but often filmed across the Hudson for budget reasons. The Toxic Avenger became Troma’s mascot and eventually got cartoon spin-offs, comics, and a stage musical.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

This one is hard to explain in a sentence. Peter Weller plays a neurosurgeon who’s also a rock star and physicist. It’s sci-fi with a cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, and John Lithgow. The film didn’t do well when it came out but has built a steady fanbase over time. While it wasn’t filmed in New Jersey, it is rife with Garden State references.

Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

This is a fictional band movie that takes itself seriously. It was shot in various New Jersey shore towns. The soundtrack, especially the song “On the Dark Side,” ended up doing better than the film. Led by Michael Paré plays Eddie, the film has a solid cast, but its the music that helped it build an audience. Most of that happened because it became available pretty quickly on HBO

Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith’s first film. Shot in black and white for under $30,000. He filmed it at the Quick Stop convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey, where he worked at the time. This movie launched his career and started what would be known as the View Askewniverse. It’s mostly just two guys talking about things that interest them in intense and funny ways, but it worked.

These films offer more than just entertainment. They provide a look back at different moments when movies could be made with local flavor and for these ones, a personal vision. That connection to place and the willingness to work within its constraints created films that continue to matter because they show how stories are shaped by where they come from just as much as who tells them.

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