Good concept, poorly executed.

As Good As It Gets

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A documentary about the infamous "Troll 2", this is a very entertaining look at the film's legacy and the nature of fandom in general. It is directed by Michael Stephenson, who played the lead role of Joshua Waits. He explains that he first saw the film when he received a copy of it on VHS for Christmas 1991 and that it was pretty soul destroying experience since it was just so awful. He spent years trying to forget that it even existed but he eventually decided to embrace it, which is why he made the documentary. However, the fact that he is behind the camera for most of the film means that this is about as much as we learn about the film's impact on his life, which is a shame. The documentary interviews some of the most die-hard fans of "Troll 2" and there are a few excellent descriptions of the film and its appeal. One fan claims that it is as if an alien picked up broadcasts of Earth films and then tried to make one of their own. Another fan compares it to a religion which keeps growing as more and more people introduce their friends to the film. The horror film journalist M.J. Simpson says that the reason that people love the film so much is that it may be complete trash but the filmmakers were honestly trying to make it good, comparing the complete lack of cynicism on display to Ed Wood's films. I think that this is a pretty apt description.The main focus of the documentary is Stephenson's on screen father George Hardy, a dentist in Alexander City, Utah. He is an extremely nice man who is basically beloved by everyone. Even his ex-wife Merry says that she could not imagine anyone disliking him. Although he harboured dreams of becoming an actor, he did not pursue them as his parents convinced him that it was not exactly a stable income. His mother thought that "Troll 2" was so dreadful that she left halfway through the screening! The film shows Hardy attending a good 10 or 15 screenings of the film all over the US where he is treated like a rock star by the fans. He really laps it up! There is a very bittersweet moment though when he and several other castmembers go to a convention in Birmingham and the Q&A panel is only attended by seven or eight people, some of whom I am convinced were there by mistake from their expressions. From what we see in the documentary, no one went to the signing. This would not have been so bad if it were the comparatively close Birmingham in Alabama but, no, it was the rather more distant Birmingham in England. Hardly anyone there has even heard of "Troll 2". John Schneider says that he has but I am convinced that he was just being polite. Hardy finds it hilarious that they have come so far and no one is interested but another castmember Darren Ewing (of "Oh my GOOOOOOOOOODDDD!" fame) is clearly furious to have wasted so much of his time. It later shows them at a horror convention in Dallas but there is only slightly more interest there. In an extremely funny moment, Hardy comments that many of the attendees have gingivitis and estimates that only 5% floss regularly.In contrast to Hardy, however, the director Claudio Fragasso does not come across very well. He is short-tempered, incredibly rude and aggressive, often referring to the actors as "dogs." There were a few times where I would have thought that he was going to hit someone if I hadn't already seen the documentary about five years ago. He attends several of the screenings but he resents the fact that "Troll 2" is considered by many people to be the worst film ever made. On the other hand, he also thinks that it is almost as big a compliment to be the director of the worst film ever made as it is to be the director of the best film ever made. None of the castmembers really have a kind word to say about him and he is clearly not enamoured of them either. His English is far from fluent but it is seemingly much better than it was when they made "Troll 2" in 1989. His wife Rossella Drudi explains that they made the goblins vegetarians as the fact that so many of her friends were vegetarians made her angry (for some reason). She describes the film as a "ferocious examination of today's society." Right...Connie Young (formerly Connie McFarland) probably had the most negative reaction to the film of any of the castmembers since she realised that her performance as Holly was abysmal from the moment that she saw it. She is still working as an actress, albeit with limited success, and "Troll 2" does not have pride of her place on her résumé. Imagine that. She says that several times people have recognised her from the film at auditions and she knew that her name would be crossed off the list the moment that she left the room. She also admits that she does not understand the fascination that people have with "Troll 2". Don Packard, who played the Nilbog store owner, tells us that he was institutionalised due to serious psychological problems in the late 1980s and he was released for several days in order to work on the film. When he finally saw it after almost 20 years, he said that he was seriously troubled at the time as opposed to acting as if he were troubled as the store owner.Overall, this is a great documentary on the impact that cult films can have on people's lives, for better and for worse.

We get nice interviews from the actors all admitting that they hated Troll 2 when they first saw it. But grew to love it after the movie gained a cult status.Claudio is clearly a guy who cannot take criticism. When someone tries to correct him about anything, he gets annoyed. There's a scene near the end when the cast do a Q and A and he is in the audience. Anytime somebody says the movie is bad, he would shout at them and get angry. He's like a child who can't understand that you can't have everything you want. He also gets annoyed when people laugh at the movie for how bad it is. We have interviews with random people explaining why they love this movie and we have screenings of them showing the movie.The biggest focus on this doc is George Hardy. Shot in his home town, everyone is like "George is so great" and "George is amazing".....The focus is no longer on Troll 2, but about fecking George. We see him go over the moon when he is at screenings of this movie. Not just in his hometown, but all around the States too.He is on top of the world and nothing can spoil his enjoyment.That is until he goes to a convention in Birmingham.He's sitting by the stalls, wondering why the hell aren't people asking for his autograph. "Hey, I was in Troll 2!"(Silence)You just want to say "Take that, George! Serves you right for your attention seeking."But it get worse when he goes to the convention in Texas and the same thing happens again.Also, he is not found of the other Horror movies being promoted."I don't know this movie. This one neither. Oh boy." Despite his attention seeking, you do feel a tad bit sorry not just for him, but for the other actors who starred in movies about 20 years ago and haven't done anything since.This is why being an actor or actress sucks big time.But then George goes back to his hometown and it is all "George is so great" again.You're famous in your hometown, but not everywhere.Claudio also gets one last word. "I make movies that emote me and this movie emotes the audience too."Yeah, cos I clearly remember how emotional this movie made me.You poor bastard, Claudio.Still, it is a nice doc and worth watching if you liked (or even didn't like) Troll 2.

George Hardy is an incredibly likable man. He has a steady job at a successful dental surgery and is devoted to his children. He keeps fit and has a great sense of humour alongside an admired position amongst the rural community of his Alabama home. Hardy was never a famous man, but he did have one significant outing on the silver screen as part of Italian director Claudio Fragasso's (Zombi 3, Zombie Creeping Flesh) infamous Troll 2.Best Worst Movie is a documentary about the legacy which Troll 2 left behind. Although, the actual depth and significance of this legacy may have been exaggerated slightly by the filmmaker Michael Stephenson, who was the child star of the feature. The documentary follows the reunited cast of Troll 2 as they relive the insanity of the shoot and wallow in the brief appreciation that arose out of the obsessive nostalgia of the fans.Hardy is the first to be studied in depth and his amiability and small town charm ooze through the screen, as they hunt down the other stars the story starts to take a turn for the weird. It is worth noting at this point that none of the stars of Troll 2 were professional actors, they had all answered casting calls for extras and were given leading roles by Fragasso, who spoke very little English at the time. Fragasso also used an entirely Italian crew who also spoke very little English, all of which resulted in the bizarre farce that the movie became. This practice was not uncommon though, Lucio Fulci (who Fragasso shared directorial duties with at certain points of his career) adopted the same practice for his 'Trilogy' (The Beyond, House by the Cemetery and City of the Living Dead). The end result of the two directors couldn't be further removed, however, as were Fulci managed to inject a great deal of style and cinematic flare into his work. Fragasso does not.Troll 2's infamy lies in the fact that it was voted the Worst Movie Ever on IMDb, a quote which is often mentioned in the subsequent promotion of the movie. The actors are all happy to admit that it is a terrible movie and have no problem playing along with the crowds who showcase the movie with the intention of having a good laugh at it all. Fragasso is not as pleased about it. One gets the impression that he is of the idea that his movies have been taken on board as classics and his smile drops very quickly when he realises that people are laughing at his 'art'.There are actors who have since become damaged recluses and others who were quite literally on day release from mental institutions. Hardy gets swept up in the media furor, eager to lash out his catchphrase; 'You can't p*ss on hospitality, I won't allow it.' For anyone who will listen. He organises a charity event showing in his hometown and even attends a few conventions. The UK convention was a particularly sobering affair, with the attendance in single figures, it seems to be the moment when Hardy realises that the film industry isn't where he wants to be. His disgust and revulsion at the attendees of the horror con is kind of sad in many ways.This is such a compelling and interesting documentary that it becomes very much about the individuals involved and less about the original subject matter (Troll 2). This is an absolute must see for any fan of horror, sci-fi or good documentaries as it offers a worthy insight into the machinations of the low budget movie industry.Read more at zombiehamster.com

The film Troll 2 has become something of a cult item in the last five or six years. It's one of the movies that truly defines the term 'so bad it's good'. It's a consistently ridiculous film that is so very amusing because it so clearly never intentionally tries to be funny at any point. Its mixture of earnest endeavour, cinematic hopelessness and general strangeness aligns it alongside the much-loved yet utterly inept work of Ed Wood. It's really a very rare occasion for any film to achieve the very specific anti-brilliance of Troll 2. So with this in mind, it only seems right that a documentary has been made to celebrate its existence.It focuses mainly on two things. The people involved in the making of the film and the audiences it has subsequently attracted. What it doesn't do – and this is a mistake in my opinion – is tell us how the movie came to be made in the first place. It doesn't even answer the question that many people find the most obvious – why is it called Troll 2 when there aren't any trolls in it? I think the story of Troll 2 warranted a little more historical context and background info, as much of the facts are fascinating in themselves.That said I did enjoy Best Worst Movie and think it's great it was made at all. I remember back in 2005 Michael Stephenson the director and child star in the film frequented the IMDb boards with other cast members and he did say back then that he was planning on making this very documentary. I must say I thought it would never happen but fortunately I was incorrect. George Hardy, the father in the film, emerges as a real star; a very likable man who seems to have lapped up his bizarre fame. Although the real main man of the piece turns out to be director Claudio Fragasso. Every time he was on screen was gold. He was a living embodiment to what made Troll 2 so entertaining in the first place, i.e. committed artistic seriousness and a refreshing lack of irony. Fragasso truly believed that Troll 2 was loved so much because it was a complex family drama. Although he at least didn't go as far as to compare it with Casablanca as Margo Prey did without any sense of jest. Prey was clearly a disturbed woman. But then so was Don Packard, the man who played the drugstore owner, he in fact was an out-patient at a sanatorium when the film was made. So this is surely an example of fact being as strange as fiction. Well, almost.Best Worst Movie is ultimately a perfect accompaniment to Troll 2 itself. The documentary somewhat strangely does not really focus on the content of the film itself. There are numerous clips of course but they're never commented on and many of the best parts are bizarrely not featured in the first place. This would perhaps be more of a problem if you didn't have the movie itself to enjoy afterwards. Ultimately Best Worst Movie is a look at a group of people who were inadvertently involved in making a movie that not one of them could have imagined in their wildest dreams would go on to become something of a cult classic. It's a strange story but one worth knowing about.