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27 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
Worth the Risk, 24 January 2010

Author: heathdavisspeed from New Zealand

Every year, Wellington has a film festival and puts out a brochure with brief synopses of the films that will be shown. Something about the idea of a guy trying to track down the cast which he shared a movie with many years earlier appealed. It took a while to convince my other half that we should go and see a film about a horror film which neither of us had seen and had atrocious reviews on IMDb.

It was a risk.

However, it was a risk that with the benefit of hindsight I was very glad that we both took. Knowledge of the erstwhile Troll 2 was not necessary as the film is interspersed with relevant sections of the original movie as and when required.

I can only imagine that the previous reviewer has no sense of humour or has something against this film, because what I saw was one of the funniest films I'd seen in years. Some of the comic timing is absolutely perfect, as, for example, one of the cast members of Troll 2 is indulging in some ego massage only for the film maker to capture a telling glance or bemused expression from an onlooker.

At the screening, the director was present and took part in a Q&A after the fact. A question was somewhat rudely asked as to whether the director felt it was right to degrade his former colleagues in such a way, by displaying their insecurities, idiosyncrasies and foibles on celluloid. I, however, give this critic short shrift. With the potential exception of the director of the original Troll 2, these people have volunteered to be part of this film, and I found myself laughing along with these people rather than at them.

All in all, you won't find a much more amusing documentary to watch than this. Whether you are interested in the subject matter or not is largely unimportant. If you see this film advertised at a cinema, in a rental shop on DVD or maybe in your TV listings then make sure you too take the risk to see it. It'll be worth it.

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17 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
A delightful surprise, 14 May 2010

Author: ncoxny-1

I saw the infamous "Troll 2" many years ago on Cinemax or HBO or somewhere. It was a prime example of the "so bad it's funny" category. Every now and then I'd describe the crazy ending and horrible acting to friends, but for the most part it stayed below my radar.

Then I read a review about "Best Worst Movie", co-directed by the actor who played the kid. I didn't know that "Troll 2" had such a furious following. The film is being four walled at the Village East Cinema this week, and I thought I'd check it out. I expected that I would be one of the few people there. Imagine my surprise when there was a line to get in!

I thought the movie was a delight! Most of the actors in the film have moved on and take there odd notoriety in stride. The woman who played the mother, however, thinks that "Troll 2" is on par with "Cassablanca". The director, who seems to think he's the heir to Fellini's throne, genuinely thinks he made a great film and a parable about modern society. Still, everyone seems to have had a great time making this film. Like "Ed Wood", "Best Worst Movie" celebrates the people who made the movie. They may not have made a great movie, or even a good movie, but they did SOMETHING that has endured.

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14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Saw a screening of this in Boston tonight!, 25 April 2009

Author: DjJazzyDeath from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Best Worst Movie" is a very well done film and lives up to its hype. Nearly every actor from "Troll 2" makes an appearance, minus Deborah Reed, Troll 2's vegetarian villain from hell. But Michael Stephenson was there to answer questions and he said that she is in the DVD extras. If you had to say there's a "star" of the documentary would have to be the extremely likable Dr. George Hardy who played the role of the father in Troll 2. We were fortunate enough to also be graced by his presence at the screening as he too took questions from the audience. He was a great choice as the primary focus of the documentary. He comes off as very genuine as the sheltered Alabama Dentist he is today embracing the cult film hero he has become.

One thing I was surprised about was the movie doesn't show a lot of the "key" footage from Troll 2 that makes it so awfully great. For instance the infamous "Oh my gaaaaawwwwd!!!!" line wasn't featured or even mentioned once, yet the actor who plays that character, Darren Ewing, is featured in the documentary quite often. My guess is that maybe Stephenson thinks most of the documentary viewers haven't seen Troll 2 yet but will after the documentary's release and doesn't want the Troll 2 viewing experience completely spoiled. The scenes with Troll 2 director Claudio Fragasso are priceless. Still directing 20 years later and coming to terms that he has made one of the worst films ever. The man's got quite a chip on his shoulder to say the least and almost every minute of screen time he gets is a riot.

Overall, the documentary is very funny. Catching up with Robert Ormsby (haz-ah! Granda Seth is still alive!) was surprisingly a light-hearted scene, but easily could have been edited to come off as sad or depressing. However, when they find Margo Prey, better known as Joshua's mother in Troll 2, is slightly terrifying. There is no doubt the lady has some "complicated" issues in present day, but if you've seen Troll 2 does that really come as a surprise?. Still, Michael Stephenson was able to keep those scenes from being overtly sappy or gut-wrenching and thus prevents killing the pacing or overall theme of the film. Stephenson has really proved himself to be a good filmmaker with a lot potential. I highly recommend this film to all, even if you haven't seen Troll 2. There is mention of Claudio Fragasso's next film project that's in development at the end of the documentary: Troll 2, Part 2. Seriously. The theater roared and applauded at this notion which most assumed was a joke, but Stephenson and Hardy confirmed that it is being written but remained tight lipped beyond that. Even if it comes out as another "Lost Boys 2" I will be seeing it for sure. If you enjoy documentaries such as "King of Kong: Fist Full of Quarters" then you will love Best Worst Movie.

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15 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Very interesting, but more focused on the fandom than the movie, 6 August 2010

Author: bpkellam from Chicago, IL

I'm a huge fan of bad movies and I'm particularly interested in the story behind these movies and how they got so bad. I've seen Troll 2 countless times and the narrative that has been developed about its production is incredible. So, I have been eager to see this documentary since I first heard about and went to a screening at the Music Box Theater recently.

Overall the movie was very interesting. However, it did exactly what I was afraid it would do and focus the documentary on the "midnight movie" cult phenomena aspect of Troll 2 rather than its back story. It primarily follows George Hardy, the father from Troll 2, as he explores this strange, sudden form of fame. He seems very humble and gregarious, so his experiences in going to conventions and trying to persuade country folk to see Troll 2 are a little amusing, but they take up a huge portion of the film. Similarly, we see lots and lots of footage of the cast at Troll 2 midnight showings which, while colorful, takes up way too much screen time. It seemed as though the film was developed to appeal more a wider audience who is totally unfamiliar with Troll 2 or the bad movie culture. Everyone who is in the know (which makes up a vast majority of the film's audience because it is a small release) won't be too captivated by scenes that just show a couple of random friends hanging out in an AV room and getting others to watch Troll 2 for the first time.

When the movie does explore the movie's origins and production history and interviews cast members, it is extremely entertaining. All of the story's rumors of unintelligible scripts and intended social commentary are all true. Many of the people involved with the movie are fascinating, if not heartbreaking, to see now. Grandpa Seth seems to realize he "frittered his life away," the general store owner relates that he was in a dementia/drug haze during production and was not quite aware he was in a movie, and Margo Prey (the mother) is a delusional, agoraphobic cat lady.

Most interesting of all is the segments with director Claudio Fragasso. He actually believes the movie is great and it takes him time to understand that the sudden revival of the movie is ridiculing it. Eventually, he comes to terms with the criticism all the while still berating its cast members and insisting on his skill as a filmmaker. The documentary would have been considerably more interesting had he been its main subject.

Overall, the film is definitely worth seeing, Troll 2 fan or not. However, it's frustrating to think would the movie could have been. Some scenes are amazing, but much of it is bogged down by footage of people in line for a Troll 2 showing screaming at the camera or George Hardy telling uninterested neighbors about his "piss on hospitality" scene.

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
for the Nintendo generation, 23 November 2010

Author: (admin@videogamehollywood.com) from United States

The Best Worse Movie, is a look at the making of the film Troll 2 and its journey from being crowned the "worst film of all time" to a cherished cult classic. Troll 2 is a perfect example of the "so bad it's funny" category. Very few movies get everything, I mean everything so far from right, except for Troll 2.

The Best Worse Movie was made by the child actor from the film, he manages to find all of the cast and discusses with them how the movie changed there lives. It was funny to see the reaction from everyone involved who either wrote the film off as an embarrassment or just a good laugh. Except for the Italian director of Troll 2, who still regarded the film as a masterpiece.

I was very shocked how much I enjoyed this documentary. I enjoyed it as much as "King of Kong", and really enjoyed the story of how a film can go so wrong in every department. It goes to show how beloved some of these terrible campy 80's movies are today with the Nintendo generation.

Rating= A+

UPDATE: After watching this documentary, I went out and watched Troll 2, and yes, it was as bad as they say.

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9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Ignore Paul Kersey Jr., he's just trolling the reviews, 25 July 2010

Author: Andrew Lee from California, United States

Perhaps it was the build up for watching this documentary, but I found it to be the most enjoyable movie I've watched all year. I was reviewing the list of movies on display at the Sacramento Film Festival and I stumbled across the synopsis for this movie. I had vague recollections of Troll, but I couldn't really remember watching Troll 2. I recruited a few friends to watch the documentary since they'd heard of Troll 2 from some documentary about the worst movies ever filmed.

Three hours before the documentary was set to start, we gathered at my house with some chips and beers and set out to watch Troll 2. One friend had to switch to hard liquor to handle the outlandishly bad scenes in the movie, but the rest of us found the movie very watchable. It's like watching a train wreck at a high school talent show. You get a gut-wrenching feeling from watching these people make asses out of themselves, but you can't help but love their performance.

Anyway, we finished Troll 2 and we all agreed that there were several parts of the movie we'd love to have explained. That's where the documentary came in. It's like having an audio commentary extra from a special edition DVD, except you have to go to the local indie theater to watch it.

I don't know what the hell that one reviewer was writing about, but out of the 25 people who were in the small theater, at least 15 of them were constantly bursting into fits of laughter. The documentary is genuinely funny and I don't think people should watch it as a serious film... since it's about the worst movie ever. It'd make no sense.

One of my friends that went to the theater with us did so without watching Troll 2. After the documentary, he insisted that we watch the Troll 2 again that night, which we did. After watching the documentary, it's hard not to like Troll 2 since you now know the people that played the characters. It's comforting to know that they're as embarrassed about some of their scenes as you were for them.

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9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
A Funny, Touching, and Surprising Experience, 14 November 2009

Author: scary-man from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Just returned from seeing this at the Denver-Starz Film Festival and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.

First let me say that I went to see this movie on a whim as I was actually at the Metro State campus (where the film festival is located) for a live music event that took place later.

OK back to the film.

You don't need to see Troll 2 to appreciate this movie as enough (but not too much) of the original is contained in this documentary to give you an idea of how bad it is.

One of the elements that makes this movie good is that except for the beginning there is no off screen narrator. Titles let you know who is speaking and where the and the characters on screen are currently. The actors and dialog carry us almost seamlessly from place to place and fill us in on the minor phenomenon of the now cult status of Troll 2.

George Hardy who played the father in Troll 2 and who is the main focus of this film is a gem. He enjoys his time in the spotlight and appears to be a good man. We see him go from place to place promoting Troll 2 at first really amazed to see lines of people around the block waiting to see him and the movie. He then goes to various conventions where the film is only a sideshow and where he comes to the realization as to why he can't keep doing this. He admits to wanting to be an actor but was pushed into his current profession (which is portrayed with just the right balance between humor and seriousness).

We also meet other actors from Troll 2 including Robert Ormsby (who played Grandpa) and Margo Prey (who played the Mother) who have remained in Salt Lake City (where Troll 2 was filmed) and in the 20 years since the movie was made have led tragic lives and are quite touching to see today.

We also meet the director of Troll 2 who at times is confused and angry that people consider his film bad and funny.

The most unusual story is about the actor who played the store clerk in Troll 2. Apparently at the time of making the movie he was on release from a mental hospital and claims that he was not acting. What he was doing was real and he was considering violence to several of the cast members including the little kid (which when you see the movie will be quite funny).

There is much more which I won't go into here but if you get a chance to catch this at a film festival then you may get to meet George, the director, and his wife the producer. All are characters in themselves and they have made a minor work of art here.

To sum it up this is movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and never strays into the realm of ridicule which would have been so easy to do given the subject and the people involved. It is serious and touching without getting overtly sappy.

See this if you get a chance. Here is the web site here for information: www.bestworstmovie.com.

One last thing: NILBOG!

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
the cult around the "worst" movie loved by so many, and the people in the whirlpool of "fame", 6 July 2011

Author: MisterWhiplash from United States

The actors just hoped for the best with Troll 2, at the time of shooting called Goblin (named for the name of the town in the film, 'Nilbog', get it?). The script was awkward, the creature effects shoddy, and most of the Italian crew, including director Claudio Fragasso, and nobody really knew what would happen with the movie. No theatrical release, straight to video and HBO, and when people saw it (save for the director, who still thinks it's a good movie, and the actress who played the mother, Margo Prey, who thought it was a solid "actors" movie) they knew how bad it was... and that included what is now the director of the documentary on Troll 2, Michael Stephenson, who played the lead kid/protagonist in Troll 2. He goes back to visit all the actors in the film, what they're up to, and then confront them with an astounding fact: Troll 2, in small-certain circles, is a big, big deal.

One of the main keys here is that the documentary works kind of like a cross between American Movie and Overnight, only it's all taking place many years after the fact. You have the 'characters' who are kind of nutty (the guy who was actually in a mental asylum and let out one day to play the store clerk in the film, Don Packard), and the ones who just tried to put it aside and get on with a career without Troll 2 (Connie Young as the daughter Waits in the film). And then there's George Hardy, who is like the anti Troy Duffy: instead of an obnoxious jerk, Hardy is the guy everybody likes (which could be to a fault, but who cares) and has that nice, sweet, all-American disposition working as a dentist and always with a smile or a laugh. And when he finds out Troll 2 is such a cult, he not only embraces it, he goes with it on tour!

This is also a wonderful treat for those film fans who know what it's like to find a movie so-bad-it's-fun like Troll 2. We see them here at the screenings that take place midnight all across the country, from New York to Los Angeles and cities in-between (most touching is the first screening that happens almost underground at a comedy club of all places and where the first real rise of Troll-mania happens). Stephenson gets what it's like for these people to be such fans, and that the cast (save for Prey who doesn't show up cause of her sick mother, and the director who is bitter about the guilty-pleasure love) gets what kind of audience loves Troll 2. As a cult you get the guy who tattoos Troll 2 on his arm. You get the people wearing their hand-made t-shirts. You get people who drive six hundred God-knows-how-many miles for a screening. And of course they all know all the words.

Stephenson captures what a phenomena like this is like, and at the same time the bittersweet coin of sudden "fame". Hardy goes all the way to Britain to promote Troll 2, and it's a little staggering to find out a) he didn't see if, you know, there were actual FANS of the film willing to go to conventions for it like they did the screenings in the states, and b) people don't seem to automatically find it cool all the time to be the "worst movie ever made" (smile). This also happens in Dallas at a convention we see, albeit the one time Hardy loses the admiration (at least from me) is when he slams the people who come to horror conventions, without realizing how horror audiences can be at such places, or that, you know, Troll 2 is still and always will be a big film for some, and for others they'll have a blank look on their faces.

Which, at the end of it all is fine for someone like Hardy, a genuine real-deal of a man who is fine with his dentist practice (albeit he is now acting in a few intentionally crappy movies like Ghost Shark 2), and for the director Fragasso and his co-writer wife who continue to berate the cast's friendly bashing of the film and the production, since, well, they think they did a good job with the movie (at one point, kind of unintentionally funny, Fragasso ponders why the audience laughs at the parts that "aren't meant to be funny", while also pointing out that the audience "saved" the movie from obscurity). Stephenson gets the human angle of everyone in the movie and understands them, even someone who could have been painted as a crazy like Margo Prey (who for some she may be anyway). And for such a movie like Troll 2 to get mainstream attention, if just for a little while, it's a swell treat for a movie so hilariously s***ty.

Moral of the story: You can't p*** on hospitality, I WONT ALLOW IT!

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Best movie about the best worst movie, 16 November 2010

Author: obiwan-27 from New England

As a fan notes in "Best Worst Movie", the worst movies are never made that way on purpose but inherit their serious badness from the sincerity with which they were made. Thus was the case with Troll 2, which the director Claudio Fragasso inconceivably insists was an earnest work of art. This documentary, put together by the actor who played the son in the 1990 film, catches up with Fragasso as well as the writer (Fragasso's wife) and cast of Troll 2.

Many terrible films have acquired cult followings--most notably of recent times Tommy Wiseau's The Room--but to my knowledge, Troll 2 is the only one which is itself a subject of a documentary. Michael Stephenson does an excellent job in conveying not only Troll 2's infamy but also the general "it's all in fun" attitude of fans who love truly bad movies. Even if you haven't seen Troll 2 (although I highly recommend you do!), I think you'll find this documentary interesting, hilarious, and even touching. Even my 14 year old son, who's as yet too young to appreciate epic badness in movie making, wandered into the room while I was viewing this and ended up sitting and watching it with me.

Much of the documentary centers around George Hardy, who played the dad in Troll 2, and his attending of conventions and Troll 2 screenings as well as his efforts in trying to get the other actors to participate in a Troll 2 reunion. The jovial Hardy is impossible to dislike and without his cooperation "Best Worst Movie" wouldn't have worked nearly as well. His upbeat attitude lends a balance to the proceedings as we discover that many of the other actors involved in Troll 2 are these days embarrassed, bitter, depressed, or in at least two cases clinically insane.

Fragasso, by turns astounded and angry that so many people laugh at his film, is a dour presence throughout, but in the end offers the most relevant wisdom. Movies, he says, are about moving the audience, and Troll 2 is by those standards a great success. Fortunately, the same can be said about "Best Worst Movie", which is well worth a look.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
One of the best documentaries in a long time!, 28 May 2012
Author: Prolox from Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

MICHAEL STEPHENSON, who played the lead hero Joshua in the disastrous TROLL 2, slips into the directors chair for a documentary on "The Best Worst Movie" TROLL 2. The documentary covers a lot of ground on a film that could so easily have sunk into oblivion long ago (And I bet quiet a few people who did see it & those who worked on it, wish it had) The documentary is very informative, fun & funny, covering pretty much all the ground one would expect from a documentary based on a film, most people consider the worst movie ever made. Including a grab bag bunch of interviews with pretty much the entire cast (The ones that could be found anyways) & those behind the camera. Stephenson stars alongside GEORGE HARDY who played his dad in the film, as they go from place to place to promote the film, participate in Q&A sessions (One of which has a small disappointing turnout) as well as travelling around & meeting with actors who were in the film. They also re-create many scenes in the film, sometimes with the director, sometimes not. We also get documented footage showing many fans of the film dressing up as the goblins seen in the film & attending public screenings of the film. Many fans also get on screen interviews, where they discuss their obsession with this cheesetastic classic. My favourite moment comes from when Hardy & Stephenson visit the actress who played the mom & then wind up rehearsing the "row, row, row you're boat" song that the characters all sang out of tune in the movie, when they were driving to Nilbog. Hardy dominates most of the documentary & is pretty enthusiastic about the film & that many people see this cheese classic. The camera also follows him to his day job as a local dentist & his participation in many town events. Perhaps the most fun sequence is when the director CLAUDIO FRAGASSO, shockingly thinks he made a good, scary film & that he has no idea why people make fun of it. He even comes off as bitter at times, over the film's negative response, most notably during a Q&A session after the film has played to a packed crowd inside a movie house, one fan asks: "Why is the film called TROLL 2, when there are no trolls in it?" To which Fragasso replies: "You know nothing!" Not exactly what the fans want to here. All in all, I highly recommend you see this documentary, it's the most fun you'll ever have when watching a documentary. Weird, informative, fun & funny, BEST WORST MOVIE delivers the goods!

**** stars

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