bazmitch23
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.
cjmccracken
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
thesar-2
The dad's a (laughing gas) dentist. The mom's a (complicated) nut. The daughter's (finger-glassing) embarrassed. The son's (indirectly) an almost no-show. The storekeeper's (literally) insane. The Director's (good-heartedly) delusional. And the goblins are (a little) short on the story.Watch Troll 2. I usually don't say that about films I rate 1/5 stars, though, perhaps I might go back to revisit it, thanks to Best Worst Movie. But, I say watch it in order to appreciate the awesome documentary based on both the popularity of the trash Troll 2 is plus where the actors are today.I'll admit, I don't watch too many documentaries, and that's a pity. For the most part, I enjoy myself tremendously following. That is, for subjects I'm interested in or interested in learning more about. I can't simply Netflix a Iraq or gardening documentary because, frankly, I could care less about either.I did care, however, about more of the background of the phenomenal of Troll 2. And this movie: Best Worst Movie didn't disappoint.Mainly this documentary involves the screenings and conventions either centered or included said movie, to audiences that eat (no pun) it up like it was The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which, not coincidentally enough, they advertise/double bill for here as well. Also, you'll get the "Where are they now" stories – namely the attention-hungry, but incredibly positive and fun, Dr. George Hardy, who played the Dad in Troll 2 and the director of the film. Also, it all-but served as an audio, though equally visual, audio commentary.And like only a FEW commentaries, you will get brutal honesty here. You will see the people involved who readily admit they were confused, bedazzled and embarrassed about the product they put out – and when they finally saw the rarely viewed film. You will also have the defenders of the bad. To each his/her own, but it takes a good person to step back from their project – as I OFTEN DO – and say, "Well, yeah, that was cr*p."On a related note, I finally finished my first official novel 1½ years ago. I wrote one when I was a kid, but that was barely 110 typed pages; hardly a Stephen King chapter. No, this one could be published as is with its current length. Unfortunately, it would need four, five or even eighteen re-writes until I, Mr. Perfectionist, remotely deem it worthy of a paid-editor reading it. I am honest enough to say: "There is a story there; a good story" but incidentally, I know it was horribly written. As is.Stephen King taught me (SEE – or READ: the excellent On Writing book he wrote) to step back away from a project for a period of time. I forget how long, but I did end up waiting a full year. That was really good as I was able to view my "manuscript" with open-eyes and as a third party. I was astonished on how I could put away my own personal feeling and review it like I review the movies on my website. It was gawdawful. That's not to say it can't be re-imagined – God, I hope I do – but I knew then where the problems where.I don't digress here, because this is my point: though I appreciate those (namely, the director, Claudio Fragasso, and actress that played the mother, Margo Prey) who show loyalty to their given projects, you really need to spread some honesty in your life. Thankfully, Fragasso, though blind as he is, he was able to laugh about the comedic reactions those fans had to his "good work."It's not a groundbreaking documentary, but I will report this: it's so lighthearted on just a fun topic. The dentist, Hardy, is just so much fun to watch and he shows his true enthusiasm and eventual true burn out. (Who wouldn't be?) And to me, that was all honesty. In addition, it was great to see the highs and lows of Troll 2's fandom – I mostly dislike documentaries that are diligent in just showing ONE side. Sorry, Michael Moore fans. (Side note: I don't "hate" Michael Moore, as he does, in fact, give me something to think about, but I do want to see both sides at all times in all documentaries. How rare is that?)Sure, you won't learn how McDonald's makes fake meat taste like it came from true cows. You won't learn why America shouldn't be shoving its nose in world affairs. But, you will have a good time and learn about a film that all-but can't simply be duplicated. On purpose.Again, I highly recommend watching Troll 2 first, then (definitely) this documentary and then if you're lucky, catch the Rifftrax version of Troll 2 as they made it all the more enjoyable.Side note: as horrible as the original "sequel" was, I was almost tempted to buy the 20th Anniversary Blu-ray edition just to hear the audio commentary just to learn a little more. Such as the surprisingly out-of-left-field man-on-man love for the "buddies" that was not spoken of during this documentary. Well, luckily, I'll save some money, because the 20th Anniversary "Special Edition" has nothing more than what the original DVD has. When a movie's this bad, a la Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, there's nothing more I want than a funny and apologizing commentary.
