BEST WORST MOVIE (2010)
Directed by Michael Stephenson
What would you say is the worst movie ever made? Last week, I discovered my contender for that spot. But is there any movie you've ever seen that, despite its myriad flaws, you can't help but love it? For some, it's The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for others, Ed Wood Jr.'s Plan 9 From Outer Space (though I personally prefer Bride of the Monster. I'm a sucker for Bela Lugosi). For a good many people, that honor goes to Troll 2.
Made in 1989 by Italian director Claudio Fragasso and starring a group of Utah locals, Troll 2 has garnered the reputation of the "Worst Movie Ever Made," earning the "top" spot on IMDb's "Bottom 100" list at one point (as of today, it's still on the list at #76). It was never released in theaters, but instead went straight to video and HBO. Though the actors were all amateurs, there were a couple who entertained dreams of Hollywood super-stardom. When they saw the finished film, however, their hopes were dashed. Everyone agreed: this movie stinks.
However, the film was not a total loss. Years later, fans of the film held midnight screenings and even full-blown parties built around it. It's cult of fans are just as dedicated as any the Rocky Horror crowd could boast. So when word of this reached Michael Stephenson - who played the young Joshua Waits in Troll 2 - he decided to make a documentary about the fans.
Along for the ride, he brought George Hardy, who played his father in the film. George, an affable dentist now living in Alabama, is more than happy to join him. They round up the rest of the cast and even the director, and tour the United States and Canada, making appearances at screenings. And when word gets out that the cast and director will be there, the screenings sell out quickly.
This film touches on a lot of subjects, not the least of which is the effect that this new-found celebrity has on these yokels who appeared in a bad movie nearly 20 years earlier. George seems to embrace it at first, but after a disastrous trip to England (apparently, it's not as big a hit over there), he is brought back down to earth, realizing his place is in the dentist's chair, not on the big screen (though he wouldn't rule out doing another film). But George isn't the only eccentric in the cast. Don Packard, who played the store owner in the film, was on leave from a mental institution when he auditioned. Margo Prey, who played Diana Waits, has been caring for her ailing mother and hasn't acted in years (that whole scene looked like something out of a suburban Grey Gardens). But all of them (save Margo) got together for the screenings, and everyone had a great time.
But the question that they really only touch on is this: what is it about these movies that make us love them so much? On the surface, they're terrible, and yet they endear themselves to us. Well, I can't speak for Troll 2, as I've never seen it. But there are some turkeys that I love (including, but not limited to: Bride of the Monster, The Room, Hook, etc.). I can really only say that the reason I love them is either because 1) I loved them as a child and never really let go of that love or 2) There is a kind of naive enthusiasm behind them, where the film-makers may not have been talented, but they were sincere and were having fun. And if that fun and/or sincerity makes it to the screen, then they must have done something right. Even if they did end up making what amounts to an unintentional comedy.
You would think that everyone involved would be glad that their crappy little film has garnered such a cult following, but director Claudio Fragasso comes across as more than a little bitter when he finds out about his movie's status "Worst Ever." He argues that he made a good film, but the actors screwed it up. Or he blamed the language barrier. Or the crew. Or pretty much everyone but himself. Instead of saying, "I learned from my mistakes, and I can now watch Troll 2 and chuckle a little bit," he insists that his movie was a good one and all the critics are wrong. It's a surprisingly bitter note in an otherwise upbeat and strangely heartwarming movie.
But as good as this doc was, it doesn't make me want to watch Troll 2. Sorry.
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