Troll 2 sank without an air bubble upon release in 1989 and disappeared into the back of the VHS horror bin. The cast was mortified when they finally saw it, especially those who entertained hopes of an acting career. At first, the worldwide web only worsened things by keeping memory of the low-budget train wreck alive Snarky websites dubbed it “the worst movie of all time,” but before long the negative acclaim led to a small but fervid cult following.
Best Worst Movie (out Nov. 16 on DVD) is a report on the phenomenon by Troll 2’s child “star” turned documentary filmmaker, Michael Paul Stephenson. Snippets of Troll 2 included in his film show stilted acting and a wooden script, but the fans seem to love it for its sincerity, its lack of irony or cynicism, its sheer absurdity. One advocate admires Troll 2 as a film discovered by its audience without the aid of any hype campaign. Another calls it “perfectly bad.” A horror film expert points out Troll 2’s essential oddness. Aside from there being no Troll 1, Troll 2 seemed to be produced by “people who knew how to make a film, but suffered a blow to the head.”
Although filmed in Utah, an Italian production company shot Troll 2. Stephenson tracks down the crew, headed by director Claudio Fragasso, who sincerely believes his story of a vacationing family menaced by monsters in ill-fitting burlap goblin gear was a parable of life, death and family. He complains when his newfound cult audience laughs in all the wrong places and calls them “crazy” before conceding that it’s almost as good to direct the world’s worst movie as the world’s best. Either way, you’ve made an impression.
