Best Worst Movie (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Emily A

  
  Best Worst Movie is a documentary about the cult that's grown around Troll 2 and where the actors are now. George Hardy drives this movie, an affable dentist from Alabama who loves the weird new fandom he finds himself the centre of. At times it's a little bit sad when you… More
  Best Worst Movie is a documentary about the cult that's grown around Troll 2 and where the actors are now. George Hardy drives this movie, an affable dentist from Alabama who loves the weird new fandom he finds himself the centre of. At times it's a little bit sad when you see what's become of Margo Prey or that Robert Ormsby seems disappointed with his life. If Hardy is the hero, then Claudio Fragasso, the director of Troll 2 is the villain, a humourless pompous pseudo-arteeste who doesn't understand what good movie-making is, doesn't understand America, can't take criticism and doesn't want you to enjoy his movie wrong. As a whole, it makes you want to see Troll 2, which is kinda cool, I guess, I'd have liked to see more of Michael Stephenson, the grown up child actor who's behind the camera.

• Mike S

  
  Highly entertaining documentary about the B-movie phenomenon known as Troll 2. Now, I haven't seen the film in question myself, save for a clip or two on YouTube, but I kind of want to now after seeing this delightfully funny tribute piece. Directed by one of the… More
  Highly entertaining documentary about the B-movie phenomenon known as Troll 2. Now, I haven't seen the film in question myself, save for a clip or two on YouTube, but I kind of want to now after seeing this delightfully funny tribute piece. Directed by one of the "stars" of the film, it offers a fascinating inside-look into the making of and fan-fests of this very weird and bizarre creation. Or as one of its viewers put it: "It looks like it was made by aliens trying to show us humans how we behave". What I found most hilarious of all though, is that everyone seems to know it sucks, except for the director. Similiar to the likes of Ed Wood and Uwe Boll, he genuinely believes he has conceived a meaningful and sophisticated horror story, with great emotional depth. And he certainly shares the same passion for flipping off the critics. You have to give it to him though: for all the campiness and laughable acting that Troll 2 possesses, it has spawned a mind-blowing following, whose whole-hearted worshipping is not unlike a religious cult. I guess I won't fully understand why until I've actually seen it, but it goes to show that maybe it truly is the best worst movie ever made. Well, either that or its legion of fans are suffering from some kind of mass psychosis. You be the judge.

• Spencer S

  
  One of the most fascinating documentaries about a group of people with a loving obsession I have ever seen. What makes this film both odd and spectacularly endearing is the fact that this obsession just happens to be for the best worst movie ever made: Troll 2. Troll 2 was supposed to… More
  One of the most fascinating documentaries about a group of people with a loving obsession I have ever seen. What makes this film both odd and spectacularly endearing is the fact that this obsession just happens to be for the best worst movie ever made: Troll 2. Troll 2 was supposed to be a direct to video sequel to the mostly unknown Troll, a horror movie about, what else, a murderous troll, but this film has nothing to do with that film, trolls, and doesn't even make complete sense. Directed by a man who speaks primarily Italian and a written by a woman who wanted to lampoon vegetarians, not much of the film is cohesive or makes much sense. The result is a lot of unheeded and unintentional hilarity over every aspect of this unparalleled 90 minute spree. This film looks at the obscurity, peculiarity, and strange sanity of the fans of this pitiful little film. Fans come out in droves to see screenings of a film that has been relegated to the video store bins of lore. The dear love that these fans give to this supposedly undeserving film is the best part of this documentary, directed by a child actor from the film; it was certainly the most fascinating and disturbing of the whole film. Troves of filmmakers, game makers, artists, and comedians have hailed this and given it the credence of classic films from every era. Besides covering the worldwide (and I mean worldwide) love for this film, we also catch up with the cast. You wouldn't think the cast of a crappy one trick pony film would be so ridiculously entertaining, but the actors themselves are just as wacky and out of this world as the people they play. The father is portrayed by a small town dentist named George Hardy, a sweet but clueless man who always wanted fame but was too dense to achieve it. This stands as his largest achievement and he milks it for all its worth, all the time staying just as unknowing and naive as ever. Other notable people connected to this film is the director who still believes this is an actual masterwork, the woman who portrayed the teenage daughter is a working actress trying to distance herself from this, and the now defunct actress who played the mother, who looks like an elderly witch and acts like a schizophrenic, comparing Troll 2 to Casablanca. Nothing is ever dull, it works as a documentary, and made me overtly excited to see the film it covers.

• Sam B

  
  Best Worst Movie may not be the best documentary I've ever seen, but it is without a doubt one of the most fascinating. It's all about the creation and legacy of the movie "Troll 2" which is currently seen by many as the worst movie ever made (and as someone who… More
  Best Worst Movie may not be the best documentary I've ever seen, but it is without a doubt one of the most fascinating. It's all about the creation and legacy of the movie "Troll 2" which is currently seen by many as the worst movie ever made (and as someone who has seen Troll 2, that is definitely fair criticism). Through the course of the movie we see what has become of the cast, learn stories of the incredibly strange circumstances surrounding the movie's production, one of the most odd being the director, an Italian man who until this day believes he made a good movie, and doesn't understand why everybody laughs at it. Like most great documentaries, Best Worst Movie eventually transcends its original premise - an examination of one of the stars (George Hardy) and his transformation from kind-hearted small-town dentist into cult film star. What the movie ends up being is not the kind of heartwarming success story it begins as. Instead, the documentary goes much deeper, gets far stranger, and becomes much more emotionally confusing. Believe it or not, the documentary based on the hilariously bad 1990 film is an oddly touching, harrowingly depressing look at unfulfilled dreams, misunderstood people, and miscommunication. More importantly, the film poses the tough question of what constitutes a failure. Is the worst movie ever made really a failure, especially if it has a following? Do those who acted in said terrible movie mean anything in the bigger scheme, and is it alright to laugh at the performances of those who never became the big actors they wanted to be? If something has fans and mean something to people, is it really a failure at all? A good way to describe this film is as a mix between "Catfish" and "Exit Through the Gift Shop," two of my favorite documentaries and both of which are questionable in their authenticity. Best Worst Movie has the same disturbing, saddening human revelations that Catfish had, and features a foreign artist oblivious to his own mistakes as seen in Exit Through the Gift Shop, not to mention the thematic similarities about what constitutes true art. The most troubling thing about Best Worst Movie, however, is that there are no doubts that this is an authentic documentary, meaning that troubled, oblivious people such as Troll 2 actress Margo Prey exist. This isn't a perfect documentary in any way. It drags on for too long, it tries to focus on too many different things, and in the end a lot of the meaning taken away from the film is up to the viewer, since many of the themes aren't articulated in the most coherent way. Still, as a whole, Best Worst Movie really made me think. I'm still thinking about it, and probably will for a long time. Perhaps the most amazing part is that the lasting impression left by this documentary wouldn't be possible without each and every person, no matter where they are now, being a part of a surreal, terrible film named Troll 2.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"The Story Behind The Worst Movie Ever Made - TROLL 2"</i> 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. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"The Story Behind The Worst Movie Ever Made - TROLL 2"</i> 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. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> 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. 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.

• James A

  
  Al I can say is OHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYY GAAAAWWWWWDDDDDD!!! On another note the guy who played the little kid spoke to me on Twitter after I tweeted that I loved this doc.

• Nate Z

  
  Being an ardent fan of crappy cinema, I wanted to like this documentary a lot more than I did. Best Worst Movie is a documentary exploring the cult following of Troll 2, a bizarre 1990 horror sequel (that had nothing to do with the original) universally regarded as one of the worst… More
  Being an ardent fan of crappy cinema, I wanted to like this documentary a lot more than I did. Best Worst Movie is a documentary exploring the cult following of Troll 2, a bizarre 1990 horror sequel (that had nothing to do with the original) universally regarded as one of the worst films of all time. It's all about killer vegetarian goblins that turn people into plants, among other things. Michael Stephenson, a child actor who starred in Troll 2 and got a hard life lesson, directs the documentary. He tracks down other cast members and reminisces about the strange shoot in Utah and their strange Italian director. I expected more colorful anecdotes and analysis, but Best Worst Movie is too navel-gazing. It focuses on the cult movement that has embraced the film and how the actors have found some merit of appreciative fans. Clearly Stephenson is trying to fashion validation for himself and his cast mates. The main figure of focus is George Hardy, a gregarious Alabama dentist who got his first, and only, acting job with Troll 2. He clearly hungers for the spotlight but at the same time dismisses the cult fans as being too "weird." The best moments of Best Worst Movie are when we peel away the ironic veneer and catch the glimpses of personal joy people find from Troll 2. Whether it's the audiences in bafflement, or the actors finding a modicum of relief and appreciation, an indescribably bad movie can link people into a loving community. For my money, The Room is the better trashy midnight movie experience. Nate's Grade: B

• Ken S

  
  Fun little film about cult films and the audiences that love them.

• Cory T

  
  Out of the debacle that was 'Troll 2', child actor Michael Stephenson has crafted something positive, affectionate and affirmative with 'Best Worst Movie'. The best documentaries have a subject focus to latched onto and George Hardy, the simpering Southern dentist,… More
  Out of the debacle that was 'Troll 2', child actor Michael Stephenson has crafted something positive, affectionate and affirmative with 'Best Worst Movie'. The best documentaries have a subject focus to latched onto and George Hardy, the simpering Southern dentist, is the perfect amiable window into the impact of 'Troll 2's cult-phenomenon status.

• Jeff "

  
  This is the documentary about the worst film ever made, Troll 2. The film is directed by Michael Stephenson who also starred as Joshua in Troll 2. Stephenson follows the lives of the cast members including George Hardy, Darren Ewing, Connie Young. The film explores the lives of the… More
  This is the documentary about the worst film ever made, Troll 2. The film is directed by Michael Stephenson who also starred as Joshua in Troll 2. Stephenson follows the lives of the cast members including George Hardy, Darren Ewing, Connie Young. The film explores the lives of the cast twenty years after the embarrassment of Troll 2 being crowned the worst film in the history of cinema. The film also takes a look at the cult following that this film has gotten over the years. Michael Stephenson crafts a comical film with entertaining interviews. Best Worst Movie is a terrific documentary on Troll 2 and its stars, its fans and reputation. The film goes deep to cover all aspects of this trashy classic. A very humourous and sad film, Best Worst Movie is a unique documentary. The film brings light to Troll 2, and its impact on people. For everyone whos seen Troll 2, you'd agree that its one terrible film. But the thing is Troll 2 is the type of film that it's so bad, it's good. This film explores everything that has made this film so legendary and why it's fans respond to it in such a positive way. The film takes a look at its many actors and how they lived with this embarrassment over the years. One thing thats really great is how George Hardy reacts to the films fans, and he bewildered at how Troll 2 has received such a good response from fans. Best Worst Movie should definitely appeal to fans of the film, and its a very amusing film that explores this films success. A very well done documentary.

• Luke E

  
  A fascinating and halarious documentary that has to be seen to be believed. Its very Bizaar a cult following of what the worst movie ever made must be incredibly genuine and wierd. I found this very entertaining among movies about movies, I do highly recomend this even if you… More
  A fascinating and halarious documentary that has to be seen to be believed. Its very Bizaar a cult following of what the worst movie ever made must be incredibly genuine and wierd. I found this very entertaining among movies about movies, I do highly recomend this even if you don't know much about the worst of cinema.

• Matthew Y

  
  Almost two decades ago a film called Troll 2 was made by an Italian director on a shoe-string budget with a cast and crew that had practically no experience making movies. The film was so bad it was never released in theaters and hardly available on VHS. For whatever reason it did… More
  Almost two decades ago a film called Troll 2 was made by an Italian director on a shoe-string budget with a cast and crew that had practically no experience making movies. The film was so bad it was never released in theaters and hardly available on VHS. For whatever reason it did premiere on HBO (which is where I first saw it) and over the years gathered a strong cult following who hailed it as The Best Worst Movie ever made. This documentary chronicles the cast & crew, the normal (or abnormal) lives they lead now and their discovery that they and the film are an underground cult phenomenon. The documentary suffers largely because it's not nearly as entertaining as the film that inspired it.

• Juan C

  
  like being elmo, this is really a fun, intresting, and a really refreshing take of a documentary on the worst movie ever made, trolls 2. but seeing that their was actually a fanbase on that movie really took my mind. and if a movie does something to you, even if it does fail like no… More
  like being elmo, this is really a fun, intresting, and a really refreshing take of a documentary on the worst movie ever made, trolls 2. but seeing that their was actually a fanbase on that movie really took my mind. and if a movie does something to you, even if it does fail like no movie before it, and absolutely enjoyed it, then it succeded on what its purpose was. also, having to know more on the cast and crew on how it was filming the movie and how their lives are now really does interest and is really fun to watch. its a great way to start watching the so called 'best worst movie ever made.' A+

• Curt C

  
  [29th Atlantic Film Festival] A look at the cult popularity of the "worst film of all time", Troll 2, and what happened to all of the film's actors. Starts out fun, but just ends up depressing. Clocks in at 93 minutes and I will not lie, it ends up being a very long… More
  [29th Atlantic Film Festival] A look at the cult popularity of the "worst film of all time", Troll 2, and what happened to all of the film's actors. Starts out fun, but just ends up depressing. Clocks in at 93 minutes and I will not lie, it ends up being a very long 93 minutes. Needed to be 20-30 minutes shorter. Watching the past actors ham it up at sold out screenings was entertaining. Watching them get humiliated and ignored at conventions, was not. Basically - when the actors are in on the joke, it's a lot of fun. When they're the butt of the joke, not so much. I have a bone to pick with director Michael Stephenson, who blatantly exploits Margo Prey's personal issues/ psychological condition for kicks during a visit to her home. It was completely unnecessary and left a foul taste in my mouth. He had no business showing that footage.

• Jason R

  
  A funny and interesting look at Troll 2. Which is hands down one of the worst movies ever. But! It is so awful that it becomes one of the most entertaining films you will ever watch. The star of the film, Michael Stephenson. Tracks down and records his reunion with his Troll 2… More
  A funny and interesting look at Troll 2. Which is hands down one of the worst movies ever. But! It is so awful that it becomes one of the most entertaining films you will ever watch. The star of the film, Michael Stephenson. Tracks down and records his reunion with his Troll 2 co-stars. The Filmmaker who made it all possible, and the events surounding the 20th Anniversary of the film and its growing popularity amongst those strange, Nilbog-loving freaks who adore this movie and the people in it. One very fun movie to watch. The people in this movie are about as ridiculous as the people they portrayed in the film. Which makes for one Hell of a good documentary.

• Lord N

  
  This movie baffles me. well, it doesn't baffle me as much as it baffles me what this movie shows me Troll 2 did. It, for starters, showed me what an idiot the director was. He was Italian and he insisted that he knew how American Teenagers talked better than the American… More
  This movie baffles me. well, it doesn't baffle me as much as it baffles me what this movie shows me Troll 2 did. It, for starters, showed me what an idiot the director was. He was Italian and he insisted that he knew how American Teenagers talked better than the American teens in the cast. You could just tell the whole time that he thought that he was better than the actors. Plus, he had important issues that he wanted to touch on with the film which were: "Living eating and dying". Those were the important issues that the film was trying to get across. The director was this stuck up jerk basically. But what this documentary shows me is that this whole film was damned from the very beginning. The actors didn't know what it was about, the director thought it was about deeper things than it could have possibly been about, and the fact that the cast was American and the directors were Italian (who spoke almost no English) made this film almost impossible to shoot. Plus the film had an incredibly tiny budget. Nothing could have gone right for this film. Nothing did. Then you get to the mother and she feels that the movie was just as good as say, Casablanca or any old Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart film. Yeah, she thinks that Troll 2 is as good as Casablanca. Wrong. Just, wrong. Most of the movie was the guy who played the kid in the movie making the movie and he focused mainly on the guy who played the dad. I liked him at first because he seemed like a nice genuine person, but then they went to some horror conventions and people didn't focus all on him like they did at screenings of Troll 2 across America and he kinda seemed to be...I dunno. he seemed like he expected the limelight to be on him and was kinda bitter when it wasn't but if so he hid it well. But to be fair he said that he was burned out with the whole thing so that might have been it. It was an informative documentary. It was interesting to see what came out of, and what went into Troll 2. If you've seen Troll 2, this is a must.

• Simeon D

  
  Funny and touching documentary covering the lives of the cast and rebirth of the alleged worst movie ever made: "Troll 2". Seeing as the doc is directed by one of the original cast members, there's always this hovering ironic tone and sympathy towards the interviewees,… More
  Funny and touching documentary covering the lives of the cast and rebirth of the alleged worst movie ever made: "Troll 2". Seeing as the doc is directed by one of the original cast members, there's always this hovering ironic tone and sympathy towards the interviewees, most notably the now-dentist George Hardy (who originally played the dad), who becomes drowned in his own fame and rational egoism. It's fascinating and at times sad to watch the insights of the cult following, the actors' lives, the filmmakers' lives, and the cultural impact Troll 2 (a little known anti-classic) had. It's extremely entertaining and well edited, and will even appeal to people who have no idea what Troll 2 is (such as my parents, who thoroughly enjoyed it) but my only criticism would be that it loses some momentum and organization in the second half and this caused the excitement to dwindle. 93/100 More at: http://thegreatestreview.blogspot.com/2011/02/best-worst-movie-2009-michael.html

• Wu C

  
  Interesting doc on the cult phenomenon of "Troll 2'. A definite must see for fans of the 'best worst movie'.

• Quinto W

  
  Incredibly hilarious, disturbingly sad (looking at Margo Prey is like staring down a bottomless pit of sandess) and overall a great examination of not only one of the truly most awful films ever made, but cult fandom and overall about the things that truly move us. The only aspect I… More
  Incredibly hilarious, disturbingly sad (looking at Margo Prey is like staring down a bottomless pit of sandess) and overall a great examination of not only one of the truly most awful films ever made, but cult fandom and overall about the things that truly move us. The only aspect I would have liked to see explored a little more in depth is when there has been enough ironic appreciation and you move on, which is only hinted at briefly by George Hardy.

• Sean L

  
  This film brought me so much joy. Like Not Quite Hollywood, it is a documentary about the love of movies, specifically genre movies which aren't particularly good. This is subject matter very close to my heart. George Hardy is one of the most compelling and entertaining people… More
  This film brought me so much joy. Like Not Quite Hollywood, it is a documentary about the love of movies, specifically genre movies which aren't particularly good. This is subject matter very close to my heart. George Hardy is one of the most compelling and entertaining people I've ever seen featured in a film, and his segments alone make the film worth it. It doesn't really explain why a cult has built around Troll 2, but I don't think you could explain something like that. Its a cult movie, and this movie is every bit as entertaining. Plus, its well made. While Troll 2 only appeals to a certain niche, I would wholeheartedly recommend Best Worst Movie to anyone and everyone. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't like it.

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