Everyone has their favorite bad horror movie. From WolfCop (2014) and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978) to a host of obscure titles and indie gems, we all have that “hear me out” favorite we know isn’t exactly good, but has nonetheless managed to win our hearts. For many genre fans, that movie is Troll 2 (1990). Known for its camptacular “oh my god” moment, writer/director Claudio Fragasso’s ultra-low budget film follows young Joshua Waits (Michael Paul Stephenson) on a family vacation to Nilbog, a rural town that hides a kingdom of maneating goblins.
Yes, these monsters are vegetarian, but they kill by poisoning the food of their victims and transforming humans into vegetables.
Widely regarded as one of the worst films of all time, Troll 2 is filled with comically stilted dialogue, schlocky special effects, and a plot that laughs in the face of logic. But the B-movie is surprisingly enjoyable, mostly because of this outsized camp. Culture critic Randall Colburn explains in documentary Best Worst Movie, “Troll 2 is special because it was written by Italians with a shaky grasp on English and an ax to grind with vegetarians. They didn’t allow the actors to change the script, so everyone sounds insane all the time. It’s direct-to-VHS slop made by genuine eccentrics, so the stupid plot is streaked with absurd touches you’d never see in its contemporaries. Like the best “bad” movies, it’s uniquely terrible.” Now a staple of midnight revivals, viewers come dressed as their favorite characters and joyously recite the film’s most memorable lines.
Stephenson revisits the kingdom of Nilbog in the 2009 documentary, this time helming the camera himself. Now a filmmaker in his own right, the one-time child actor reunites with his cinematic father, an Alabama dentist named George Hardy. As the pair make convention appearances and track down members of Troll 2’s cast and crew, Stephenson paints a surprisingly touching picture of the place this film holds in so many lives. We watch as George convinces family and friends to attend an upcoming hometown screening while Colburn discusses his love for the Troll 2 outside a showing at Chicago’s Music Box Theater.
Interviewed for the film, Fragasso gives us a peek into his own creative process, explaining, “Troll 2 is a film that examines many serious and important issues.” Delighted by his movie’s exuberant legacy, the Italian director confesses to confusion over why audiences find it so funny. He also brushes aside questions about the film’s bewildering title, considering that the story’s monsters are repeatedly referred to as goblins. But it’s this kind of strange inconsistency that proves to be a feature and not a bug. Colburn explains, “Fragasso’s conflicted relationship with the film’s reception and his insistence that he made a ‘good’ movie is what helps the documentary transcend mere rubbernecking at the silliness of Troll 2.” Rather than poking fun at a notorious flop, Best Worst Movie is a love letter to this cinematic curio and its ongoing power to delight new audiences.
Now, seventeen years after its own premiere, Best Worst Movie is getting a physical release courtesy of the indie label Terror Vision. Head of acquisitions Brad Henderson remembers, “I grew up on weird and schlocky films, so Troll and Troll 2 were on heavy rotation. I enjoyed Best Worst Movie because it’s about normal people, and this movie was just a fragment of their lives.” Colburn echoes this sentiment. “The film’s cast is made up of such interesting, salt-of-the-earth characters; working-class folks outside the L.A. bubble suddenly thrust into the limelight in a way they’d never imagined. These are stories we don’t see very often.”
Packed with special features, the Blu-ray release is paired with Stephenson’s sophomore documentary, The American Scream, which first premiered at the Fantastic Fest in 2012. This equally heartwarming film explores the “home haunter” phenomenon by profiling three Massachusetts families who prepare for Halloween by transforming their houses into elaborate haunted attractions. Henderson notes, “When Ryan (Graveface) and I created the video side of Terror Vision, we wanted to focus on documentaries. I’ve always loved docs, and they are extremely underrepresented on home video.” This is likely because most audiences simply absorb the non-fiction film’s informative message and then move along to other titles. But Henderson argues that Stephenson’s films are inherently rewatchable. “The American Scream is something you could put on every Halloween season and get joy from watching people create haunted houses.” Regarding his repeated viewings of Best Worst Movie, he remembers, “It was nice knowing there were weirdo kids like me who enjoyed this kind of movie. I watched and knew I wasn’t alone.”
To amplify the seasonal spirit, Henderson has packed the 2-disc set with a variety of extra goodies. Deleted scenes, special features, and trailer reels make for the perfect creepy ambiance or moving scenery at a DIY haunt. And there are also a few surprises. Henderson explains, “When we were putting this double feature together, Ryan and I had the idea of creating a Halloween mixtape for the release. So, along with both documentaries, for a limited time, you get a scan of The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Nosferatu (1922), and Night of the Living Dead (1968).” The latter includes two separate commentary tracks and a new episode of the fan favorite Shocktail Hour’s Halloween Monster Mix. It’s a smorgasbord of genre joy designed to highlight all that horror has to offer, from groundbreaking classics to the best of the worst, and everything that lies in between.
Thirty-six years after his onscreen debut, Stephenson holds a unique place in the genre world. In addition to starring in Fragasso’s unparalleled film, he’s probably the only child actor to save a cinematic family by peeing on the dinner table. But rather than rest on these bizarre laurels, Stephenson has turned lemons into lemonade. By leaning into the beauty of a bad horror movie, he exposes the joy we get out of scaring ourselves and indulging in what truly makes us happy, regardless of its pedigree. Colburn says, “Successful ‘bad’ movies are exceedingly rare. The very, very few that have taken root are the result of eccentric filmmakers outside of the Hollywood system who believed they were making something brilliant. And they did, just not in the way they thought.”
Best Worst Movie is available to stream on Screambox and for preorder at Terror Vision.
