What constitutes a bad movie really depends on the viewer but there's always exceptions to the rule when along comes a film so inept, so misguided that (somehow) people latch onto it and propel it forward to cult status. Troll 2 is such an effort and, even though I myself can't quite understand why because it's fairly painful to sit through, this "sequel in name only" has garnered a loyal fan base and enjoyed various screenings around the World - as well as live appearances by the cast and filmmakers who, while mostly embarrassed with their involvement, have no problems cashing in on their fifteen minutes of fame.

George Hardy is the main focus of Best Worst Movie. Now a practising divorcee dentist in Alabama, he once followed his whim to become an actor and ended up being cast in Claudio Fragasso's Goblin - yes, this wasn't intended as an actual sequel to Troll but, perhaps seeing what they had to work with, the distribution company wanted some form of name recognition to try and make back some cash on their investment. At first, he seems surprised as anyone that this crappy little film he made over fifteen-years-ago has gathered a hefty fan base but he soon begins to revel in all the new attention he's been getting and is more than happy to spout the line "You don't piss on hospitality!" (something he yells at his movie son, and this documentaries director, Michael Stephenson after he's urinated all over a table of tainted food) to big cheers. Which makes it even more sad sack that, once the luster of being a minor celebrity wears off, Hardy just seems to want to distance himself from it.

Best Worst Movie isn't all about Hardy though as Stephenson also brings back a handful of his co-stars to reminisce about making the film, gives some focus to the fans who are keeping a footnote of a 1990 flick alive, and shows us plentiful scenes of director Fragasso not only being deluded about Troll 2 but also trying to peg a socially aware message onto the script written by his wife, Rossella Drudi. When he's not extolling the virtues of his films, Fragasso is busy uttering insults in his broken English including basically saying none of the cast had any talent and that they are "dogs". He's certainly a character but, surprisingly enough, isn't the most eccentric person who was involved in the production. Those honours would belong to Margo Prey who played the clueless mom as she still clings onto the belief she's going to make it as an actress (she has to be in her fifties) while taking care of her invalid mother as well as Don Packard who is obviously suffering from a mental disorder and goes off on bizarre, almost sad, tangents that tend to not make a lot of sense. Stephenson has also seen fit to pepper his documentary with clips of the film as well as re-enacting various scenes with his interview subjects.

While watching Best Worst Movie I was reminded of another recent documentary that struck similar chords with me: Anvil: The Story of Anvil. This mainly stems from the fact that, much like the boys in the ancient Canadian metal band, a handful of people involved in Troll 2 seem to be clinging on to that nibble of fame it becoming a cult movie has offered them. It's almost like their appearance in a movie, be it a terrible one directed by an Italian they could barely understand, felt like their peak to them. Which is why when George finally gets tired of it all we almost breathe a sigh of relief for him - he seems like a genuine and good-natured guy and I'm sure having to relive the shit show that is Troll 2 over-and-over again had to become tiring.

There have been plenty of documentaries made in the past examining the process of making cult and horror films but it truly takes something special to rise above all of the featurettes littering your DVD collection that feel like tossed together press kits. There's certainly been a resurgence of thoughtful, extremely well-done looks at films (and film series) with such work as Paul Davis's "Beware the Moon" from the An American Werewolf in London blu-ray, the extensive look at the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise entitled Never Sleep Again, and the upcoming Psycho Legacy. It's an awesome time to be a genre fan who is interested in the back story of some of our favourite flicks - so it's great we can use Best Worst Movie to balance it out with a look at one of the worst (it sits in the bottom 100 films on IMDB) and Stephenson does so with charm, humour, and the retrospective of having been a part of the inanity from the get-go. (Chris Hartley, 10/18/10)

Directed By: Michael Stephenson.
Written By: Michael Stephenson.

Starring: George Hardy, Michael Stephenson, Darren Ewing, Jason Steadman.