DVD Review: BEST WORST MOVIE (2009)

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BEST WORSE MOVIE
Directed by: Michael Stephenson
Distributed by: NEWVIDEO

For those that don't know, BEST WORSE MOVIE is a documentary about what some consider to be the worst movie ever made, TROLL 2. If you have never seen TROLL 2, do yourself a favor and get a copy NOW. It is a horrible film, yet it is sooo much fun to watch, hence the title of this documentary, BEST WORSE MOVIE!! On a side note, TROLL 2 has absolutely nothing to do with the original TROLL film, but T2 director, Claudio Fragasso, just used the popularity of that film title to try to gain an instant audience for his TROLL 2.

I was going to review TROLL 2 a while back after watching it for the first time, but I just couldn't figure out how. I couldn't decide if I wanted to write a good review about a bad movie that was actually fun to watch, or write a bad review for it since it is such a bad movie, even though it is fun to watch. Needless to say, that review never got done. This review will be a no brainer, though. No matter what you think about TROLL 2, you will absolutely love BEST WORST MOVIE. This is quite possibly one of the greatest documentaries about a film I have ever seen. Here is a little about this film from the film's official website:

In 1989, a group of unknown Utah actors starred in what would be crowned the worst movie of all time: TROLL 2. After two decades of running from this cinematic disaster, the cast can no longer hide from the legion of followers that celebrate them for their ineptitude.

BEST WORST MOVIE, directed by TROLL 2’s once-disgraced child star, Michael Paul Stephenson, unravels the stories of these unforgettable real-life characters and the colorful army of devotees who continue to revel in the film’s perfectly flawed brilliance.

At the center of this celebrated documentary is the improbable story of a small-town Alabama dentist-turned-cult-movie-icon, and an Italian filmmaker who come to terms (or doesn’t) with his internationally revered cinematic failure.

BEST WORST MOVIE is an affectionate and intoxicatingly fun tribute to the single greatest bad movie ever made and the people responsible for unleashing it on the world. The result is a hilarious and tender offbeat journey that pays homage to lovers of bad movies and the people who make them, while investigating a deeper story about the strange nature of celebrity, the catharsis of redemption and the humanity that exists in making even the worst movie ever made.

As stated above, the person behind this brilliant film is none other than Michael Paul Stephenson, the child star from the film who played the son, Joshua, in TROLL 2. Stephenson did a remarkable job with this documentary, getting interviews with almost every single cast member from the film, including even some of the actors that played the trolls! He then rounds up everyone he can to have one big screening of the film with all cast/crew in attendance.

The film focuses mainly on actor George Hardy, who played the Dad in the film. He is a dentist in Alabama now and while he is far removed from the Hollywood acting scene, he still reminisces about his acting days. Mr. Hardy is a very outgoing, super friendly and funny guy, and really is the main factor in this film being so entertaining. George Hardy is very proud of his role in TROLL 2 and is able to embrace it and have fun with it now. Footage of him attending multiple TROLL 2 screenings and Horror conventions across the country is very entertaining.

Other memorable interviews include that of Don Packard, who played the creepy Drug Store owner in TROLL 2. Mr. Packard is a very interesting man and tells about how he was dealing with a bad mental illness at the time of the filming of TROLL 2. Also, the interview footage of director Claudio Fragasso is very interesting as well. Fragasso thinks a lot of his film and thinks the film itself is wonderful, but carried out poorly by the actors.

One of the the most interesting and moving interviews was that with actress Margo Prey, who played the Mom in the film. Mrs. Prey seems like a very troubled individual now with many issues at hand. She has distanced herself from the film and acting in general while she takes care of many of her issues, one of which is caring for her elderly mother who lives with her. Mrs. Prey is the only member of the main cast that director Stephenson can't convince to come to the screening, even after he and Hardy make a personal trip out to her house. This is a very interesting scene in the documentary, as while she distanced herself from the film, she is kind enough to invite Stephenson and Hardy in to reminisce a bit about the film and even re-enact the famous car scene right in her living room! This is amazing footage that Director Stephenson did a remarkable job on capturing.

The film ends with a "what they are doing now" segment over the end credits, showing you what all the main cast/crew are up to these days. This is a great film that my review can't do justice. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this film asap!

The DVD includes over an hour of exclusive bonus features, including:

* Deleted Scenes and Interviews
* Music Video
* Fan Contributions
* Filmmaker Q&A with Creative Screenwriting Magazine
* A Provocative Message from TROLL 2's Goblin Queen, Deborah Reed


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD