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Troll with the punches

Those of you who regularly read movie reviews may actually seek to avoid bad movies. But there is a subgroup of people out there that actively seeks only the most terrible ones - films so universally reviled that, like Darth Vader, there must be some good in them. It seems inevitable, then, that a movie would be made called "Best Worst Movie" as an attempt to crown the lowest of the low. And now we have one. According to this sweetly amusing documentary, the winner is 1990's "Troll 2" - a movie so bad that it violates the basic tenets of being a movie, starting with its title (the film neither contains trolls - it's about goblins - nor is it a sequel to 1986's forgettable Sonny Bono romp, "Troll"). After watching "Best", you'll either run out to rent "Troll 2" or you'll thank your lucky stars you've never come across it.

"Best Worst Movie" is directed by Michael Stephenson, who, at age 10, starred in "Troll 2". He played the young son in a family of milquetoasts that unwisely vacations in the town of Nilbog (read it backwards) only to discover its inhabitants are freaky, slimy, killer goblins. Oddly - or is it brilliantly? - the goblins are vegetarians. So in order to eat the humans, the goblins go through an elaborate process of transforming their victims by tricking them into consuming a green substance. Once the humans eat it, they begin to turn into trees, which the goblins then eat. Yep, brilliant.

Seems like a long way to go and, not to spoil the party or anything, wouldn't it be easier to just eat the actual trees that are growing in and around Nilbog?

But I digress. We are here to praise "Troll 2", not to bury it (that would be too easy). And buried it was for many years until, like its human victims, the film metamorphosed into a cult hit, thanks to a little thing called the Internet. It seems that a growing underground of fans had seen the film on cable or worn out VHS tapes. Soon after came midnight screenings, autographs, conventions and, now, a documentary.

Mr. Stephenson wisely focuses his doc around George Hardy, who played the beleaguered father in "Troll 2". A dentist in Alabama, George is universally, almost impossibly, loved in his hometown. Even his ex-wife doesn't have a bad word to say about him (though it's notably never explained why she's an "ex"). It's almost as if George's last name is Bailey and the town is Bedford Falls. Undeniably, when George is on camera, he is instantly endearing. There's not an ounce of guile to the man. As several friends remark, he is simply a kind, genuine person. In an inspired touch, George is first seen blending a protein shake approximately the same shade as the green goop from "Troll 2".

The filmmakers manage to track down virtually all of the original cast - as well as the director, Italian filmmaker Claudio Fragasso. Along with his wife, who wrote the script, Mr. Fragasso is one of the more fascinating subjects on screen (and among this group - which includes a former mental patient - that's really saying something). Mr. Fragasso begins by extolling the film as a parable ("as we Italians call it"). Then he's amazed by the cult following and thrilled to be in L.A., "the kingdom of cinema". But as he gradually learns the difference between laughing at and with, things turn sour for this bargain-bin Bertolucci.

Equally fascinating is the actress who played the mother in "Troll 2", Margo Prey. Ms. Prey is the Norma Desmond of the film. Like everyone else, she thought she was making a good movie. Except, she still does. Look into her wide, wild eyes. She truly believes it when she says "Troll 2" belongs in the same category as "Casablanca" (perhaps she's right, if the category were "things").

"Best Worst Movie" is a tough sell. If you're not in on the joke, you'll likely be bored to tears. If you're already a fan, you'll watch in awe. And if you're a fan of great, terrible movies then this is the documentary for you. Like its subject, "Worst" was made with the best of intentions and surely it will find an audience as a DVD extra.

It's certainly fascinating to see what the creation of the documentary does to its subjects. And there is a sweetness to it too. George is clearly a repressed actor at heart and, against his better judgement, he soaks in the spotlight and, eventually, buys into the hype. His comeuppance is a tender tragedy. Mr. Fragasso, meanwhile, still doesn't get it, though he's willing to pursue directing "Troll 2: Part 2" (no, seriously).

The best worst movie? Well, maybe not. But there's undeniably something about "Troll 2". And if, as Mr. Fragasso says, a movie is a success if it moves people. Well, "Troll 2" is certainly a big, solid movement.