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Best Worst Movie

Released Apr 23, 2010 1h 31m Documentary List
94% Tomatometer 70 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
This documentary reviews the making of the film "Troll 2" from the perspective of its former child actor star, Michael Stephenson. In 1989, a group of actors and an Italian production crew join forces to produce a slice of unwitting cinematic history. Stephenson and those involved with the ill-fated sequel tell the story of Italian director Claudio Fragasso's B-movie classic, among them the Alabama dentist who became a cult star because of his famous, immortal line.
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Critics Consensus

Good-natured and mirthful, Best Worst Movie is a sweet deconstruction of how a cinematic folly can become a triumph.

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Critics Reviews

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Laura Kern Film Comment Magazine [The] doc offers fittingly low-tech amusement throughout --which is a hell of a lot more than can be said about the tediously incomprehensible movie it champions. Jun 28, 2013 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Troll 2 has become a midnight favorite, and Stephenson looks at the phenomenon while catching up with his profoundly untalented costars and the grouchy Italian director. Dec 30, 2010 Full Review Bill Goodykoontz Arizona Republic A documentary so enthusiastic, good-natured and sweet about such an abject disaster that it almost makes Troll 2 worthwhile. Rated: 4/5 Aug 19, 2010 Full Review Vadim Rizov Filmmaker Magazine Best Worst Movie is an inquiry into the precise manifestations of its subject’s value for makers and fans alike rather than a simple tribute to it. Jan 24, 2023 Full Review Jason Adams My New Plaid Pants Y'all, I can't exclaim this loudly enough: Best Worst Movie is a really wonderful accomplishment. Jul 2, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com There's something completely joyous about watching a film in which the entire cast has sort of surrendered themselves to the journey. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 2, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jeff M I have sorta become obsessed with TROLL 2 since watching it for the first time recently, and this delicious, highly entertaining documentary is the perfect companion piece. In my review of TROLL 2, I pondered whether the filmmakers were making it in earnest or as a satire of bad movies in general. Well, this movie, made by the young man who played protagonist Joshua, answers that question and many others. I was often reminded of my favorite comedy of all time, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, while watching this. GUFFMAN, of course, was about a group of small town "actors" doing their level best in making the next Broadway-level musical. I am convinced that everyone on TROLLS 2 was also trying their level-best to make the greatest movie they could. And that's what paints everything here with a couple colors of sadness and empathy. I found myself touched throughout to see the different ways in which these people dealt with their Z-list fame. We meet the defensive director, the actress who just wants to be alone, and the small town dentist who revels in milking everything he can from his 15 minutes. We also meet the legion of fans who truly love the movie and finds themselves legitimately moved to meet the actors involved. It's funny, it's endearing and it makes me anxious to watch the movie again with a whole new perspective Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/24 Full Review Jacob B A compelling documentary that offers both a good look at where the Troll 2 cast and crew are now nearly 20 years after the fact and shows that, for how fundamentally broken it is, the film still has a dedicated fanbase who keep the film's memory alive whilst also acknowledging that yes, it is so bad it's good, Best Worst Movie is a fun thing that might be a bit too ambitious (since quite the number of cast and crew members are being approached for this documentary with a rather short runtime) but shows that even poorly-made movies can still have enough niche appeal to have their legacy endure. I still prefer The Room, though. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/07/23 Full Review Audience Member The making of "Troll 2" (a film with no trolls, but rather vegetarian goblins) is re-lived decades later as told by the cast and crew, with the main focus being on the film's child actor. The Italian director, Claudio Fragasso, doesn't quite understand the hype, but keeps a decent sense of humor (though he had no desireto direct a sequel, even post-hype of this documentary). Most of the cast seems to really enjoy their "fame" as few were ever professional actors. A fun watch, even if you've not seen the film it documents. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member There's about 40 minutes of a good documentary here. But it's stretched out to feature length. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member A fun and energetic documentary where you really get a clear insight into who the people involved in making Troll 2 really are. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Ah, now I understand: The villains of TROLL 2 were never really the vegetarian goblins, but the Italian monsters who made the film in the first place. Their repeated denials and willful misunderstandings and verbal abuses, combined with the desperate pathos behind most of the cast—it's hard to know who to feel worse for: The mentally ill man cast as the drugstore owner, the depressed actress who just wants to be left alone, the jovial dentist itching for the convention limelight—make this feel less like a celebration of a bad film than therapy for those who have lived through trauma. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis This documentary reviews the making of the film "Troll 2" from the perspective of its former child actor star, Michael Stephenson. In 1989, a group of actors and an Italian production crew join forces to produce a slice of unwitting cinematic history. Stephenson and those involved with the ill-fated sequel tell the story of Italian director Claudio Fragasso's B-movie classic, among them the Alabama dentist who became a cult star because of his famous, immortal line.
Director
Michael Stephenson
Producer
Mary Francis Groom, Brad Klopman
Screenwriter
Michael Stephenson
Distributor
Area23a
Production Co
OJO Entertainment
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 23, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 29, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$103.2K
Runtime
1h 31m
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