Best Worst Movie
United States
2009
93 Min
Color
English
Synopsis
“Bad books are bad, bad food is bad, but bad movies… aren’t always bad.” So says one of the fans of Troll 2, a film adored by devotees as the worst film ever made. In Best Worst Movie, director Michael Paul Stephenson investigates the improbable rise of a critically panned horror flick of the early ‘90s to a pop-culture touchstone. Stephenson, who starred in Troll 2 nearly 20 years ago, chooses to focus on his on-screen father, the amicable George Hardy, as he comes to terms with his strange, newly found celebrity and the crushing demands of being a cult icon. Equal parts side-splitting and heartbreaking, this is more than a movie about a movie; it’s a film about that powerful bond forged between cinema—even bad cinema—and the people who love it. —AFI Film Festival
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Scumbalina
18Feb12
Felt more like an extended special feature than a legitmate documentary to me. Still, it's nice to see where all these people ended up, especially George Hardy who seems like a swell guy!
Seth Farmer
29Dec11
"Mostly i've wasted my life. I always thought I had potential but I never did use it. You know, more or less i've frittered my life away ... but then what else is there to do with a life but fritter it away?" There is value in everything, even in the aimless and the unskilled. A bad film director and a bunch of bad actors cannot simply be shrugged off.
Harry Rossi
16Jul11
This is an incredible documentary. Not only was it fascinating, smart and funny, I also found it quite moving at times. Really great stuff.
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Articles
Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
"Daddy Longlegs," "Looking for Eric," Sight & Sound
By David Hudson on May 15, 2010
What with Cannes and all, this roundup of what the critics are saying about the films opening this weekend is a day late, but at least
SXSW 09: BEST WORST MOVIE Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Troll 2 is a low budget Italian horror movie devoid of most attributes that are normally associated with good film making. The title is designed to capitalize on an unrelated film, John Buechler’s Troll
Best Worst Movie and Troll 2 Hit Canadian Rep Cinemas Tomorrow!
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Troll 2 is that rare bad movie that transcends its ineptitude and becomes something sublime. Best Worst Movie is that rare documentary that sets out to ruminate on one subject, in this case Troll 2, but
Best Worst Movie and Troll 2 Hit Canadian Rep Cinemas Tomorrow!
By Twitchfilm.net on October 28, 2010
Troll 2 is that rare bad movie that transcends its ineptitude and becomes something sublime. Best Worst Movie is that rare documentary that sets out to ruminate on one subject, in this case Troll 2, but
SXSW 09: BEST WORST MOVIE Review
By Twitchfilm.net on July 17, 2010
Troll 2 is a low budget Italian horror movie devoid of most attributes that are normally associated with good film making. The title is designed to capitalize on an unrelated film, John Buechler’s Troll
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Reviews
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Best Worst Movie review
By Seth Farmer on January 2, 2012
Why do certain people love bad movies? They’re, like, bad, aren’t they? This is the question asked by Best Worst Movie , a documentary concerning the fandom of Troll 2, one of the most beloved worst… read review
Great Doc
By Marcus WP on July 1, 2010
If you had HBO in the early 90’s there’s a good chance that you caught a movie on at either 11am or 3am on any given weekday called; Troll 2. That’s how I discovered it. I remember the first time… read review
Untitled
By hlkneedler on November 11, 2009
The best docs take you on a journey along with them and this one is great at upending your expectations from the get go. A fun light doc but also with some real insight into strange fringe members… read review
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Best Worst Movie (2009)--a Continuing Discussion of Bad Filmse
11 posts by 4 people
3 months ago