“The Worst Best Movie” is a great documentary about what some people call the worst movie ever made (good news for Ed Wood and his “Plan 9 from Outerspace”), “Troll 2” (no connection to “Troll,” it was named this attempting to bank on the success of its eventual namesake, which– like Ghoulies and Critters– was trying to follow in the footsteps of Gremlins). The film focuses on this campy horror flick’s cast, specifically the movie’s star- George Hardy (now a dentist with a successful practice), and how nearly everyone in the movie has spent the last 20 years embarrassed to have appeared in it, until now that is. “TWBM” chronicles the actors’ reactions to the films’ recent appeal to a small, yet international cult following. Although not quite “The Rocky Horror Show,” dedicated groups of fans flock to screenings, have the script memorized, fondly reenact scenes, and praise the film for its unintended brilliance.
Although much of the principle cast has kept the film’s title off of their resume, they’ve grown to embrace their participation and happily soak up the attention and endearing compliments from new fans. This affection leads to bittersweet moments in “TWBM,” since “Troll 2,” it turns out, is for most of the cast their most memorable foray into show business. To add on to this theme, the documentary’s director is the, now grown-up, movie’s aspiring child star. He recalls watching the film for the first time as a child, and knowing that something was terribly wrong, and then coming to the realization that the film wouldn’t launch his career into fame and fortune.
“TWBM” is engaging, funny, at times emotional, and worth watching. The cast is full of colorful characters including the original film’s director, Claudio Fragasso, who doesn’t quite appreciate the “so bad it’s good” concept. In fact, he struggles with this reception of his work. At times he’s shown rebelling against it, as he barks at audience members during screenings who compliment its hilarity. He also scolds actors during their talks on panels for the film as they declare that they couldn’t follow the film’s plot. I’ve personally seen this in the careers of some artists. Folks who either don’t appreciate their audience or are looking for a totally different audience that never appreciates them. Sometimes, the audience you set out to reach isn’t the one you end up with. The important thing, however, is that you have an audience. Although not initially fond of the perception fans have of the film, he comes to grips with what he created and how it’s embraced. He explains, “a film must move you… I believe fans that support this movie are people that are emotionally moved by it. Otherwise, how do you explain this phenomenon?” He’s right. Fragasso created something that critics bashed in 1989, yet two decades later, fans globally regard the low budget film as good entertainment. In fact, they feel it’s so good that they celebrate his work by watching it time and time again. Ultimately, he indeed made something that connected, resonated, and is remembered. Whatever the medium, what more can a creative person ask for from their art? -Israel Vasquetelle
