Review: Best Worst Movie

Imagine waking up one day and realizing you were the child star of the worst movie ever made.  That realization inspired the making of the documentary appropriately titled Best Worst Movie. 

In 1990, an exceptionally bad sequel was made in Utah, and it was terrible on every possible level, a perfect storm of ineptness. Eighteen years later, Troll 2 had become a cult classic. Little did Michael Stephenson realize that he starred in one of the most absurdly beloved films of the twentieth century that epitomizes the cult classic phenomenon.  

Stephenson, who was only 12 when he starred in Troll 2, quickly learned that it's not so much his story as that of the rest of the cast and the fans. Focusing on George Hardy, an Alabama dentist who auditioned on a lark and is absolutely thrilled with being in the worst movie ever made, Best Worst Movie introduces the audience to the film and the often outlandish cast of characters involved in the making of the film. Hardy is certainly a character in real life, but he's just one of many. The rest of the cast of characters is almost as strange as their characters in the movie, as Stephenson discovers during reunion interviews. 

No one in the documentary is more delusional than the director of Troll 2, Claudio Fragasso. Fragasso is incredibly proud of his film, and disappointed with its lack of success.  Keep in mind, the guy has six pseudonyms on IMDb and most of his films have a number at the end of the title, or a species (and sometimes both).  But he sincerely feels he is an artist, and it shows.

Austin has an peculiar enthusiastic love for cult films, particularly the very bad, making Troll 2 a perennial favorite at events like Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday. So it's not surprising that Alamo Drafthouse is featured prominently, not only for special screenings, but interviews with Tim League and Zack Carlson, and his now-infamous Troll 2 tattoo. The love for Troll 2 is so strong that a Rolling Roadshow event showed the movie where it was filmed, and you can see part of that Q&A in Best Worst Movie.

Like any good documentary, you don't have to be familiar with the subject beforehand to appreciate the film.  Best Worst Movie is equally about the stars and the fans, who embraces its flaws and all as a work they love with all sincerity.  Just go to the IMDb message boards; there are currently five pages of "this post was deleted by" comments with references to the movie. 

Best Worst Movie is an insight into enthusiastically loving something by celebrating its flaws, as proved by it's strong buzz at SXSW 2009, where it premiered. With Austin's love of grindhouse and cult classics, it's sure to embrace Best Worst Movie. 

Austin connections: Interviews include Tim League and Zack Carlson of Alamo Drafthouse, and both the Rolling Roadshow and the original Alamo Drafthouse on Colorado are featured. Sharp eyes will notice that some of Carlson's interview footage was filmed in the hallway of Smitty's barbecue in Lockhart. 

Special appearances:  Some cast and crew members will be at the screenings this weekend at Alamo Lamar (Saturday night showings) as well as a Highball party. More information is available at the Alamo website.