Troll 2: The 20th Anniversary Nilbog Edition

Hard on the heels of Best Worst Movie (VL-11/10), an affectionate documentary about the appreciative cult spawned by the hilariously awful Troll 2, we now have this spiffy-looking but extras-lite “20th anniversary” release of the campy 1990 film about a family that goes to the town of Nilbog on a house-exchange program, only to find themselves the target of goblins who aim to transform the clan into the half-human, half-vegetable mixture that comprises their preferred food source. The script—a weird combination of horror movie and anti-vegetarian diatribe—is laughable, with young hero Joshua (Michael Stephenson) defeating the evil creatures' priestess/cook by eating a bologna sandwich! The acting falls several grades below amateur-hour quality, while the makeup (rubbery masks for the trolls) is atrocious. Yet, as Best Worst Movie made clear, the film wasn't intended as a send-up, which makes its utter ineptitude all the funnier. Presented in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo, the fine transfers here retain the American credits, in which writer-director Claudio Fragasso is listed under his pseudonym Drake Floyd. Troll 2 can't really be recommended as an entertaining watch, except for those who—in the spirit of Plan 9 from Outer Space—want to laugh at one of the worst movies ever made. Optional. (F. Swietek)