I've been gone a while, dealing with those old Summertime Blues. Lots of work, finishing up a zombie novel and editing the hell out of it, on top of a regular work week and being generally broke. But I'm back now, and my return comes at a great time. I revisited a couple of flicks I haven't seen since they came out, courtesy of Netflix and a little double-sided DVD of Troll and Troll 2.
TROLL
Made back around 1985, this movie was kind of a rip-off of Gremlins in that it featured animatronic creatures, but really, that was the extent of it. What a bizarre movie, part kids flick, part horror film, and altogether awesomely weird. You've got a witch, a Troll, a talking mushroom, and lots and lots of actors you'd be surprised to see in this: Sonny Bono, Michael Moriarty (who's just plain awesome, like always), Julia Louise-Dreyfuss (Yep, Elaine from Seinfeld), and Gary Sandy (WKRP in Cincinatti).
Torok, an evil troll, has his eyes set on taking over our world, and he's going to do it one apartment at a time in a non-descript building in a non-descript town. Moriarty's family moves in and Torok possesses his daughter and then proceeds to change this world into the one he came from. Only the witch, his former lover, and Moriarty's son can stop the bad guy.
Filled with lots of cool puppets and strange story turns, this movie is a real winner, if you like weird movies. I don't know, I guess I have a soft spot for this sucker, and if you watch it, you won't blame me one bit. A great way to spend an hour and a half.
Oh, and did I mention Moriarty's character is named Harry Potter?
TROLL 2
Considered by many to be the new best worst movie ever made, I have to say, it's pretty darned hilarious. The dialogue is stilted and the acting is even worse and before you're five minutes in, you're either rolling your eyes and turning it off, or smiling and laughing, happily along for the ride. You know which way I went.
A city family takes a vacation by swapping houses for the summer with a country family in the little town of Nilbog (spell it backwards)! I guess you can do things like that. Of course, the small town is full of goblins (that's right, nary a Troll to be found, despite the title--although the creatures kind of resemble Torok from the original) and it's up to the family's son, Joshua (whose name gets said aloud by other characters at least a dozen times a minute, it seems) to save them. Take, for instance, when the family first arrives at their new country digs to find food prepared by the goblins, food that will do bad things to them. Joshua must stop them from eating because he was warned by his dead Grandpa (oh, yeah!), so what does he do? Yes, the most appropriate thing: he pisses on the table and the food! God bless this little flick. There's lots more awfulness to be had, too much to point out (okay: one more--on the trip out to Nilbog, the mom, obviously out of her mind, insists Joshua sing a song, "the song I love so much." He then breaks into a rousing chorus of "Row, row, row your boat." Hell, yeah!).
A documentary has just come out directed by the child star of the movie and I'm going to have to see it. You can link to the trailer up above.
Let me just say: this is a must-see if you like bad movies so bad they're great.
And with that, I bid you sweet adieu, muchachos!
