George Stephenson

When 11-year-old Michael Stephenson and dentist George Hardy were cast in Troll 2, they were surely destined for stardom. Unfortunately, combining low-budget production with an amateur cast, an Italian director no one could understand, and a script about vegetarian goblins resulted in a train wreck of a film that became widely regarded as the 'worst movie ever.' Twenty years later, thanks to a new generation of viewers who value a 'so bad it's good' aesthetic, Troll 2 has become a cult phenomenon. In Best Worst Movie, Stephenson follows Hardy and the rest of the cast as they reunite to greet adoring fans at Troll 2 screenings in major cities across North America. Can Hardy return to dentistry after signing autographs in packed movie houses and receiving hundreds of hits a day on MySpace? Discover the heart and soul behind one of the most beloved straight-to-video flops ever.

A third trailer for Best Worst Movie. Is Troll 2 really the worst movie ever made as claimed by IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes? Or is Troll 2, as some would claim, a misunderstood masterpiece that never fails to entertain… a work of genius. Twenty years after Troll 2 was made, the feature length documentary Best Worst Movie explores the phenomenon that is Troll 2 through the personal story of the cast of characters that took part in its creation and why it is celebrated by fans worldwide. In the summer of 1989, Italian director Claudio Fragrasso cast small-town dentist Dr. George Hardy and a group of unwitting Utah actors in an ultra-low budget horror film, which eventually became the undisputed Worst Movie in History. Soon after Troll 2 s initial release, Dr. Hardy decided he was better-suited battling tooth decay than goblins. He retired from acting and returned to dentistry in his hometown of Alabama unaware of the legions of fans that would one day recognize him as a cult movie luminary. Nearly 20 years later, Dr. Hardy finds his days of drilling cavities are met by nights of signing hundreds of autographs at record-setting revival screenings throughout the world. Unlikely byproducts celebrating the Best Worst Movie include fan sites, music videos, dress-up dinner parties and even homage in one of the most successful video games, Sony PlayStation s Guitar Hero 2. Drawing on his experiences reconnecting with the Troll 2 family, director Michael Paul Stephenson reveals the improbable heartfelt story of an Alabama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and an Italian filmmaker as they both come to terms with this internationally revered cinematic failure. The result is a hilarious and tender off-beat journey and a genuine homage to lovers of bad movies and the people that create them.