A Night in Nilbog – The Masochist Film Club Presents: ‘Troll 2’

“So bad it’s good” is a phrase usually attributed to a film that manages to fail on nearly all of the basic building blocks of the medium. Script, acting, direction, cinematography, sound recording, editing, pacing, musical cues and even wardrobe are all executed in an incorrect or heavily flawed manner. They are films that manage to provoke unprecedented laughter or emotional response from something unintended by the makers of the film, and in doing so can gain a massive cult following from fan-bases all across the world. They crop up at midnight screenings, outdoor venues and underground cinemas, and can often draw a large crowd of people from all walks of life together in celebration of a single film and its specific achievements (or failures) to cinema and culture.

The Masochist Film Club is one of these underground societies. A collaborated effort between  Leamington Underground Cinema and Grow Young, this is a newly formed group that are devoted to exhibiting some of the best of the worst films ever made. The first feature to be screened was none other than the spectacularly awful Troll 2, the 1990 “horror” picture with nothing to do with the original film, to the extent of it not even featuring Trolls. Written and directed by Italian filmmaker Claudio Fragasso (here credited as Drake Floyd), a man with little grasp of the English language, the film is an unmitigated mess of filmmaking. Communication barriers between inexperienced cast and entirely Italian crew notwithstanding, the film still fails on a basic level of composition with some of the most bizarre and impossible story elements ever put together. A 2009 documentary entitled Best Worst Movie grants a further insight into the lives of both the cast and crew of the film, where they are now, and the growing adoration that the film has begun to receive from its growing fan base; thanks in large to underground and midnight cinema screenings such as this.

It’s great to see that an effort is being put into showcasing the very best of a niche sector of cinema culture beyond the local multiplex chains of the area, and with any luck this is the first of many to successful events to come.

The events take place at the Zephyr Lounge in Leamington Spa, and the films are screened on the stage area. The seating arrangement allows for people to find the best view of the film that they can, despite the presence of a rather pillar obscuring the screen for some seated way back. I would recommend the purchase one of the few sofa seats that are available at the front of the seats and closest to the screen. The extra comfort and space is worth the extra cost of admission. But the enjoyment factor of the experience maintained pretty much throughout the whole evening. A small selection of trailers for (hopefully) coming attractions were screened first, featuring the likes of Samurai Cop and Gymkata, before a small interval of expressive YouTube videos to “ease you into the experience”. The bar maintained open during the screening, a service that many welcomed with open arms and only seemed to heighten the experience for many that were there. Although the continued movement of people towards the bar area was frequent, it was never totally distracting as the sheer magnetism of the screen seemed to grab people’s attention beyond the minor interruptions of shuffling seats and bar orders.

Overall, beyond the occasional intrusion of exterior sound from the venue next door (through no fault of the staff or club), the evening appeared to be a rousing success. The event had a great turnout for a first night, with people from all over coming out to witness the infamous film in all its big screen glory. It’s great to see that an effort is being put into showcasing the very best of a niche sector of cinema culture beyond the local multiplex chains of the area, and with any luck this is the first of many to successful events to come. Their next screening shall be Miami Connection, after that – 2003’s The Room in September, and I implore that anyone seeking the pleasures of a fun evening out with friends and complete strangers to come and witness the full glory of The Room for themselves, as it really “the Citizen Kane of bad movies” that you may have heard so much about. Gold Star.

For more information about the Masochist Film Club events, check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MFCLeam