Troll 2 (1990) is among the most celebrated bad movies of the last twenty years—a film whose technique, acting, and plot are so mind-bogglingly inept that no one knows quite how to read it. Is it the nadir of direct-to-video exploitation filmmaking? An avant-garde camp masterpiece? A loveable slice of outsider art? As Scott Tobias points out in his incredible New Cult Canon piece, a lot depends on whether or not the filmmakers are in on the joke, but no consensus exists on that central question.
Rather than regurgitate the plot, I'll simply refer you to Mr. Tobias's article, the Wikipedia entry, and the trailer for the upcoming Troll 2 documentary, Best Worst Movie. I'll just sum up by saying, "You can't piss on hospitality."
On the other end of the sequel spectrum, we have Don Coscarelli's cult favorite Phantasm II (1988). I had planned a lengthy entry, but I was unable to watch the film again because, as I was surprised and saddened to learn, the film has never had a domestic release on DVD.
Based on what I can remember, Phantasm II is essentially a remake of the original, with the addition of a psychic blond chick and more bloody action from the series' trademark killer silver orbs:
In a nutshell, a tall scary guy called (imaginatively) the Tall Man runs a mortuary in which he turns dead bodies into hooded dwarf slaves. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Some good guys attempt to thwart his evil plans. Shotguns and killer balls and Druid dwarfs... needless to say its a favorite among both horror fans and stoners. Anyway, if you still own a VCR, it's an essential Halloween treat.
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