Best Worst Movie to Open Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
Award Winning Doc Featuring Alabamian George Hardy
Birmingham, Alabama -- August 27, 2009 -- The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival announced today that Best Worst Movie will be the 2009 Opening Night film and will play on Friday, September 25 at 8 pm. The feature documentary is directed by Michael Paul Stephenson and stars Alexander City, Alabama native, George Hardy. Best Worst Movie is a hilarious and endearing look at one of history's greatest cinematic blunders (Troll 2) and the love and affection that surrounds it. Best Worst Movie is literally the darling of the festival circuit, winning "best doc" and "audience choice" awards across the country from Fantasia Fest to Silverdocs to South by Southwest.
Best Worst Movie has received rave reviews from critics across the country
"Hilarious and sad...priceless" The New Yorker
"Best Worst Movie has heart...is hilarious, but it's also a little sad...it's tough to see that not everyone gets a happy ending." USA Today
"Strangely moving...insightful...consistently funny and smart about celebrity, vanity and bad movies-- and what makes them lovable." Variety
"Hilarious!" Entertainment Weekly
For additional press reviews, please visit www.bestworstmovie.com/acclaim
"We are thrilled to have Best Worst Movie open Sidewalk 2009; it is the perfect film to kick off this year's festival! Best Worst Movie will set the tone for the remainder of the weekend fun, fun, fun!" says Sidewalk's Executive Director, Chloe Collins.
In the summer of 1989, a non English speaking, Italian director made a little film in Utah with a bunch of unknown American actors. That film was inappropriately titled Troll 2. Oddly, there are no trolls in this film, nor is it a sequel to the original Troll. As one might guess of a poorly named, not very scary horror film, filled with a group of inexperienced actors and directed by someone with a language barrier, Troll 2 was undeniably horrible. Despite such, it was released on VHS and DVD and managed to sneak itself onto some of the late night channels, but soon faded into complete obscurity.
Nearly two decades later something funny started to happen. Michael Paul Stephenson, the child actor of Troll 2, began receiving MySpace messages from fans asking if he was the kid in Troll 2. Fans began to send Michael pictures of their Troll 2 parties. Michael began to investigate and discovered that Troll 2 had been ranked as worst movie of all time on the Internet Movie Database, and that a ravenous fan base had been steadily growing. People were celebrating the film's horribleness: fan sites sprung up, theme parties celebrated the film, Troll 2 music videos hit YouTube.com, renegade screenings were held, and a reference even appeared in "Guitar Hero 2." Suddenly, the Troll 2 actors were cult superstars.
This came as a big surprise to Hardy, as he hasn't thought about that horrible movie in ages. Why? Because he has been living the quiet, lakeside life of a dentist with a heart of gold...in Alexander City, Alabama! In the meantime, Stephenson, with whom Hardy reunited with shortly after learning of the Troll 2 resurgence, had spent the past fifteen years completely hating the film. Like Hardy, his outlook changed as fans constantly hounded him for autographs and photographs. Seeing this as a great opportunity to have some fun, they embarked on a nation wide tour of the movie. Stephenson brought along a film crew and thus, one of the year's greatest documentaries was born.
Framed in a where are they now structure, the film reaches across the country, interviewing its lost stars-- everyone from the burlap sack adorned "troll" extras to the film's arrogant director himself. Cast members recall the complicated experience of making the movie. Not only was the script utterly confusing, but the production crew didn't speak any English, creating a difficult environment for understanding direction.
Superficially, the title Best Worst Movie tells you exactly what the movie is about-- the worst film ever made, Troll 2. Under the surface, however, it's about much more than that. This documentary isn't just a hysterical look at an underground pop culture phenomenon or an interesting examination of the making of a ridiculous genre film. At its core lies the bizarre and intriguing phenomenon of what happens when your past crashes headlong into your present, and the realization that, often times, hopes and dreams are sometimes realized in unexpected ways. Stephenson, who takes the helm as director, put his heart and soul into the film and it shows. The tender underbelly of Best Worst Movie reads like a love letter, penned by Hardy, to his home state of Alabama. As the focus of the film, Hardy takes us to his home in Alexander City, where folks are just getting wind of his involvement in Troll 2. In one great scene, he goes door to door trying to lure folks into seeing the movie at the local cinema. Through interviews with his family and coworkers, everyone agrees that Hardy is one of the most genuine and friendly people they've ever met and perhaps missed his calling as a Hollywood star..
Best Worst Movie is an intensely fun, non stop laugh riot. While fans of Troll 2 will rejoice that Best Worst Movie answers the dozens of questions that come from viewing the film, newcomers can rest assured that Troll 2 is not required viewing (though a Troll 2 screening has been planned for the festival).
Michael Paul Stephenson (Director/Producer/Subject), Lindsay Stephenson (Producer), Brad Klopman (Producer) and Jim Klopman (Producer) will be in attendance, along with George Hardy (Subject) and Jason Steadman (Subject). For more information on Best Worst Movie, please visit www.bestworstmovie.com.
Best Worst Movie will screen at the fabulous Alabama Theatre, Friday, September 25 at 8:00 pm. Doors open for Sidewalk Members at 7:15pm and for the general public at 7:30pm.
Sidewalk is hosting an Opening Night After Party immediately following Best Worst Movie at The Redmont Hotel. The Opening night After Party is sponsored by Vitamin Water, The Redmont Hotel and Birmingham Weekly.
Opening Night Advance Tickets:
Opening Night Film and After Party: $20 for students and Sidewalk Members, $25 for the general public
Opening Night Film ONLY: $10 for students and Sidewalk members, $12 for the general public
Opening Night Walk Up Tickets:
Opening Night Film and After Party: $25 for students and Sidewalk Members, $35 for the general public
Opening Night Film ONLY: $13 for students and Sidewalk members, $15 for the general public
Information about Sidewalk Membership, Weekend Passes, VIP Passes and other ticketing options is available at www.sidewalkfest.com. Sidewalk tickets go on sale today (Friday, August 28) and can be purchased by visiting www.sidewalkfest.com or calling 205 324 0888.
Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival:
Birmingham's Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival was founded in 1999 by a small group of independent film lovers including former MTV VJ Alan Hunter. In the 11 years of the festival's operation, filmmakers from across the country and around the world have come to Birmingham to screen their work at Sidewalk and have been thrilled to discover fresh, enthusiastic crowds eager to view new independent cinema.
Films are shown in various locations within Birmingham's Historic Theatre District to accommodate festival attendee spontaneity. Low priced weekend passes provide easy access to Sidewalk venues, encouraging festival goers to seek out new films and sample programming they might otherwise never have the opportunity to view. The result is a crowd rich in diversity and united in a hunger for new film.
PLEASE NOTE: Media registration for Sidewalk is now open contact Ashley Fulmer at Ashley@wilbanksagency.com
for instructions on requesting press credentials. Press credential requests must be submitted by Friday, September 18, 2009. Walk up requests for press credentials will not be granted.
Press Contact:
Ashley Fulmer
Ashley@wilbanksagency.com
205.251.2225 (O) 205.251.8885 (F) 205.515.9114 (C)
MORE PRESS ON BEST WORST MOVIE
Click here to listen to the NPR story "The Beauty Of The Best Worst Movie"
Check out Chloe Collins, Sidewalk's Executive Director, and George Hardy, star of BEST WORST MOVIE, on Fox 6. (air date: 8/28/09, 8:30am)
More Press on Best Worst Movie:
"Best Worst Movie has heart...is hilarious, but it's also a little sad...it's tough to see that not everyone gets a happy ending."
Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY
"Strangely moving...insightful...consistently funny and smart about celebrity, vanity and bad movies-- and what makes them lovable."
John Anderson, Variety
"Hilarious!"
Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly
"Hilarious and sad...priceless."
Zachary Kanin, The New Yorker
"Like Man on Wire, Best Worst Movie is that rarest of documentaries which will entertain, and delight, practically everybody on earth."
Gerald Peary, film critic, The Boston Phoenix
"Extremely entertaining."
Eric Vespe, AintItCoolNews.com
"A hilarious and a poignant celebration...focuses on the human trail that films leave in their wake. Highly recommended!"
Scott Macaulay, Filmmaker Magazine
"A raging success...Infectiously fun, energetic, and crazily enthusiastic."
Leonard Pierce, The Onion A.V. Club
"The next King of Kong!"
Alex Albrecht, Totally Rad Show
"Fantastic and sweet."
Daniel Carlson, The Hollywood Reporter
"...smoothly engaging...a fantastic job of dissecting all the lunacy...about the fleeting nature of fame, the fickle nature of filmmaking, and the undeniable appeal of simply being LIKED"
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet
"A true success on so many facets...a sharp contrast between the lines of fame and infamy."
Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com
"Insane, funny and engaging."
Eric Snider, Film.com
"Engaging, touching, honest...reveals the human heart that beats beneath even the lowliest movies."
Rodney Perkins, Twitch.com
"Incredibly entertaining and endearing."
Alex Riviello, Chud.com
"Everything you could want in a movie...One of the most incredible, heartwarming, sad, beautiful, hilarious, wonderful films I've ever seen in my life."
Jeff Cannata, Totally Rad Show
"Surprising depth...strikingly honest and emotional. Highly recommended."
Eric Newell, BloodyGoodHorror.com
"One of the best edited movies I've ever seen. I think you could teach a class on editing using this movie."
Dan Trachtenberg, Totally Rad Show
"Stunning and profound...stands on its own as one of the finest documentaries I've ever seen. It's fun, poignant and a must see."
Adam Sweeney, Film School Rejects
"Effortlessly interesting...not all butterflies and bliss...heartbreaking"
William Goss, Cinematical.com
"Balancing of humor and seriousness...Best Worst Movie is one of the biggest surprises to come along in a long while and offers a compelling look into the movie business like nothing else before it...one of the best documentaries about film ever made."
Horror Movies.ca
"One of the best documentaries of 2009...differing and fascinating levels of obscurity, normalcy, and dysfunction...gets us back in touch with what it means to love movies, to make them, and to have our lives changed by them for better, and sometimes Worst."
Hunter Stephenson, /FILM
"...simply astounding...one of the best documentaries of 2009..."
Chase Whale, Gordon and the Whale
