documentary

Troll 2 is not a good movie. It's not even a bad movie. It is an entity unto itself, a conundrum of film-making that rivals Plan 9 from Outer Space in terms of its ability to invoke unintentional laughter and unforgivable groans. No other film is worthy of the phrase "so good it's bad" than Troll 2, so perhaps this is why it has become an unlikely cult phenomenon, attracting thousands of viewers to special screenings across the country nearly two decades later. This is what Michael Stephenson, child-actor and star of Troll 2, wanted to explore in his phenomenal documentary Best Worst Movie.

Although ostensibly about George Hardy, the Alabama dentist-cum-cult celebrity who portrayed Stephenson's father, Best Worst Movie focuses heavily on the cult status of the film and the impact it has had on those not just involved with its production but the devoted fans around the country who fill packed theaters, hold Troll 2 parties, and even get tattoos in celebration of the 'best worst movie' ever made. Stephenson and Hardy travel the country visiting film festivals and interviewing fans in an effort to answer the question "Why is this movie so loved?" Through this they reconnect with the original cast members, including the director and writer, and through candid interviews and a myriad of screenings we're given an intimate look at the impact this seemingly forgetful low-budget monstrosity of a film has had not just on their lives, but on the very nature of fandom as a whole.

The sound of black metal, laden with distorted guitars, double bass, and vocals that sound as if uttered from the Devil himself, has come to serve as the soundtrack to the movement it inspired. Driven by an ideology steeped in anti-Christian sentiment and misanthropy, this underground movement resulted in a rash of horrific murders, church burnings and suicide. These real-life horrors are largely unknown to those not well-versed in the genre, with many assuming the connection between it and horror are focused solely on corpse paint, black clothing and humorous photographs taken in snowy landscapes while holding giant weapons.

While several documentaries (such as Murder Music: A History of Black Metal) and books (such as Lords of Chaos) chronicle the infamous black metal scene, none of them have received much mainstream popularity. Although only receiving a limited theatrical release, Pretty-Scary reports that Until the Light Takes Us, a new documentary on the musical sub-genre, will be screening in New York City on December 4th and a week later in Los Angeles.

Unlike other films or books that explore the same subject matter, filmmakers Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites took it to the extreme and lived in Norway among a number of black metal of musicians. This allowed them to study and ultimately present the unseen side of the infamous yet misunderstood movement. From the official website:

The Starz Inside series of documentaries is about to get zombiefied! The horror fans should be no stranger to this series: Some of their cooler chapters are Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up FX, Bloodsucking Cinema, and Unforgettably Evil -- and now they're about to attack the undead! Hosted by Richard Roeper, Zombiemania aims to cover everything from the zombie's early voodoo presence to modern favorites like Shaun of the Dead. (It might be a little late for Zombieland to be included.) Logically, one should expect a good deal of talk from Zombie Lord George Romero.

I've included a promo clip after the jump, and you can find a bit more information right here at the Starz website. And if you dig it, keep an eye out for Pretty Bloody: The Women of Horror, which comes from the same production company and director (Donna Davies), and sounds like another great way to spend 85 minutes. As far as the zombies go, however, you'll just have to tune into Starz to see how much of an undead expert you really are.

Michael Myers has his own Halloween: 25 Years of Terror, a certain hockey masked maniac has His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th, even Jaws has the incredibly elusive The Shark is Still Working, but no one has yet chronicled with any depth the behind-the-scenes adventures of everyone's favorite fedora sporting, sweater wearing, knife-glove loving, dreamscape-haunting pedophile. But fret no more, all it takes is a big Hollywood remake to give an icon of fright his very own documentary, and thus we shall soon have Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.

From the creators of the fantastic and comprehensive His Name Was Jason, Never Sleep Again has already begun filming in Los Angeles, which has long served as the shooting location for the fictional street. The documentary will be narrated by the series' most notable final girl, Heather Langenkamp, and span everything from the original 1984 film to its six sequels (seven counting the missed opportunity, Freddy vs Jason) to the upcoming Platinum Dunes remake directed by Samuel Bayer. Considering how vast their documentarian scope seems to be, I'd also prepare yourself for some coverage of the 1988 TV series "Freddy's Nightmares" as well as all the Freddy lunchboxes and Pez dispensers the crew can find.

For me, this is fantastic news. I love both of the Halloween and Friday the 13th documentaries, as well as the franchises they cover (save for a certain rocker-led two-film reboot I'd rather not talk about for fear of foaming at the mouth), but Krueger has always been my favorite cause for insomnia. And if there are any doubts that the filmmakers will be phoning in Never Sleep Again simply to coincide with the remake, co-director Andrew Kasch would like to dissuade you of that notion right now:

I'll keep this real short because (all of a sudden) I have a documentary that I simply must watch. But most of you are well aware that Ridley Scott's A L I E N is my all-time favorite film and has been since before I knew how to type -- so when I came across this tidbit at Arrow in the Head, my brain went "wait, stop surfing, look!"

Long story short: Alien Makers is a feature-length documentary about the creation of the original A L I E N!! Seriously, I have to stop typing and watch the thing right now. Wanna join me? Enjoy the whole dang film right here. Or here! Ooh, I'm so excited!