Ignoring the existence of the Alien vs. Predators spin-offs, the movie – which was produced by cult filmmaker Robert Rodriguez – has been a regular fixture of movie sites for some time now (well, since The Wolf Man was released).

So far we have been treated to a poster and a behind-the-scenes video, but now a trailer has finally appeared online. IGN have the two-minute teaser (in glorious high-definition), that reveals Adrien Brody and a motley group of mercenaries on an alien world, who are picked off one-by-one down by the vicious hunter (Brody reveals that ‘This planet is a game preserve, and we are the game!’).

It’s hard to know what to expect from this movie. On the one hand, it could erase all memory of the abysmal AvP flicks, or it could prove to be another over-hyped and overblown disaster.

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Being a dentist by trade, how did you come to be cast in what would become Troll 2 and do you recall the audition process?
“Just for the fun of it I auditioned for the part in Park City. There were about nine non-English speaking Italians in a heavily smoke-filled room, and I read the ‘piss on hospitality’ scene.”

What were your initial thoughts when you first read the screenplay and how did you prepare for the role?
“I never read the full screenplay…. only in parts. It was so discombobulated that no one could understand the story. Very hard to decipher and to do scene analysis.”

Were you familiar at all with Claudio Fragasso or the Italian horror industry and did you view any of his earlier movies before you worked with him?
“Never even knew his name, nor even met him. Did not even know he was the director when I read for the part.”

Perhaps the most quoted line from the movie was when your character said ‘You can’t piss on hospitality, I won’t allow it!’ What was your own personal favourite and how difficult was it to remain serious as you were acting out these lines?
“My personal favorite is when I come down the stairs of the house and I say ‘Is breakfast ready, dear?’, and I was trying to act like i was still sleepy. what a joke! I never got that line right. I remember we did the take four or five times. It was hard to keep from laughing.”

Do you recall whose decision it was to rename the movie from Goblin to Troll 2 and how did you feel about this?
“Never knew the name of the movie ’til it came out so. Totally was surprised when the new title came out.”

Public screenings of Troll 2 become very interactive, with the audiences participating by reciting dialogue and shouting at the screen. This almost makes it an event, like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Have you attended many screenings over the years and what memories do you have of these?
Just folks going crazy over the movie and seeing cast members from the film, it was like a blast from the past. Fans can’t believe they are actually meeting the cast members. It’s bigger than life for them. One unusual night was when a fellow dragged another fan in the theatre in a flower pot and he was garnished in plants and ivy.’

It seemed that for many years those who had worked on the movie had tried to distance themselves from it. Yet, more recently, you have come to embrace its legacy. At what point did you finally accept your place in movie history and how do you feel when you watch the film?
“I never watched Troll 2 in its entirety until about the third screening. It was hard to embrace and sometimes still is. Don’t think I will ever get over it. He-he, seriously, it’s been a fun ride.’

Was Claudio Fragasso aware of the film’s reputation and what memories do you have of him on set? Do you feel that he took the material seriously and how does he feel about the status the film has achieved over the years?
“Claudio is Claudio and I totally respect him and he really does not care what other folks think about his work. He simply works from his heart and does what he feels is right for himself in his directing films. And I like that about him. He makes changes at the spur of a moment and operates from his heart, not his head so much, which i think is good. He just made a simple horror films with green blood (his and Rosella’s ideas) instead of red. Which took on a totally different effect, and really made Troll 2 what it is today. We were all trying to make a really good movie, we really were… that quote comes from Darren Ewing, Arnold in Troll 2.’

How did you and the rest of the cast reunite after so many years and how come you chose to return to your career as a dentist and not pursue acting?
“Believe it or not, the internet brought all of us together, thus Best Worst Movie was made after our reunion. There was an invite on IMDb I stumbled upon in April of 2006, asking cast members to attend the first USA screening with cast members in Provo, Utah. It was April 13th, 2006. Somehow I stumbled upon IMDb on the 11th as I was getting hits on MySpace about the popularity of Troll 2 and the number 1 rank of bottom 100. So I attended the first cast screening ever of Troll 2 in USA. From there, wow, what a ride. I met Michael Paul Stephenson and he said to me, ‘Hey, wanna do a doc around this crazy phenomenon around Troll 2′ and I said, ‘Sure, I am in.’

How did Best Worst Movie first come about? With Troll 2 being so obscure, making a documentary about it must have been a gamble. Who first conceived the idea and how did you manage to convince others to join?
“First of all, it was very hard convincing other cast members to even interview with them for the doc. I can remember Michael and I both reaching out to the cast members time and time again, going through Google search to even reach them. It was really, really tough and then once we were able to reach time after tons of phone calls, then was the challenge of interviewing them. Several did not want to even let us interview, you won’t believe this but we finally found the last cast member of all, who we could not find nor inteview, for Best Worst Movie and that was the fellow who did the popcorn scene with credance the queen of the golblins.’

How long did it take to shoot and edit Best Worst Movie and what kind of support did you receive?
“It took Michael Paul Stephenson and myself from the start of July 2006 til March of 2009 to make Best Worst Movie. We started the project all on our own and then added more and more to the team, and more and more support came when they saw what we were doing.”

With the film having landed a distributor and a trailer now online, when can fans expect to see the film and will it be released theatrically or straight onto DVD?
“The film will be in independent theaters in Austin, NYC, LA and other cities starting April and then will spread out from there. Then the DVD will come about from that I am sure. Seeing Best Worst Movie in the theatre is and incredible experience. I have had folks say to me, ‘I dont know when I have laughed that hard in the theatres, period!’ It honestly is one of the funniest, yet most thought provoking and deeply layers documentaries i think you will ever see.’

How do you feel about Troll 2’s reputation as one of the worst movies of all time and how did you feel when you first saw the movie?
“Now I love the fact I can say to you, ‘Hey, I was in one of the worst movies ever made and now in one of the best documentaries (it feels more like a movie) ever made.’

Whilst there would be a movie released under the title Troll 3, there was never a proper sequel made to Fragasso’s. Had one been produced would you have been willing to take part, and have you ever considered making another movie yourself?
‘Of course I would love the opportunity to work with Claudio and Michael. Of course there can never be another Troll 2, but who knows. I have seen some pretty good sequels. I think what would be really insane and funny is to do something no one has ever done before… to do the movie exactly over again, exactly but with the same cast members. It would be insanely funny I think and bizarre.’

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Those fans who live in Birmingham may recall that portions of Best Worst Movie were shot at the NEC’s Memorabilia event in November 2007. For those who have somehow managed to avoid its wicked spell, Troll 2 was an extremely low budget horror flick shot in 1989 in Italy by cult filmmaker Claudio Fragasso and is considered by many to be one of the worst movies ever made.

Star Michael Stephenson, who was just a child when he took the lead role, has embraced the legacy that Troll 2 has created and, along with Hardy and many of his co-stars, embarked on a worldwide promotion of the schlock classic, attending screenings in various countries. Best Worst Movie documents this and catches up with those responsible for the film twenty years later.

Best Worst Movie will be shown at The Electric (where, ironically, Troll 2 was screened over two years ago) and will run from 8pm to 9:45pm. If the film that inspired it is anything to go by, watching Best Worst Movie with an audience should be an experience to remember.

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Having almost been sacrificed as a baby, Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis) has no memory of his parents or former life when he inherits a derelict mansion from his family. Moving in with his girlfriend, Rebecca (Lisa Pelikan), he decides to quit school so that he can fix up the house and discover the truth about his parents. But he soon becomes obsessed with black magic and incantations, eventually summoning up a horde of dangerous creatures from the other side. He then commands two dwarves, Grizzel (Peter Risch) and Greedigut (Tamara De Treaux), to do his every bidding and help him in his quest for power. But Rebecca grows concerned as his behaviour changes but he refuses to allow anyone or anything to stand in his way.

Ghoulies was typical of the kind of products that were produced by Empire during the 1960s. Other efforts from the studio would include Buechler’s Troll, Trancers and Cellar Dweller, although the occasional gem (such as Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator) would sneak through. Ghoulies had been conceived by Bercovici and co-writer Jefery Levy shortly after Bercovici had worked as an actor for Band on the 3D movie Parasite. Shot on an extremely low budget, the restrictions that the filmmakers faced is evident in every frame of the movie, with the disappointing visual effects highlighting the issue and making the film extremely dated.

Whilst setting the story in one location would help keep the cost of the production down, it would also bring down the pace of the movie and cause it to drag in places. The majority of the cast lack any kind of charisma and their characters seem somewhat irrelevant, making their deaths even more so. It is also a shame that it takes so long for the ghoulies to move centre stage, although overplaying them is a mistake the sequels would make. The plot is ridiculous and the first half of the movie certainly becomes stale, but Liapis’ camp performance (he would return to the role for Ghoulies IV a decade later) keeps it all from falling apart.

Where the movie does score major points is with the creature effects, designed by Empire regular Buechler. As with Troll, which would appear soon afterwards, his talent for prosthetics and fantasy is unbeatable and gives the film an ‘80s charm. Richard Band, who would be another regular to the studio and brother of the owner, gives another tongue-in-cheek score that gives the film an element of fun. All in all, Ghoulies is not one of the better B-movies from the era but it is certainly not the worst. Above average, but definitely worth checking out for fans of schlock.

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No stranger to the horror genre (read our interview here), Barnett has become a regular fixture of the genre and has become known for her willingness to be subjected to prosthetics and other gory delights.

Her latest project will be The Cthulhu Key: Legacy, which is currently in the early stages of development and is expected to be released before the end of the year.

The movie marks the feature debut of Jason Heath, with the cast and crew recruited through Facebook.

The film’s press releases reveals that ‘Bianca Barnett stars as Kharma Jones, a woman on the brink of losing her soul, must make a terrifying choice when Alix Lakehurst, the High Priestess of an inhuman cult, threatens to unlock a doorway that will unleash an ancient evil.’

For more information visit the official site!

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‘Tapping into the vast and innovative talent of directors and filmmakers from Horrorfest’s acquisitions over the past 4 years, After Dark has taken the horror festival concept to a higher level. After Dark Originals showcases eight new cutting edge horror films spanning the genre,’ After Dark have announced in their latest press release.

‘The mission is to create high quality horror films that provide After Dark full control from script concept through final editing. The first installment of ADO includes Husk, Fertile Ground, Scream Of The Banshee, Prowl, The Task, Re-Kill, Seconds Apart and 51. Notable directors and writers include Brett Simmons, whose short film Husk took Sundance by storm several years ago, Steven C. Miller of Automaton Transfusion fame, and previous After Dark writer/director Adam Gierasch (Autopsy). All ADO films were shot in the US and Bulgaria.’

So far, all but one of the movies have already been shot, whilst the last is set to begin principal photography this month. After Dark have signed a marketing and distribution deal with Lionsgate to release all eight movies on Pay-TV and home video.

For more information visit the official site.

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Gabe discusses his inspiration behind the movie and his plans for the future…

Prior to being a filmmaker, you had spent several years as a support actor. How did you make the move behind the camera?
“Looking back, for so much of my acting career, my greatest influences were the larger-than-life directors I worked with. At 19 years old I was cast as a series regular on an ABC show by director, James Burrows – I was so in awe of how instinctual and versatile he was, constantly re-blocking and reworking jokes when the daily rewrites would come in. My parents, Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna, soon after, co-directed a script I co-wrote and acted in, called, Love Is All There Is, starring Angelina Jolie: I felt so at home watching the directorial process. I also worked for Mark Rydel, Dick Van Dyke, Francis Ford Coppolla. And I guess it was when I started giving direction to Martin Landau and Martin Sheen in an HBO movie I wrote and starred in, called The Elevator, I was hooked!”

The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond sounds like an old fairy tale or urban legend. How would you describe the movie and how would it compare to the modern genre?
“The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond is the only horror film I know of, where the killer is you. Even though I drew upon the influences of early Raimi and Romero films, there is something wholeheartedly new about exposing that any one of us are actually capable of committing the unimaginable — if we just give a voice to our most repressed resentments of hatred, jealousy, and greed. The black, bottomless pond that Echo and Narcissus were trapped in, blinding them from differentiating good from evil – it’s not just a Greek Myth, it’s what happens to anyone who chooses to swim in the deep end of their darkest emotions.”

How did you manage to get such a talented cast (Robert Patrick, Danielle Harris) and did you have any actors in mind as you were writing the script?
“I was greatly flattered by how much Robert Patrick and Danielle Harris liked the script, which is what really drew them to the piece. I didn’t have anyone in mind when I developed this project, yet every time I watch the film — it feels as if every role was written for every actor in it. For example, the roles of Renee and Erica were originally not written to be twin sisters – now I can’t see them any other way. The Avellan Twins are awesome, what the hell is scarier than twins with knives?”

Some of the artwork has been somewhat reminiscent of old Roger Corman movies. What kind of films would you say have been the biggest inspiration to Black Waters and did you consider it to be an homage to older movies?
“You are talking about some grindhouse-style posters we made up for some of our horror conventions?They are really fun and stylized. I have a deep affection for posters from that era. Our film now has a more mainstream poster that more focuses on the horror and less the aestheticism of 70’s slasher flicks. But I must say, as far as I’m concerned, that was the heyday of horror films – back when attention was spent on building real suspense and fright, instead of mindless torture sequences with little or no plot. The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond is definitely a tribute to that era and has many allusions to the old school horror movies of my youth.”

What kind of feedback have you had on the movie so far? If it proves to be a success, is this the kind of story you feel lends itself to a sequel?
“I must tell you, I was not prepared for the overwhelmingly favorable responses we received from our screenings at the HorrorHound Film Festival and the Orlando Freak Show Film Festival, where we picked up Audience Choice Awards. I was told over and over by the fans how excited they were to see a refreshing twist on the genre — since everyone in the film eventually turns on one another, your allegiance to the character you are rooting for changes as fast at switching lanes on a racetrack. Parallel Media is also financing the sequel and I am writing it as we speak.”

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Troll 2, which had initially been shot under the title Goblin, before overzealous producers decided to cash in on the modest success of John Carl Buechler’s 1986 fantasy Troll, told of city slicker Michael Waits (George Hardy), who agrees to a house exchange and takes his family on vacation to the isolated town of Nilbog. But soon his son, Joshua (Michael Stephenson), is warned by the spirit of his dead grandfather (Robert Ormsby) that his family is in great danger. Meanwhile, his sister (Connie McFarland) is being pursued by her overprotective jock boyfriend (Jason Wright) and his gang of misfits, and it isn’t long before they discover the horrific truth about the seemingly peaceful community.

More than the acting itself, Troll 2 is perhaps best remembered for its inept script, which boasted countless memorable lines, although most were unintentionally funny. Public screenings of the movie are usually accompanied by enthusiastic screams of ‘You can’t piss on hospitality, I won’t allow it!’ Buechler himself has stated that he feels Troll 2 even beats Plan 9 from Outer Space as the worst movie ever made. Let’s not even get started on Troll 3!

With Stephenson having been working on the documentary Best Worst Movie for some time now, which will celebrate the making of the classic and the cult following it has gained, his efforts are finally paying off. A trailer has now surfaced in YouTube that shows the cast and crew twenty years on (with Hardy having returned to his career as a dentist), in which the shame of their involvement in Troll 2 has eventually turned to pride.

No release date has been set as yet but you can check out the trailer below…

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The official website for the story describes the plot as follows: ‘Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together…in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.’

The book is currently being adapted by screenwriter John Logan, previously responsible for Scorcese’s Aviator, as well as Gladiator, Star Trek: Nemesis and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Deadline have reported exclusively that British actors Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) and Sir Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island) are set to star, with the latter appearing as the infamous filmmaker Georges Méliès, a pioneer of early cinema who was responsible for the world’s first ever horror film (1896’s Le manoir du diable) and the iconic La lune à un mètre/A Trip to the Moon.

“The book was originally acquired for Scorsese by Warner Bros and King right after The Departed rained Oscars,” reports Deadline. “John Logan wrote the script, but Scorsese stepped out. Ice Age’s Chris Wedge jumped in, but exited to make another movie. Warner Bros put it into turnaround, but after Scorsese’s plan to film Silence didn’t come together, he rejoined the project.”

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Bloody Disgusting have revealed details on the plot for The Howling Reborn: ‘A teenager graduating from high school finally gets the girl he’s been pining over for years, but unfortunately for him once he’s landed the love of his life he discovers that he’s cursed and will transform into a werewolf. Even worse, not only does he have his own internal conflict to contend with, he must also battle an entire pack of werewolves who are hellbent on killing both him and his new girlfriend.’

Over the years, the franchise has boasted appearances from various genre veterans, including Christopher Lee, Dee Wallace-Stone and Sybil Danning. Dante would only be involved in the original 1981 classic, before teaming up with Steven Spielberg for Gremlins three years later. The franchise would continue with Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf four years later, but the quality of the sequels would gradually diminish.

The Howling Reborn is set to commence shooting in May.

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