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Troll 2 is set in a town called Nilbog (which is ‘goblin’ backwards), where the Waits family participate in an early Air BNB-style situation as they go to live in a house that’s clearly been inhabited by people affected by the trolls, and now they’re all about to fall victim to the same curse, but can son Joshua (Michael Stephenson – above) stop them before it’s too late?
After all, he’s endlessly being guided by his dead grandfather, Seth (Robert Ormsby), so why wouldn’t you think his protests are valid(?)
No-one’s taking him seriously, though, since his parents just don’t understand his protests, while he’s equally ignored by sister Holly (Connie McFarland), playing the typical late ’80s ‘uber-hot athletic daughter’ who gets the runaround from the bad boy, Elliott (Jason Wright, below with Holly and her parents), who she’s trying to date, but then when have girls like that ever made sensible decisions, especially in the movies?
Most interestingly, George Hardy, who plays Joshua’s fater, Michael, has only made a few films since this, but that’s because – his actual main job is as a dentist! Who’d have thought? I wish my dentist was that cool.
Alas, in this sequel, instead of inventive practical special effects, we have people with rubber masks from Poundland, or such is the (accurate) impression it gives, as you can see below. I actually thought they were going to turn out to be other students who were playing a prank, but no, they were actually the intended monsters!
Elsewhere, a nerd and a bottle-blonde hottie stumble across a mad woman – Creedence Leonore Gielgud (Deborah Reed, and yes, Gielgud. They went there!) – in a spooky house with dry ice pouring out of every place imaginable.
Plus, one guy is turned into a tree, so you could say… he’s got wood!
Talking of wood, there’s wooden acting aplenty in this movie, to almost Eldorado-like levels! The only one who seems to be able to act is Michael Stephenson, aka Joshua, but this was his last of two films in which he acted, and as IMDB confirms, he’s branched out more into writing, directing and producing.
Overall, as a daft ’80s not-very-horror-filled horror movie, it’s still quite amusing, but there’s not an awful lot in the way of trolls, surprisingly. However, you do get some great memorable lines, such as after Joshua urinates on some suspicious looking food, and his Dad tells him, “You can’t piss on hospitality! I won’t allow it!”
The film is presented in the original theatrical widescreen ratio of 1.85:1 and, the picture is much better, but not quite perfect, but then filming techniques for low-budget movies won’t have come on in leaps and bounds in four years.
The audio is a LPCM mono soundtrack, and it’s okay, but nothing spectacular.
For all the extras across both films, check out the first movie’s review.
Troll and Troll 2: The Complete Collection is out now on Blu-ray.
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
5 8 7 10 |
| OVERALL | BUY IT! |
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 83 / 95 minutes
Year: 1986 / 1990
Cat no.: EKA70314
Distributor: Eureka
Released: October 8th 2018
Chapters: 8 / 9
Picture: 1080p High Definition
Sound: 2.0 DTS HD Master Audio (Troll), LPCM Mono (Troll 2)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Widescreen: 1.85:1 (35mm)
Disc Format: 2*BD50
Director: Claudio Fragasso (as Drake Floyd)
Producers: Brenda Norris and Joe D’Amato (as David Hills)
Screenplay: Rossella Drudi and Claudio Fragasso
Music: Carlo Maria Cordio
Cast:
Joshua Waits: Michael Stephenson
Michael Waits: George Hardy
Diana Waits: Margo Prey
Holly Waits: Connie Young (as Connie McFarland)
Grandpa Seth: Robert Ormsby Creedence
Leonore Gielgud: Deborah Reed
Elliott Cooper: Jason Wright
Arnold: Darren Ewing
Drew: Jason Steadman
Brent: David McConnell
Sheriff Gene Freak: Gary Carlson
Bells: Mike Hamill
Drugstore Guy: Don Packard
Cindy: Christina Reynolds
Peter: Glenn Gerner
Wood Tales Girl: Michelle Abrams
Mr Presents: Lance C Williams
Mrs Presents: Elli Case
Presents son: Gavin Reed
Presents daughter: Melissa Bridge
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.