Torok, el troll

They play TROLL on TV every once and awhile and like a train wreck, its hard to look away. Its so bad its almost good. Almost. But not quite. What can you really say about an '80s film that boasts both Sonny Bono and Julia "Elaine from Seinfeld" Louis Dreyfuss??? The casting here is so strange that it reels the mind. Noah "NeverEnding Story" Hathaway?? Shelly Hack?? In short, a boy finds a mysterious land o' TROLLs in the basement of his new apartment building. The TROLLS are cheesy to be sure and the whole thing is silly,I guess. But there is something endearing about watching a little boy rescue his cute little sister who suddenly growls and bites people, something weird about watching June Lockhart play with her pet singing mushroom right before she morphs into a total blonde, buxom she-babe. I even love the friendly little dwarf man! TROLL is cheesy but in an inoffensive fun way, unlike it's sequel TROLL 2 which is a terrible cult classic that is painful to watch.

This is a ridiculous fantasy/horror hybrid from Empire Pictures. Michael Moriarty stars as Harry Potter (!) who moves into an old apartment building with his wife (Shelley Hack) and two kids (Noah Hathaway and Jenny Beck). The young daughter finds a magical ring in the basement that unleashes the evil troll Torok, who begins to wreak magical mayhem among the various tenants. The bizarre supporting cast includes Sonny Bono, June Lockhart, Gary Sandy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brad Hall, Anne Lockhart, and Phil Fondacaro in two roles.

This is really silly stuff, and the attempts at menace and suspense fall flat. The movie does hold a strange fascination though, as you don't know what's coming next. There are a lot of special effects, but most of them aren't very special. The scene of Julia Louis-Dreyfus dancing around nearly naked, wrapped in ivy like a wood nymph, is one she must be proud of. I watched in amazement as Michael Moriarty danced badly while listening to Blue Cheer's cover of "Summertime Blues". I also think it's interesting that this film involves a young boy named Harry Potter (Jr.) who learns of a secret world of magic. Did Troll inspire J.K. Rowling? Only the gods know for sure.

And finally some thoughts on Michael Moriarty's ponderous career decisions - He plays the leads in films like this and the equally campy "Island of the Alive", then lands a lead spot on a popular and critically acclaimed show - Law and Order - and then walks away (or was fired depending on who you talk to) after four seasons because of some paranoid delusions concerning Janet Reno? His loss was Sam Waterston's gain.

I'd watch this only to see actors not normally associated with this kind of modern B film.

I have to give this movie a 6/10 because this is a very decent film that deserves praise. I don't know why so many people hate it. For one the little evil character, Troll, has a personality. The kids have personality as well and they're not some stupid one-sided characters. There are funny jokes inserted in the dialogue and the people who occupy the apartment are funny too. Unlike some movies from the same era this one actually has pretty good special effects that are pretty scary too. Just wait till you see a guy turn into a bunch of plants! Thats gross, but its also good effects. Check this movie out and remember it has nothing to do with the really crappy movie Troll 2.

This movie is not that great, but not as awful as you might hear. It's mostly a fantasy/horror/comedy that isn't too ambitious yet was weird enough to make a good midnight cult movie. The short eighty minutes weren't unbearable, and there was plenty of things that didn't make too much sense. 1: If everything in the fairy land was completely evil, how come the witch had the talking mushroom? 2: How come the troll didn't want the girl to die. Yes, the ending was pretty anti-climatic and some of the jokes missed, though some hit straight on. But this movie is worthy as its genre: a ridiculous 80's creature flick. Although, there is one very awesome musical number as the trolls are partying, which is just greatly scored and edited, other than that, nothing special unless you like creature/Full Moon flicks. 6/10

The Potter family has just moved to a rented apartment in San Francisco. Harry Potter Sr. (Michael Moriarty) and his wife Anne (Shelley Hack) are bringing the packages to the apartment and their son Harry Jr. (Noah Hathaway) and their little daughter Wendy Anne (Jenny Beck) stays on the sidewalk. Wendy goes to the laundry room, she meets the wicked troll Torok (Phil Fondacaro) that uses his magic ring to possess Wendy and to use her form to transform the dwellers and their apartment into other trolls and his kingdom. Harry Jr. feels that something is wrong with his sister and seeks out help with the good witch Eunice St. Clair (June Lockhart) that lives in the building.

"Troll" is another lame movie of creatures in the 80's but also a cult- movie. Michael Moriarty in the role of Harry Potter Sr. is so ridiculous that becomes funny. The symphony of the creatures singing in troll language is one of the best moments of this movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Troll"