he was at the horror movie convention and was asking why people like that *beep* calling them weird and criticizing everyone about their dental hygiene?
He clearly doesn't understand horror movie fandom and the people who gave Troll 2 cult status. I guess I just don't like that he bites the hand that feeds him.
the freaks at the convention looked alot more weird then the people at the screenings. some of those convention people are never seen during the light of day.
shareI agree 100%. I loved the documentary, but as it went on George started to become a little less likable. I'm sure he's a great guy, and he seems like one, but the convention scene really stood out to me. That and when they visited the actress who played the mother, Margo Prey, how he made fun of her afterwards.
shareThey made fun of her? When? She was EXTREMELY rude and downright creepy. They didn't say anything about her that I recall.
At first, I found it a bit odd that George would insult his own fans, seemingly. But I thought about it some more, and the people into Troll 2 are typically a lot cooler than a lot of the trendy so-called "horror fans", who really are probably just into SAW, HOSTEL, etc.. their idea of "obscure horror" is probably Puppet Master, Hellraiser, or any movie that hasn't had a remake (I've been to those conventions and heard someone say "HAVE YOU SEEN ICHI THE KILLER? IT'S SO OBSCURE! IT'S GOT SUBTITLES I CAN'T WATCH IT!!")... I've been around a lot of those people and most of 'em aren't even into Henenlotter's stuff, giallos (probably never even heard of Sergio Martino), Slime City, Body Melt, Street Trash, etc... seems like the people that frequent those conventions are actually the ones who are a bit close minded. Not talking about every convention or every person or whatever, it's just that there seems to be a bit of confusion on why Troll 2 fans don't seem to be the same fans as "horror movie convention" fans.
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pre·ten·tious: characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
They werent his fans. There weren't any fans of Troll 2 at the convention. The people there came off as creepy, satanic and antisocial... he was also annoyed how all the has-beens and film people working tables there wouldnt sit down and have a conversation with you or have a little fun.... they were just there to make a buck off of creepy uberfans and never let anyone past their cold exterior (probably because inside they think WTF is wrong with these fans??? too bad i dont have anyone else to give me recognition....)
share >>he was also annoyed how all the has-beens and film people working tables there wouldnt sit down and have a conversation with you or have a little fun
I think you hit the nail on the head here. It seemed to me that George went to the convention with the idea that it would be a loose, fun atmosphere. Instead, it was almost sad how some of the people at the other booths took themselves and their films so seriously. What makes George so likable, is that he doesn't have any kind of delusions of grandeur regarding Troll 2. He knows it's bad, he knows his acting is bad, and he has fun with that. That certainly did not seem to be the case with some of the other actors (and I use that term loosely) at the convention.
The people came across as "creepy, satanic and antisocial"? You mean the few fans who were actually shown in the documentary, who were smiling and humoring George as he nonsensically tried to explain the appeal of Troll 2? The attendees received almost no screen time whatsoever. Your conclusion was apparently based on nothing more substantial than the clothes/costumes they were wearing, which makes you come across as quite a judgmental prick.
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"People either loved us or they hated us...or they thought we were okay."
I was a bit irked with him during this part at first.
Then they got to his comments afterwards, and I could see why they put it into the film. Like he was saying, he was getting burnt out on the whole thing. That particular con seemed to be the proverbial breaking point and, all things considered, while it wasn't a glowing moment for him by any stretch, I can see why they left it in. Sort of adds weight to his comments about how he didn't want to keep doing this forever.
Also, in all fairness, while his comments were the worst of them there, it's not like he was apparently alone in feeling just burnt at that con, given it was the other guest at the table that piped up with "You wanna just go now?"
In general, they just did not seem to be having a good run at that particular con, and for George it seemed to be kind of a sign to hang it up for a while.
"Try as they might, human beings just can't be gods."
--Kai Shiden, Mobile Suit Gundam III
I agree that he was probably less than kind in his attitude towards some fans, but I do not think that George was biting the hand that fed him, in any way, shape, or form. It's plainly obvious that he has a successful dentistry practice. I get the impression that he was only involved in those conventions with the director's urging. I doubt that he would do those on his own.
shareHis past as a jock/cheerleader/whatever didn't help much in opening his mind to other kinds of ppl, did it?
shareI think George was expressing what most people watching the film are thinking. Troll 2 is semi-popular because it is bad, not because it is horror. Like that guy at the convention who thought Troll 2 was good, many horror fans are not smart enough to tell the difference between good and bad movies. Comedy fans like Troll 2 because they can appreciate the joke of it all.
shareI know in the movie (or perhaps it was in the extras) that George was growing tired of even the fandom surrounding Troll 2. (IIRC he stated that he was tired of repeating the "piss on hospitality" line). I'm not really defending him. Some people don't have an understanding or appreciation for dressing up wildly at conventions.
sharemany horror fans are not smart enough to tell the difference between good and bad movies.
I got the feeling George was just annoyed that no one went over to their table, neither at the horror convention or at the convention in the UK. It felt like he enjoyed smaller screenings just revolving aroung Troll 2 more, he said that he did like to be in the spotlight..
I mean when he was with just fans of Troll 2 he seemed to be enjoying it alot.
I really understood why he didn't like it. He said he doesn't really watch any horror films and he wasn't expecting what he got at the convention. He is not used to horror and seeing it all at once was kind of an overload to him. He also wasn't liking the fact that no one was coming up to their booth. I completely understand why he felt that way. Still I think he is a very nice person who is used to his small town life.
"Good,Bad, I'm the guy with the Gun!"
I cant blame him to be honest , they were put into that stand were it seems no one cared enough to come and talked to them and for George who seem to be a nice guy but also a bit of an attention seekers it must have been pretty hard and by that point it looks like his spirit broke a little and he felt embarrassed so I feel the things he has said were partly out of frustration.
And lets remember that just before that horror convention there was that awful Brit convention were they were totally ignored and they had to do a Q and A in front a few old people (It was for me the hardest scene to watch) so by that time George probably felt pretty down (What a stupid idea to sent them to England when the film doesn't seem to have a following at all over there).
Another thing is the people at the convention were not his people , they obviously did not care about Troll 2 , no , it's the people at the screening who were fans and those are two different audiences,so he did not bite the hand that fed him because no one at that particular convention seemed to care much about Troll 2.
Yeh he moaned a bit but seriously he his only human and I probably would have moaned too after those difficult couple of days.
I like George , his a genuine guy !
Exactly. You put into words exactly what I was thinking!
"Good,Bad, I'm the guy with the Gun!"
Re: the Brit convention scene... I'm from the UK and we just had a sold out screening of Troll 2 and Best Worst Movie, which went down very well and George even called in for a quick chat/Q&A! I think unfortunately what probably happened then was one of two things - firstly conventions here are a lot more low-key than in the US, partly due to the relative size of the marketplace here, and secondly the Troll 2 bandwagon only really started a couple of years ago back here, as very few people had heard of it till the doc came out... now it's out on DVD here, people are checking it out and word is slowly spreading!
MY one disappointment with the documentary was that we didn't get to hear the fabulous baddie woman get to speak, as she was evidently at one of the post-film Q&As shown in the doc! :(
Some really good comments here. I saw a double bill screening of Troll 2 and Best Worst Movie on Saturday night here in Leeds in the UK and as much as George didn't come across that great during the horror convention scene, I don't believe it wasn't supposed to come across as being vindictive & narrow-minded on his part, but rather it was a combination of clearly a really ill-suited booking that came at the end of a tour where he was - as many of you have stated- clearly suffering burnout (I felt pretty embarrassed to see the response at the Birmingham, UK convention). The typical audience for Troll 2 and the typcial audience for the Dallas convention he was at were clearly chalk and cheese if what we saw in the scene was typical. George doesn't come across as your grindhouse torture exploitative appreciation kind of guy really, does he??!!!! I can imagine that having to quote the 'piss on hospitality' line umpteen times at every event must have grated after a while too, although it could be argued that if you sign up for these things, you've got to expect them, and to be fair, George still kind of craves the limelight in the docu (even so much as saying that he'd want to be signed up for Troll 3) so he can't really have it both ways. Loved the docu though and was a great companion to the film itself, and i thought that the cast members really came out of it pretty well adjusted, all things considering (!)
On a side note, I found that Margo Frey's situation with her full time caring for her mother was really quite moving. I don't know anything about the American health care system but you just felt that these were two people who had been completely left behind in the world to fend for themselves and it was saddening. At times watching Best Worst Movie it was like watching a Christopher Guest mockumentary, but the scenes with Margo Frey were painfully and undeniably real.
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I was also glad they put his commentary on the 'con in there too. Obviously the convention route isnt that crew's cup of tea and they should just stick to random screenings with folks who are actually fans of the film which is til this day very little-seen.
"A commitment to cinema means to lead a technically deviant lifestyle."
I found that part of the movie more interesting than troublesome. We initially see George Hardy as a guy with boundless enthusiasm (which, evidently, he really is), and who really becomes captivated by this sudden surge of fascination by fans who've become captivated in turn by him & Troll 2. Both we and George almost expect this continuous upward trajectory for his popularity. And then we come along for the ride, first to the memorabilia show, and then to the horror con, as we and George discover that there really are some major boundaries to the popularity of Troll 2, let alone to the awareness its existence!
And it's great because we're there with George as he undergoes a bit of a reality check not just about the movie, but about who and what he is, and what he wants. He talks of meeting actors whose only claim to fame is the one film they did 20 years earlier, and realizes he's looking into a mirror - or could be. I love how the dentist in him emerges as he decries the poor dental hygiene of the horror show attendees.
This, in fact, is where the human side of George shines through. Yes, all those Nightmare on Elm Street has-beens know better than to bite the hands that feed them. George will have no part of that: He just doesn't like horror films, he doesn't like the weird folk who attend horror cons, and that's that.
I'm probably going off the deep end by saying this, but his reality check is almost reminiscent of that other George from "It's a Wonderful Life", where George Bailey finally comes to the realization that the life he's living is really the one he most wants.
Ironically though, the popularity of BWM will probably bring George Hardy that extra jolt of fame & recognition that might just cause him to give those memorabilia shows another shot. (But not the horror cons, unless he's looking to get his ass kicked.)
I rarely post on IMDB. I'm more of a reader. But I felt compelled to comment on this.
I was at this convention, where part of Best Worst Movie was filmed. I was pretty insulted when I saw this part of the film. I was really liking George Hardy up until this point.
He acted as though all horror fans are weirdos and psychopaths, and why? Because he was pissy that no one came to their booth (I did, and got a free Troll 2 poster), and they were being upstaged by people who were in more popular horror films than Troll 2.
I am almost 37. I have a B.A. in English. I have spent time in Mongolia in the Peace Corps teaching English and HIV/AIDS awareness seminars, and I am currently working for AmeriCorps (dubbed the domestic Peace Corps) doing public relations for a non-profit organization that truly touches the lives of the poor and povery stricken. I am as well-adjusted and as "normal" as the next guy; I just happen to be a horror film fanatic.
I was really disappointed with this reaction from George. I go to these conventions in Dallas every year. Yes, there ARE some weirdos there ... but we're not all weirdos. Best Worst Movie was a great documentary (it went on a bit too long, though), but so many people in it are absolutely deluded (George, Margo, and especially the director).
George is a dentist from a small town in Alabama and he doesn't like horror films. Is it really that surprising that he would find the people at a horror convention weird? Heck, I love horror-films but even I shake my head at some of the fans at these things. And he was asking why people like 'this *beep* when looking at poster for Cannibal Ferox. I mean, I like that film but I'm not gonna argue with anyone that would classify it as *beep*
shareWhat irked me is that he seemed to be so hostile to the conventioneers for no other reason than their admittedly bizarre dress. Yes, he is a small-town dentist with a small-town sensibility, but he's also demonstrated to that point in the movie an ability to get along, gleefully, with just about anyone. His comments came across as not only rude but wholly out of the blue.
Like a poster above, I am not your average horror conventioneer. I'm probably best described as a square, which I've been called in the past and which isn't at all inappropriate. Last year I had a conversation with one of the celebrity guests that partially revolved around how I was the first person to come to her booth that weekend who wasn't dressed in solid black. Yet all of the people I met and interacted with were nothing but polite and courteous and not at all creepy jerks or predatory monsters. I totally understand if George isn't a horror fan and is off-put by it, but his lashing out at the people who do like was just unappealing and unexpected.
We all judge others based on our own lives and experiences. Are we at a point in society that we don't dare utter our judgments? Come ON people! This is who we are, how we live and how we learn.
I judge others all the time and much of the time, I'm corrected in those judgments, but sometimes I'm right. When I am wrong, it's an eye-opener. We all need those eye-openers.
George didn't like tattoos, but when the artist said "That's okay, I don't like dentists" they made a connection. He didn't really make any connections with anyone at the convention. He tried, but couldn't find a genuine conversation. Also consider the shocking difference between his reception at screenings and the convention, not to mention the fact that he'd traveled so far to attend. And I'm guessing he was right about the gingivitis. But that's probably the case at any convention other than dental.
Don't judge me for judging.
The fact that we are predisposed to judgment doesn't mean it's right to give voice to those judgments, especially when they can be construed as hurtful. If your whole defense is "Well, humans judge and it's just in our nature!" my retort is, "Why do you refuse to attempt to rise above human nature?"
You can wallow in your small-minded shortcomings if you like. The rest of us have progress to make.
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"People either loved us or they hated us...or they thought we were okay."
I'll ad my two cents that even though he's a small town guy and rather different from the big horror fan crowds... he was aware that it was a HORROR convention.
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It's like death eatin' a cracker.