Nostalgia Kinky

The MVD Rewind Collection continues its run of bringing cult classics to Blu-ray, with its latest offering the 1986 horror/comedy Troll. Featuring an ensemble of familiar faces and some terrific practical effects, Troll is a fairly minor but fun little eighties fantasy. MVD’s new edition is a nice one, and it will please fans of this Joe Dantesque little film.

Director and special effects artist John Carl Buechler had only been in the director’s chair once before Troll, on the 1984 action fantasy film The Dungeonmaster. Probably best known for his terrible addition to the Friday the 13th franchise, The New Blood (1988), Buechler’s directorial career wasn’t all that prestigious, but there’s no questioning the cult appeal of his best films.

Scripted by Dolls screenwriter Ed Naha, Troll began life as an idea from Buechler himself. Clearly inspired by Dante’s huge hit Gremlins, Troll has its charms, but it never completely escapes the shadow of the many greater films that it lifts from. In fact, Troll is at its weakest at its most Spielberg-like, from Richard Band’s annoying John Williams-aping score to the film’s cutsy family-friendly moments.

Set entirely in an apartment building being overrun by, well, trolls, Troll works best as a creature-feature. Buechler shines much more in the makeup and visual effects department than the director’s spot, and his work on the film’s effects is terrific. Phil Fondacaro’s performance as the title figure is exceptional enough, but add on Buechler’s makeup, and it becomes quite special.

Along with the superior makeup effects the most memorable thing about Troll is its cast. There’s a familiar face in every scene with the likes of Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, June Lockhart, Sonny Bono and Gary Sandy. It’s an odd assortment, but everyone looks like they are having fun and Troll is a hard film to dislike, even at its most reductive.

The main extra on this new MVD Rewind Edition of Troll is a substantial 50-minute documentary covering the making of the film. Otherwise, some promotional material is also available on this slip-covered edition that comes with a poster.

Troll isn’t a great film, but it is a fun one, and sometimes that is enough. With its superswell creature effects, Troll is a fairly charming little comic chiller. This new MVD Edition is certainly an ideal way to catch up with it or revisit if it happens to be a childhood favorite.

-Jeremy Richey, July 2026-

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