Reviews (13)

Let's have some ORDER AROUND HERE!!!
First off...I am an avid,,,and extremely critical... suspense/thriller movie buff who revels in being viscerally scared out-of-his wits...without the director using buckets of blood or idiotic/sophmoric situations to accomplish this feat. The Stepfather (fiendishly and poignantly portrayed by Terry O'Quinn) will send your nerves a-jangle.

The plot here is simplistic...a very, very disturbed man is in search of the perfect family (ala ) The Brady Bunch or Father Knows Best...the problem is...is TRY telling Jerry that life isn't a idealistic cornball sitcom...see what the results are...

Brilliantly directed by Joseph Rubens (Sleeping with the Enemy/The Good Son)... the Stepfather will take you on a haunting psychological rollercoaster ride filled with jumps, jolts, heart thumping and unconscious nail biting.

The opening sequence...devoid of any dialogue and visually unnerving ...was so disturbing to one of my friends...that he wanted to take a 'raincheck' on watching the rest!

Shelley Hack ...and especially Jill Schoelen...as the respective newly found wife and daughter...turn in engaging performances. Not to mention Hans Zimmer's creep-o-rama score...filled with violinists and cellists on mesculine and caffeine...

If your genre is suspense...good suspense...if you liked Brian DePalma's Dressed to Kill & Body Double...if you liked Hitchcock's Psycho & The Birds...if you enjoyed Robert Harmon's The Hitcher or Curtis Hanson's The Hand that Rocks the Cradle...not to mention Carpenter's Halloween...then sit back and enjoy...!

Oh...by the way...do you really want to know what happens to the family's puppy...or what happens when daddy goes down to the cellar to retrieve some ice cream...or what your stepfather's reaction may be when he matter-of-factly retrieves your mail...or what a simple phone receiver can also be used for...and...just out of curiosity... do you have to hide the cutlery in your house? Do you, pumpkin?

Father Knows Death
This creepy and wonderfully put together chiller from 1987, never got the credit or recognition it deserved. Thankfully, it found new life on video and cable. Great character actor Terry 'O' Quinn, plays a psychotic madman who is determined to have the perfect, all american family. When that family disappoints him in some way, well, they pay with their lives. Then he's on to a new family and identity. He meets Shelly Hack, and her daughter, played by Jill Schoelen. The daughter knows that her new stepfather is not who he seems to be, and she sets out to prove herself right. 'O' Quinn is scary. His stepfather is just as creepy when he's nice as he is when he's stark raving mad. A teriffic, and underrated performance. The movie is not your typical horror/slasher film. It's more mature and intelligent. There is very little blood here, and that makes it a better film. The intelligence of this film was scarred by two horrible sequels that went down the typical 80's slasher road. Skip those and see this. One of the most underrated suspense/horror films. Make room for daddy!.

Shame on you M.G.M
Ok this movie is beggin for a release on dvd well whut's the wait. This is one the best psyhco gone nuts movie there is.Well Mr. o quinn moves wit an all american perfect family but the daugther knows he has a screw loose. Moms falls in love so she thinks he's perfect for her. Well i'm not ging to give away the spoilers i'll let see what happens. For a good time on a saturday nite this is perfect. I also know for us with 5.1 audio we can't get that lucky to have a dvd mix of the stepfather we'll be lucky if 2 channel surround. Well m.g.m i also know you have rights to flicks too this movie is so bad i'm bout to say it release crackhouse on dvd and the perfect funniest movie ever made the fearless vampire killers and the great year of the dragon thank you.

3.5 Stars
Fairly decent. It's a psychological horror/thriller type film. Just see it. It's better if I don't just tell you the plot, and besides previous reviewers already have, so I say see it.

Who are you? How did you get on to me?!
This 80s horror/thriller has it all: an engrossing plot that's scary and funny, amazing acting (I don't know who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1987 but it should have been Terry O'Quinn), classic lines like: "Wait a minute...who am I here?", and to top it all off, corny yet eerie music which sets the mood perfectly. Easily one of my all-time favourite psycho-flicks. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Tremendously Bad Movie, but in a Good Way.
I first saw this movie on a late night Noah Hathaway double feature about 13 yeares ago, when I lived in LA. The host described this movie as a star vehicle for the young star of Neverending Story (which was shown previously that night).

The story is mostly a rehash of the plots of many '50s sci-fi movies, except you insert "Troll" into the script where "Martian" should be. Even to the extent that Noah remarks to his kindly neighbor lady (June Lockhart) that he thinks his sister is a "pod person". Of course, she (Lockhart) being powerful the powerful good sorcerous, explains that Harry's sister is in the Troll's power.

Young Harry must save the world from the evil Troll, while the grown-up neighbors (Sonny Bono, Gary Sandy (WKRP), Julia-Louise Dreyfus (Seinfeld), Brad Hall (SNL), etc.) bumble their way into victimhood. Of course Harry's parents (Shelly Hack & Michael Moriarty) think he's just imagining things. What makes this movie fun is that it's so predictable and the all-star cast seems to intentionally ham it up. Think of it as "North" with monsters.

What I have found weirdly ironic is that Noah's character's name is Harry Potter, Jr. (Hmmmm, haven't we heard that name somewhere recently?)

Scary Kid's Movie.
TROLL takes place in a suburban apartment complex. The Potter family (more on that later) moves in to their new home in the bottom apartment. On the day of their move Wendy Ann Potter stumbles into the laundry room where she meets a troll who kidnaps her and uses his magic ring to make himself look like Wendy. One by one, the troll enters each apartment in the complex and turns the occupants into trolls and their dwellings into doorways to a fantasy dimension. If he succeeds in changing all the homes in the building, a dimensional vortex will be formed and modern America will be changed into a fantasy realm of old. The only person who can stop him is Wendy's brother, Harry Potter, Jr. who is under the tutelage of a witch upstairs.

Granted the special effects in this movie aren't all that good. However, the script is decent and the acting is fairly well done. The cast includes Sonny Bono and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss to name a few. This movie is basically a children's scary movie; it's the type of movie I would have loved watching when I was a kid and since I'm still a kid at heart I was enable to enjoy it despite it's flaws.

As a side note, the hero of this film is named Harry Potter. He gets involved in witchcraft and fantasy, though he thinks he's just a normal kid. The apartment slowly becomes a portal that leads to a mysterious and magical world. When he saves his kid sister and fights the big monster, it reminded me off another Harry Potter fighting another monster in CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Not only that, but Harry Potter Jr.'s dad is an author of children's books. Coincidence? Perhaps. However, as good as the Harry Potter series is, one must admit J.K. Rowling isn't as original as so many people suppose her to be.

The ORIGINAL Harry Potter! Great Kids Horror Film!
Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack, Sonny Bono, Julia Louis-Dreyfus along with the incomparable June Lockhart & her real-life daughter Anne Lockhart sharing a role!
EXCELLENT PG-13 FILM for kids and adults alike.

This film has an interesting plotline, mindblowing special effects and a WONDERFUL SOUNDTRACK. Goblins, Trolls, Fairies, Elves, Witches, along with an adorable Talking Toadstool are the chief players that inhabit the underworld.

This movie will hold kids' attention & enchant them. It also features one of my very favorite poems that is recited during a family dinner. Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queen... MAGICAL, MYSTICAL, & MEMORABLE!!!

a heck of a good movie
troll is a good movie, it has a good plot. it is fun to watch with 1 friend. this movie is rare and hard to find so i suggest u get one now .......

The SCARIEST MOVIE IN THE WORLD!!
First off if anyone likes to be scared watch this movie. the troll is sooo scary look at him he has moose in his hair! Theres
one part where he drives this car into a girls face and he eats
her. There selling the box set Troll, Troll 2, and Troll 3:Were
In Trollble. They sell them at all Wal-Marts and Best Buys.
But I recommend you check this out and you'll be scared forever! take my word for it I belive in trollsThey
always hide under your stairs, look out!! ... Read more

Reviews (67)

so many people miss the point!
When I first saw Scorsese's "King of Comedy" I didn't get it. I thought it was simply an average movie. That was until the last 30 seconds. After I saw that closing scene, I rewound it and watched it again. Then again. I have watched the King of Comedy more times that any other film, because each time I get something out of it and even today, it is so relevant to the whole issue of fame in America, and the sick and twisted lengths that not only will people go to achieve it, but those who revel in the fame of so many untalented individuals on TV and on screen. Why do so many zeroes become heroes??? Robert De Niro plays Rupert Pupkin, a stand up comic who harbours unrealistic praise on his own talent which is zero. Honing in on Jery Langford (Jerry Lewis - in a vastly underrated and professional performance), who hosts his own tonight show, Pupkin tries to convince Langford to let him appear on his show. When things don't go right for Pupkin, he takes matters into his own hands, and cannot tell the difference between reality and his dreams. It is a wake up call to the instigators of media and fame in modern day America. So many people miss the point of this movie. Which is a shame, because it will make you look at the rich and famous in a totally different light. For over ten years, I have yet to see a film that still intriques me as The King of Comedy. Everyone should see this film!

Role Reversal
In "The King Of Comedy," Robert DeNiro plays an aspiring stand-up comedian, who is really a borderline psychotic, obsessed with becoming famous. Jerry Lewis plays a jocular talk-show host, who is really a cold, cynical celebrity, tired of being famous. Basically, Lewis (Jerry Langford) plays it straight while DeNiro (Rupert Pupkin) plays it for laughs - not what the audience was expecting to see. That both actors were able to play their parts to perfection is a testament to their talent. Unfortunately, this movie was not a box office success upon its initial release. Hopefully, enough people will discover and come to appreciate this film for it to be issued on DVD.

One of DeNiro's best roles
This scathing comedy about fame, television and hangers on to both is one of the best film roles Robert DeNiro has taken on. It is easily his best comic role, as he plays a schlemiel that finds a way -- an illegal way -- to worm his way onto network television to give a 5-minute monologue on a late night talk show. What is most telling in this film are the final mintues that document his fame after he goes to jail for kidnapping a talk show host. Few films have so accurately, and cynically, portrayed the world wide news media thirst for fame as these 10 minutes. If your cable system does not get WGN-TV from Chicago, which regularly schedules this movie, you may never have seen it. If so, it is worth your time and trouble. This is a funny, bitter and cyncial look at how fame warps people's minds, including little people, famous people and the media outlets that contribute to creation of fame.

SHOWBIZ FROM THE LUNATIC FRINGES (ON A GREAT DVD!)
Martin Scorsese's brilliant satire about a wannabe standup/schmuck played with deliberate humorlessness by De Niro, who suffers from delusions of grandeur, determined to meet his hero Jerry Lewis in a performance played with shocking bravura.

The film is timeless in its depiction of the twin themes of celebrity stalking with its masochistic need to be discovered by the world on one hand, and the perils of stardom on the other. The perfect comic execution could easily have been the inspiration for several of recent thinkpieces -- "Election", "Fight Club", "The Truman Show", "One Hour Photo" etc.

A word for the DVD. It is brilliantly put together with detailed interviews with Scorcese, Bernhart, De Niro etc, plus some funny cameos by Jerry Lewis himself, and a funny handy-cam outtake or two while shooting Lewis on the streets of NY.

A very worthy purchase, not just a rental!

Greatest Film Ever - "I wouldn't lie to you Rupe!"
How often do you see a film for the first time in which you get so embarrased for the star you want to press stop every 15 minutes! Once you've made it past the first viewing, you're gunna really enjoy watching this one over and over again - it gets better everytime! I've never laughed so hard watching a movie in my entire life!! It's totally original and nothing can compare to it. Thank you for making this Marty and thank you Bobby for talking him into doing it! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A touching, "make-you-feel-good" movie with fabulous music!
My wife and I first saw this movie as a second feature in a theater (back when they still did such things). It's a wonderfully romantic film. I've often wondered if it isn't at least in part Joe Brooks' own life story. Sure, the acting at times may seem a bit stiff, but Joe Brooks comes off as an ordinary guy - not the undoubtedly wealthy character he plays - and let's face it, Shelley Hack is drop-dead gorgeous! This movie also has some of the GREATEST music. I particularly love "Come Share My Life" and "California." I taped it off TV several years ago, but the copy is aging, and I would love for the studio to remaster it and release it on DVD.

A touching, sentimental romance.
It's many years since I saw this movie, yet I would purchase it in a moment if I could find it available on video. Anyone who has had an experience like the protagonists can relate to this story. Isn't it such a basic human reaction, expecially when young, to deal with rejection by resolving to do something great to win the love of the person who rejected you? Haven't we all dreamed of doing that? It's my supposition that Joe Brooks was telling a thinly fictionalized version of his own life - and it worked. Jaded, cynical critics may not have liked it, but anyone with a heart - and a romantic streak - will enjoy it.

Everybody remembers it, nobody has it.
Back when we saw this movie on cable in the seventies, I was working for an ad agency, and I loved the familiar glimpses into the ad world... like waking up in the middle of the night with an inspiration for a dog food jingle, or having the client destroy your presentation with one negative comment. Very enjoyable movie. I was hoping to find it on Amazon for ten bucks.

If I ever see you again
As a 10 year old I remember watching this on cable with my family and falling in love with the music. Now 20 yrs later I can still sing every song...they are all beautiful! Great sentimental movie and I can't wait to give it to my dad for his 70th...we've been talking about the movie for years...wish it had made it to video stores!

A good bad movie
To be good, a movie doesn't need astronomical budgets, stylish production values and over priced stars. It just needs a good story, and some memorable music doesn't hurt either. This movie is a good story that would strike a familiar cord with romantics everywhere. I'd place it up against much of the garbage coming out of Hollywood these days. I'd like to see it played on cable once in a while or the video made available. God Bless Joe Brooks who found a great tribute to lost love and a second chance for redemption. We need more good stories like this. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The King of Comedy, which flopped at the box office, is actually a gem waiting to be rediscovered. Like A Face in the Crowd (a not-so-distant cousin to this film), Network, and The Truman Show, its target is show business--specifically the burning desire to become famous or be near the famous, no matter what.Robert De Niro plays the emotionally unstable, horrendously untalented Rupert Pupkin, a wannabe Vegas-style comedian.His fantasies are egged on by Marsha, a talk-show groupie (brilliantly played by Sandra Bernhard) who hatches a devious, sure-to-backfire plan. Jerry Lewis is terrific in the straight role as the Johnny Carson-like talk-show host Jerry Langford. De Niro's performance as the obsessive Pupkin is among his finest (which is saying a lot) and he never tries to make the character likable in any way. Because there's no hero and no one to root for, and because at times the film insists we get a little too close and personal with Pupkin, some will be put off. Yet it's one of Scorsese's most original and fascinating films, giving viewers much to consider on the subject of celebrity. Its inevitable climax is clever and quietly horrific. --Christopher J. Jarmick ... Read more

Reviews (67)

so many people miss the point!
When I first saw Scorsese's "King of Comedy" I didn't get it. I thought it was simply an average movie. That was until the last 30 seconds. After I saw that closing scene, I rewound it and watched it again. Then again. I have watched the King of Comedy more times that any other film, because each time I get something out of it and even today, it is so relevant to the whole issue of fame in America, and the sick and twisted lengths that not only will people go to achieve it, but those who revel in the fame of so many untalented individuals on TV and on screen. Why do so many zeroes become heroes??? Robert De Niro plays Rupert Pupkin, a stand up comic who harbours unrealistic praise on his own talent which is zero. Honing in on Jery Langford (Jerry Lewis - in a vastly underrated and professional performance), who hosts his own tonight show, Pupkin tries to convince Langford to let him appear on his show. When things don't go right for Pupkin, he takes matters into his own hands, and cannot tell the difference between reality and his dreams. It is a wake up call to the instigators of media and fame in modern day America. So many people miss the point of this movie. Which is a shame, because it will make you look at the rich and famous in a totally different light. For over ten years, I have yet to see a film that still intriques me as The King of Comedy. Everyone should see this film!

Role Reversal
In "The King Of Comedy," Robert DeNiro plays an aspiring stand-up comedian, who is really a borderline psychotic, obsessed with becoming famous. Jerry Lewis plays a jocular talk-show host, who is really a cold, cynical celebrity, tired of being famous. Basically, Lewis (Jerry Langford) plays it straight while DeNiro (Rupert Pupkin) plays it for laughs - not what the audience was expecting to see. That both actors were able to play their parts to perfection is a testament to their talent. Unfortunately, this movie was not a box office success upon its initial release. Hopefully, enough people will discover and come to appreciate this film for it to be issued on DVD.

One of DeNiro's best roles
This scathing comedy about fame, television and hangers on to both is one of the best film roles Robert DeNiro has taken on. It is easily his best comic role, as he plays a schlemiel that finds a way -- an illegal way -- to worm his way onto network television to give a 5-minute monologue on a late night talk show. What is most telling in this film are the final mintues that document his fame after he goes to jail for kidnapping a talk show host. Few films have so accurately, and cynically, portrayed the world wide news media thirst for fame as these 10 minutes. If your cable system does not get WGN-TV from Chicago, which regularly schedules this movie, you may never have seen it. If so, it is worth your time and trouble. This is a funny, bitter and cyncial look at how fame warps people's minds, including little people, famous people and the media outlets that contribute to creation of fame.

SHOWBIZ FROM THE LUNATIC FRINGES (ON A GREAT DVD!)
Martin Scorsese's brilliant satire about a wannabe standup/schmuck played with deliberate humorlessness by De Niro, who suffers from delusions of grandeur, determined to meet his hero Jerry Lewis in a performance played with shocking bravura.

The film is timeless in its depiction of the twin themes of celebrity stalking with its masochistic need to be discovered by the world on one hand, and the perils of stardom on the other. The perfect comic execution could easily have been the inspiration for several of recent thinkpieces -- "Election", "Fight Club", "The Truman Show", "One Hour Photo" etc.

A word for the DVD. It is brilliantly put together with detailed interviews with Scorcese, Bernhart, De Niro etc, plus some funny cameos by Jerry Lewis himself, and a funny handy-cam outtake or two while shooting Lewis on the streets of NY.

A very worthy purchase, not just a rental!

Greatest Film Ever - "I wouldn't lie to you Rupe!"
How often do you see a film for the first time in which you get so embarrased for the star you want to press stop every 15 minutes! Once you've made it past the first viewing, you're gunna really enjoy watching this one over and over again - it gets better everytime! I've never laughed so hard watching a movie in my entire life!! It's totally original and nothing can compare to it. Thank you for making this Marty and thank you Bobby for talking him into doing it! ... Read more

Reviews (67)

so many people miss the point!
When I first saw Scorsese's "King of Comedy" I didn't get it. I thought it was simply an average movie. That was until the last 30 seconds. After I saw that closing scene, I rewound it and watched it again. Then again. I have watched the King of Comedy more times that any other film, because each time I get something out of it and even today, it is so relevant to the whole issue of fame in America, and the sick and twisted lengths that not only will people go to achieve it, but those who revel in the fame of so many untalented individuals on TV and on screen. Why do so many zeroes become heroes??? Robert De Niro plays Rupert Pupkin, a stand up comic who harbours unrealistic praise on his own talent which is zero. Honing in on Jery Langford (Jerry Lewis - in a vastly underrated and professional performance), who hosts his own tonight show, Pupkin tries to convince Langford to let him appear on his show. When things don't go right for Pupkin, he takes matters into his own hands, and cannot tell the difference between reality and his dreams. It is a wake up call to the instigators of media and fame in modern day America. So many people miss the point of this movie. Which is a shame, because it will make you look at the rich and famous in a totally different light. For over ten years, I have yet to see a film that still intriques me as The King of Comedy. Everyone should see this film!

Role Reversal
In "The King Of Comedy," Robert DeNiro plays an aspiring stand-up comedian, who is really a borderline psychotic, obsessed with becoming famous. Jerry Lewis plays a jocular talk-show host, who is really a cold, cynical celebrity, tired of being famous. Basically, Lewis (Jerry Langford) plays it straight while DeNiro (Rupert Pupkin) plays it for laughs - not what the audience was expecting to see. That both actors were able to play their parts to perfection is a testament to their talent. Unfortunately, this movie was not a box office success upon its initial release. Hopefully, enough people will discover and come to appreciate this film for it to be issued on DVD.

One of DeNiro's best roles
This scathing comedy about fame, television and hangers on to both is one of the best film roles Robert DeNiro has taken on. It is easily his best comic role, as he plays a schlemiel that finds a way -- an illegal way -- to worm his way onto network television to give a 5-minute monologue on a late night talk show. What is most telling in this film are the final mintues that document his fame after he goes to jail for kidnapping a talk show host. Few films have so accurately, and cynically, portrayed the world wide news media thirst for fame as these 10 minutes. If your cable system does not get WGN-TV from Chicago, which regularly schedules this movie, you may never have seen it. If so, it is worth your time and trouble. This is a funny, bitter and cyncial look at how fame warps people's minds, including little people, famous people and the media outlets that contribute to creation of fame.

SHOWBIZ FROM THE LUNATIC FRINGES (ON A GREAT DVD!)
Martin Scorsese's brilliant satire about a wannabe standup/schmuck played with deliberate humorlessness by De Niro, who suffers from delusions of grandeur, determined to meet his hero Jerry Lewis in a performance played with shocking bravura.

The film is timeless in its depiction of the twin themes of celebrity stalking with its masochistic need to be discovered by the world on one hand, and the perils of stardom on the other. The perfect comic execution could easily have been the inspiration for several of recent thinkpieces -- "Election", "Fight Club", "The Truman Show", "One Hour Photo" etc.

A word for the DVD. It is brilliantly put together with detailed interviews with Scorcese, Bernhart, De Niro etc, plus some funny cameos by Jerry Lewis himself, and a funny handy-cam outtake or two while shooting Lewis on the streets of NY.

A very worthy purchase, not just a rental!

Greatest Film Ever - "I wouldn't lie to you Rupe!"
How often do you see a film for the first time in which you get so embarrased for the star you want to press stop every 15 minutes! Once you've made it past the first viewing, you're gunna really enjoy watching this one over and over again - it gets better everytime! I've never laughed so hard watching a movie in my entire life!! It's totally original and nothing can compare to it. Thank you for making this Marty and thank you Bobby for talking him into doing it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Uneven Comedy
This is quite an off-beat comedy. It has some very enjoyable, very funny moments. But, on the other hand, there are also some very grating, very unpleasant moments as well. JoBeth Williams turns in an excellent performance as the schizophrenic neighbor of scripwriter George Segal, and she is definitely the high point of the film. The ending was unsatisfying, and to some exent, so was the film. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Vosloo's Chilling Performance
I have come to love and respect Arnold Vosloo for his acting abilities. Before The Mummy and The Mummy Returns he has acted in several movies with great precision. He is a SCENE STEALER! Vosloo has a wonderful way of taking an otherwise poor script and turning it to gold. The intensity he puts into this performance as a vicious murder suspect is fantastic...it was almost painful for to watch...yes he is that good! Vosloo is much; much thinner in this movie with bleached blonde hair, but feature changes does not detract from the performance. Those beautiful down turned eyes and curly smile still shines through the TV screen.

Someone in LA is killing young women...but not before captioning them in erotic poses and then killing them-on tape. These tapes are then sold overseas. Sam Stone (Michael Nader) is the tough detective on the case. His tough ways get him kicked off the case by his supervisor, which allow Nader's soon- to-be ex-wife and fellow detective, Hannah (Shelley Hack) to fill in for him-as a potential victim. This angers Stone who still loves her and fears to her safety. Hannah poses as a...well uh...struggling model to catch the potential killer's attention. It is in a club were she finally meets Vosloo.

Vosloo plays an international artist specializing in naked bodies. He meets Hannah at the same club another victim was last seen at-with Vosloo. They meet on several "dates" but not before falling in love with Vosloo. Hannah and Vosloo finally consummate their relationship with a "lovely" sex scene. WOW! Throughout this powerful scene, Vosloo still can maintain a gentle quality about him. This contrast in emotions is seen in many of his films, a quality one cannot fake. Vosloo's accent is rich and lush, captivating the watcher till the very end. Look out for the shocking ending! For new or established fans, do you self a favor and add this to your collection. I hope this review helps you make that decision.

Intriguing, Vosloo fans would appreciate this!
If your a fan of Arnold Vosloo you'll want this one in your collection. Stalking beautiful women & killing them is an interesting story and AV does a very good job portraying the killer. Story line is a bit predictable, but well worth the rent or buy. Nice dramatization, very compelling, with a spicy erotic sex scene too! ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Tremendously Bad Movie, but in a Good Way.
I first saw this movie on a late night Noah Hathaway double feature about 13 yeares ago, when I lived in LA. The host described this movie as a star vehicle for the young star of Neverending Story (which was shown previously that night).

The story is mostly a rehash of the plots of many '50s sci-fi movies, except you insert "Troll" into the script where "Martian" should be. Even to the extent that Noah remarks to his kindly neighbor lady (June Lockhart) that he thinks his sister is a "pod person". Of course, she (Lockhart) being powerful the powerful good sorcerous, explains that Harry's sister is in the Troll's power.

Young Harry must save the world from the evil Troll, while the grown-up neighbors (Sonny Bono, Gary Sandy (WKRP), Julia-Louise Dreyfus (Seinfeld), Brad Hall (SNL), etc.) bumble their way into victimhood. Of course Harry's parents (Shelly Hack & Michael Moriarty) think he's just imagining things. What makes this movie fun is that it's so predictable and the all-star cast seems to intentionally ham it up. Think of it as "North" with monsters.

What I have found weirdly ironic is that Noah's character's name is Harry Potter, Jr. (Hmmmm, haven't we heard that name somewhere recently?)

Scary Kid's Movie.
TROLL takes place in a suburban apartment complex. The Potter family (more on that later) moves in to their new home in the bottom apartment. On the day of their move Wendy Ann Potter stumbles into the laundry room where she meets a troll who kidnaps her and uses his magic ring to make himself look like Wendy. One by one, the troll enters each apartment in the complex and turns the occupants into trolls and their dwellings into doorways to a fantasy dimension. If he succeeds in changing all the homes in the building, a dimensional vortex will be formed and modern America will be changed into a fantasy realm of old. The only person who can stop him is Wendy's brother, Harry Potter, Jr. who is under the tutelage of a witch upstairs.

Granted the special effects in this movie aren't all that good. However, the script is decent and the acting is fairly well done. The cast includes Sonny Bono and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss to name a few. This movie is basically a children's scary movie; it's the type of movie I would have loved watching when I was a kid and since I'm still a kid at heart I was enable to enjoy it despite it's flaws.

As a side note, the hero of this film is named Harry Potter. He gets involved in witchcraft and fantasy, though he thinks he's just a normal kid. The apartment slowly becomes a portal that leads to a mysterious and magical world. When he saves his kid sister and fights the big monster, it reminded me off another Harry Potter fighting another monster in CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Not only that, but Harry Potter Jr.'s dad is an author of children's books. Coincidence? Perhaps. However, as good as the Harry Potter series is, one must admit J.K. Rowling isn't as original as so many people suppose her to be.

The ORIGINAL Harry Potter! Great Kids Horror Film!
Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack, Sonny Bono, Julia Louis-Dreyfus along with the incomparable June Lockhart & her real-life daughter Anne Lockhart sharing a role!
EXCELLENT PG-13 FILM for kids and adults alike.

This film has an interesting plotline, mindblowing special effects and a WONDERFUL SOUNDTRACK. Goblins, Trolls, Fairies, Elves, Witches, along with an adorable Talking Toadstool are the chief players that inhabit the underworld.

This movie will hold kids' attention & enchant them. It also features one of my very favorite poems that is recited during a family dinner. Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queen... MAGICAL, MYSTICAL, & MEMORABLE!!!

a heck of a good movie
troll is a good movie, it has a good plot. it is fun to watch with 1 friend. this movie is rare and hard to find so i suggest u get one now .......

The SCARIEST MOVIE IN THE WORLD!!
First off if anyone likes to be scared watch this movie. the troll is sooo scary look at him he has moose in his hair! Theres
one part where he drives this car into a girls face and he eats
her. There selling the box set Troll, Troll 2, and Troll 3:Were
In Trollble. They sell them at all Wal-Marts and Best Buys.
But I recommend you check this out and you'll be scared forever! take my word for it I belive in trollsThey
always hide under your stairs, look out!! ... Read more

Reviews (67)

so many people miss the point!
When I first saw Scorsese's "King of Comedy" I didn't get it. I thought it was simply an average movie. That was until the last 30 seconds. After I saw that closing scene, I rewound it and watched it again. Then again. I have watched the King of Comedy more times that any other film, because each time I get something out of it and even today, it is so relevant to the whole issue of fame in America, and the sick and twisted lengths that not only will people go to achieve it, but those who revel in the fame of so many untalented individuals on TV and on screen. Why do so many zeroes become heroes??? Robert De Niro plays Rupert Pupkin, a stand up comic who harbours unrealistic praise on his own talent which is zero. Honing in on Jery Langford (Jerry Lewis - in a vastly underrated and professional performance), who hosts his own tonight show, Pupkin tries to convince Langford to let him appear on his show. When things don't go right for Pupkin, he takes matters into his own hands, and cannot tell the difference between reality and his dreams. It is a wake up call to the instigators of media and fame in modern day America. So many people miss the point of this movie. Which is a shame, because it will make you look at the rich and famous in a totally different light. For over ten years, I have yet to see a film that still intriques me as The King of Comedy. Everyone should see this film!

Role Reversal
In "The King Of Comedy," Robert DeNiro plays an aspiring stand-up comedian, who is really a borderline psychotic, obsessed with becoming famous. Jerry Lewis plays a jocular talk-show host, who is really a cold, cynical celebrity, tired of being famous. Basically, Lewis (Jerry Langford) plays it straight while DeNiro (Rupert Pupkin) plays it for laughs - not what the audience was expecting to see. That both actors were able to play their parts to perfection is a testament to their talent. Unfortunately, this movie was not a box office success upon its initial release. Hopefully, enough people will discover and come to appreciate this film for it to be issued on DVD.

One of DeNiro's best roles
This scathing comedy about fame, television and hangers on to both is one of the best film roles Robert DeNiro has taken on. It is easily his best comic role, as he plays a schlemiel that finds a way -- an illegal way -- to worm his way onto network television to give a 5-minute monologue on a late night talk show. What is most telling in this film are the final mintues that document his fame after he goes to jail for kidnapping a talk show host. Few films have so accurately, and cynically, portrayed the world wide news media thirst for fame as these 10 minutes. If your cable system does not get WGN-TV from Chicago, which regularly schedules this movie, you may never have seen it. If so, it is worth your time and trouble. This is a funny, bitter and cyncial look at how fame warps people's minds, including little people, famous people and the media outlets that contribute to creation of fame.

SHOWBIZ FROM THE LUNATIC FRINGES (ON A GREAT DVD!)
Martin Scorsese's brilliant satire about a wannabe standup/schmuck played with deliberate humorlessness by De Niro, who suffers from delusions of grandeur, determined to meet his hero Jerry Lewis in a performance played with shocking bravura.

The film is timeless in its depiction of the twin themes of celebrity stalking with its masochistic need to be discovered by the world on one hand, and the perils of stardom on the other. The perfect comic execution could easily have been the inspiration for several of recent thinkpieces -- "Election", "Fight Club", "The Truman Show", "One Hour Photo" etc.

A word for the DVD. It is brilliantly put together with detailed interviews with Scorcese, Bernhart, De Niro etc, plus some funny cameos by Jerry Lewis himself, and a funny handy-cam outtake or two while shooting Lewis on the streets of NY.

A very worthy purchase, not just a rental!

Greatest Film Ever - "I wouldn't lie to you Rupe!"
How often do you see a film for the first time in which you get so embarrased for the star you want to press stop every 15 minutes! Once you've made it past the first viewing, you're gunna really enjoy watching this one over and over again - it gets better everytime! I've never laughed so hard watching a movie in my entire life!! It's totally original and nothing can compare to it. Thank you for making this Marty and thank you Bobby for talking him into doing it! ... Read more