Movies: Films I’d like to see again II

Continuing on from Sunday’s post of which films I would really like to see again, here’s another couple of movies.

Basically, Weird Al Yankovic’s “UHF” and “Troll” are two movies I’d like to watch again: but there’s a slight problem. Both films are only currently available on DVD – NTSC Region 1 (US and Canada). These means that my Region 2 (UK and Europe) PAL players just will not play them. Therefore, thanks to the regionalisation of DVDs, the makes of those movies have lost a potential customer who would have happily paid shipping from the States to the UK…

Anyway, on with the rambling:

Troll [1986] [IMDB]

Starring:

Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack, Jenny Beck, Sonny Bono, Phil Fondacaro, Brad Hall, June Lockhart and Anne Lockhart.

Synopsis:

The Potter family move into their new apartment in San Francisco, but little Wendy Potter (Jenny Beck) goes investigating the basement of the building and is captured by the evil troll, Torok (played by Phil Fondacaro) who is the transformed state of the ex-husband of an old friendly witch called Eunice St. Clair (played by June Lockhart and her daughter Anne Lockhart).

Torok then sets out to change the entire apartment building into the world he once knew using an emerald ring.

Wendy’s brother, Harry Potter Junior (Noah Hathaway), suspects something is wrong and befriends the witch.

By now, Torok has changed all the inhabitants of the apartment building into green plant pods: which burst open to release vines and other trolls.
Eunice then gives Harry Potter a magical spear to help release his sister – but once she’s given him the spear she decided to go and help herself: only to be turned into a talking tree.

Reason why I want to see it again:

I originally saw this movie on holiday many years ago (probably as soon as it was released on VHS) but it’s taken until earlier this year to recall its name (I purchased the poor “not a sequel apart from the name” 1992 “Troll 2” DVD at low cost).

Basically, it’s a fun little movie which has a bit of Gremlins, a bit of “sock puppet animation”, the trolls look a bit like extras from “Critters/Ghoulies”, a reasonable story line and I really enjoyed it.

An interesting thing to note about Troll is the Cast and Crew list. Notice that there is a “Harry Potter” in the movie and the whole movie is set in a world of witches, wizards, magic and trolls. And that’s not the only link to the J.K.Rowling’s “Harry Potter” world. The actresses who plays “Eunice St Clair” in Troll are called “Anne Lockhart” and “June Lockhart”. Didn’t Kenneth Branagh play a character called Lockhart (Professor Gilderoy) in “The Chamber Of Secrets“?

Other sites coverage of Troll:

• BadMovies: Has a MPEG movie clip of the “Troll Chorus” (showing most of the trolls), several screen shots and audio clips.
• B-Movie Film Vault
• Bad Movie Night
• Grim Reaper’s Movie Guide

UHF [1989] (aka “The Vidiot From UHF”) [IMDB]

Starring:

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, David Bowe, Stanley Brock, Anthony Geary, and Trinidad Silva.

Synopsis:

George Newman (“Weird Al” Yankovic) is a daydreamer whose hyperactive imagination keeps him from holding a steady job…until he becomes the general manager of Channel 62, a local television station his uncle wins in a poker game.

Unfortunately, the station is about one week away from bankruptcy. In a moment of desperation, George makes janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards) the star of a dull children’s show and stumbles onto a ratings goldmine…who else would treat lucky kids to a drink from a high-pressure fire hose? “Stanley Spadowski’s Funhouse” is just weird enough to attract an audience!

Before long, endless reruns have been replaced with bizarre programming that could only have come from one place: George Newman’s unique imagination. Show like “Wheel Of Fish,” “Name That Stain,” “Conan The Librarian,” “The Wonderful World of Phlegm,” and “Raul’s Wild Kingdom,” where poodles learn to fly from third story windows!

But as Channel 62’s ratings start to rise, so does the wrath of TV mogul R.J. Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy), who wants to buy the station and turn it into a parking lot.

Can Channel 62 come up with the money it needs to stay on the air? George Newman’s imagination is the only place to find out!

Reason why I want to see it again:

Well, apart from the fact that I’m a huge Weird Al Yankovic fan (see a previous entry) I really found this film entertaining, witty and funny. I enjoy parodies (hence why I’m a fan of Al’s) and the way UHF “apes” such shows as “A Wheel of Fortune” (A Wheel of Fish) and “Conan The Barbarian” (Conan The Librarian) AND still manages to have a good plot line (with a “Howard The Duck” style ending) ensures that this film is one I really really want.

It used to be shown infrequently late at night on terrestrial TV here in the UK, but it hasn’t been shown for some time. When the DVD came out, I did enquire via the official site if they were going to be releasing it in a UK playable format (i.e. either PAL VHS or Region 1 DVD), but I received an answer in the negative 🙁

Other sites coverage of UHF:

• Chicago Sun Times
• UHF 10th Anniversary Page: Extremely detailed site
• Way UHF!