Awesome! BEST WORST MOVIE, the documentary I raved about after I saw it at AFI Fest last fall, is getting a theatrical release. I just got this from producer-director Michael Paul Stephenson's email update. Below his email, you'll find the official press release:
"BEST WORST MOVIE" GETS THEATRICAL RELEASE
Area23a to Release Award-Winning Doc About The Worst Movie Ever Made
After four grueling years of green blood, sweat and troll tears, I can finally announce that our film BEST WORST MOVIE will be released in theaters this spring.
You'll find the official press release after the jump, but I wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for joining our email family and for being apart of this adventure over the past few years.
I’m as tied to Best Worst Movie as any one person can be to a film. ‘Troll 2’ has been a defining factor in my life since I was 10 years old, and Best Worst Movie seems like a culmination of this era. To see it on a big screen, to watch the outpouring of love from the fans after a screening, and to see the enthusiastic and thoughtful support is at once relieving, rewarding, incredibly surreal and meaningful.
If you had the chance to see BEST WORST MOVIE on the festival circuit and liked it, or if you'd like to see BEST WORST MOVIE in your city... we need your help spreading the word about the theatrical release. SHOUT IT OUT! Request it in your city, ask your theater to book it, write about it, sing it, dance it, tweet it, eat it, just don't... piss on it!
We have plenty of cool surprises in store. And if you haven't already, please take a lightning-quick second to say hello:
1. Drop by our Facebook family,
2. TEXT "TROLL2" to 83043 (Yes, it's free).
3. Follow me on Twitter.
hospitably,
Michael Paul Stephenson
Producer & Director - BEST WORST MOVIE
Website: http://www.bestworstmovie.com
info@bestworstmovie.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact:
Liz Berger
(212) 277-7558
Liz.Berger@42west.net
AREA23A TO RELEASE “BEST WORST MOVIE”
New York, NY (February 24, 2010) – Area23A, the event-based film distribution company formed in January by industry veteran Richard Abramowitz and Kirt Eftekhar, founder of Ocule Films, announced today that it will theatrically release the award-winning “Best Worst Movie” which has been an official selection in over thirty film festivals. The documentary had its world premiere at South by Southwest and has received several awards including the Top Ten Audience Favorite at Hot Docs 2009. Area23a will open the film in Austin, Los Angeles, New York and other markets to follow this Spring.
In “Best Worst Movie” Michael Paul Stephenson makes his directorial debut by exploring one of the worst and most critically panned movies ever made, Troll 2, which he starred in twenty years ago as a child.
In 1989, Italian director, Claudio Fragrasso cast small-town dentist Dr. George Hardy and a group of unwitting Utah actors in the ultra-low budget horror film, Troll 2. Soon after its disastrous release, Dr. Hardy retired from his short-lived acting career and returned to dentistry in his hometown of Alabama, unaware of the legions of fans that would one day recognize him as a cult movie luminary.
“Best Worst Movie” reveals the improbable heartfelt story of an Alabama dentist-turned-cult-movie icon and an Italian filmmaker as they come to terms with their internationally revered cinematic failure.
Stephenson and his wife, Lindsay Stephenson produced "Best Worst Movie" under their production company, Magic Stone Productions. Brad Klopman also serves as a producer.
Of the acquisition, Stephenson says “Our movie – that we have devoted the last four years to – can not be in better hands than with Area23a. They have demonstrated their ability to skillfully handle specialized films in a crowded market place. The recent success of “Anvil!” is only the most recent example of Richard’s expertise in theatrical film distribution.”
Abramowitz adds “We are very excited to bring ‘Best Worst Movie’ to theaters across the country. The movie has been generating both incredible word-of-mouth and critical acclaim through the festival circuit. Audiences are appreciating the film’s humor and are also moved by its homage to bad movies and, at least in this case, the good people who make them.” Said Eftekhar, "Keep your eyes open: we're bringing a "Best Worst Movie/Troll 2" party to your town soon..."
Area23a is currently distributing the acclaimed “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” “The Mighty Uke,” “American Harmony,” and “They Came to Play.” Later this year it will release Sandy Cioffi's “Sweet Crude."
