Actor Darren Ewing gapes in horror at the events unfolding in "Troll 2." Screengrab from the film's trailer, via Youtube
Thirty-five years ago this week, Utahns were on pins and needles waiting to see themselves and their home state in a major achievement in horror cinema: "Troll 2."
This is Old News, where we stitch together clips from the cutting room floor of Utah history.
How it worked: Italian director Claudio Fragasso descended on Park City in 1989 to hire an amateur cast of locals.
Yes, but: The crew didn't speak English, so the actors couldn't understand their instructions — or, they said, the script itself.
The other side: Rossella Drudi, the film's writer (and Fragasso's wife), has told Vice that: "The script was translated by a Utah-born American. It is true that some strange English is spoken in Utah, but to say that they didn't understand it is ridiculous."
Reality check: The movie is about vegetarian cannibal goblins.
Zoom in: George Hardy, a Salt Lake City dentist with almost no acting experience, auditioned at the urging of his patients. He was given a leading role.
He moved (fled?) to Alabama the year after the film's release. But his dental practice there still promotes his thespian chops.
What they said: "Let me give you some advice, you dwarfs. Get out of here or you're going to be in a lot of trouble," one character declares at his first glimpse of the goblins.
Later: "Oh my God, what's happening to her? And why can't I move? There must be a logical reason for all of this."
Zoom out: Most of the movie was filmed in and around Morgan.
Look for the mountainside letter "M" in the background.
The latest: Amazon Prime was selling "Troll 2" in HD for $6.99 as of Monday.
