The Troll Hunter (2010 Norway, 2011 US)

[Lemmy]

The Troll Hunter is a norwegian documentary-horror in the same style as The Blair Witch Project, and has several similarities like it's supposed to be real, has three students videotaping everything through a handheld camera and so on. But there is one thing it has that BWP lacks: It's scary as hell. True, there are the obvious slow parts, but when it kicks off, it really kicks off.

The Troll Hunter was released here in Norway last year, but it's coming out in the US June 10th according to plan (and ign.com). You don't want to miss it.

I'm not sure if I should like to the trailer as it spoils too much, but it's your choice. I recommend not watching the trailer, but by all means, go ahead. It's awesome!

YouTube - The Troll Hunter - Official Trailer

I know this could seem like an ad for the movie, and in a way it is. It's a norwegian horror, so it's easy to miss it. Even I didn't know much about it until I found it on DVD, and I live in Norway. (I knew of it before then, but I didn't know much about it.)

Anyone looking forward to it? Or if you have seen it, what did you think? I know most countires might not have the same troll-culture as Norway, so is it scary for you too?

 

[HareBrain]

I think culturally it might be a struggle to associate trolls with fear, outside of Scandinavia. Apart from as monsters in fantasy RPGs and Tolkien (and even in the Hobbit they were more-or-less comic characters) trolls have impacted on UK/US culture largely as seventies plastic dolls with freaky nylon hair, and as a character in the Billy Goats Gruff story, who sings:

I'm a troll, folderol
I'm a tro-oll, folderol
I'm a troll, folderol
And I'll eat you for supper

Hardly the stuff of adult nightmares.

And the trailer didn't really work for me, I'm afraid. It made them seem no more supernaturally scary than lions or dinosaurs. Or maybe I'm just unfrightenable -- though since I didn't dare watch Doctor Who until I was about fifteen, I think that's unlikely.

 

[Tonk Rivers]

Let's not forget Danny DeVito's troll in IASIF's production of Dayman.

Looks interesting. Some big claims, I doubt it is the most important film of our time.

 

[Lemmy]

Here in Norway, trolls are a big part of our culture. We have lots of folk tales about trolls, and most of those trolls aren't scary at all. The fun thing with 'The troll hunter' is that those trolls are real, and quite far from the trolls we know. These aren't supernatural creatures. They are just animals. That doesn't make them any less dangerous, though.

I am fully aware that trolls are common in fantasy, but those trolsl are far from these ones. For that matter, where do you think the whole concept of fantasy-trolls come from in the first place?

And no, this isn't an important movie, by any means. But so what? It's an excellent movie, and the first truly great norwegian movie since... well, ever. Dead Snow had it's moments, but other than that, Norway isn't exactly known for it's excellent movies.

My point is I really love this movie, and I suggest you give it a try. If you like it, that's great. If you don't... well, what do you have to lose anyway?

 

[Tonk Rivers]

Lemmy I watched it and I did enjoy it. The horror is mild, but there is plenty of adventure and action too. The actor that played the troll hunter was excellent. I am tempted to write a review on it.

 

[Lemmy]

That actor is Otto Jespersen, a famous comedian here in Norway. That was sort of the biggest turn-off for me. I mean how can you have a movie that's supposed to be real, when you have a famous comedian as the main character? Glad you liked it, though.