MVD Entertainment Group Celebrates The Legacy Of Filmmaker And F/X Wiz John Carl Buechler On Dec. 15 With A Collector's Edition Of His 1986 Creature-Feature Troll

John Carl Buechler started making creatures and doing f/x work for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures in 1980 and within three years both the trade and consumer press began to take notice … for genre fans it was an impressive list of feature films that marked his early career.   

Director Jack Hill’s Sorceress, filmmaker Aaron Lipstadt’s Android and director Allan Holzman’s Forbidden World kept Buechler busy throughout 1982.

His work on Michael Dugan’s Mausoleum in 1983 got him noticed for some nifty work involving the film’s star, Bobbie Bresee, and her demonic possession mischief-making (actually slaughtering anyone getting in her way would be a better description).   All of this got him his first directing assignment, a segment titled “Demons of the Dead” in the 1984 horror anthology, The Dungeonmaster.

Buechler had actually been making films since he was a kid.   First borrowing equipment and then getting a gift of his own movie camera when he was 15 … such gems as “A Fistful of Gerbils” followed.   Now he was a professional … with a directing credit.

1984 was even a bigger year for him back on the creature side of the filmmaking ledger.  He designed the creatures starring in writer/director Luca Bercovici’s Ghoulies.   Ghoulies!   That’s right, as Michael Wilmington for the Los Angeles Times wrote, “foul, reptilian little beings coated with some obscene glittering, mucous-like moisture.”   In his review of the film, he continued by saying that they “have a certain nauseating charm.”

He worked on Re-Animator, Zone Troppers and Dolls in 1985 … all genre gems!   And then came his first full-film (no segment this time) directing assignment, Troll.   He had come up with the idea while working on Android, but it took a while to gain the street-creds to make the move.   

In an interview with Roger Schlueter for his hometown newspaper, Buechler said, “You have to realize that special effects were an in for me in Hollywood.  It got me in the door.”  The “door” was kicked open when none other than Charles Band in 1986 greenlighted his creature-feature, Troll!

Sadly, John Carl Buechler lost his battle with cancer in 2019, but right up until his passing he was directing movies, creating creatures and doing the f/x work he loved.

From the source who gave us beautiful 4K Ultra HD editions of both Ghoulies and Ghoulies II — MVD Entertainment Group — comes a special “Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray tribute to Buechler with the “Rewind Collection” release of Troll on Dec. 15.   Yes, Torok the Troll, Buechler’s creature creation will be available in all his gory glory just in time for Christmas!!

Up until Troll, producer Charles Band released his productions market by market (limited prints, limited exposure), but with Buechler’s film, he went national for the first time with 959 screens on Jan. 17, 1986.   It was a hit ... the move to go national paid off.  The big time had arrived for Buechler and now genre fans can celebrate once again his legacy on Dec. 15 with this Blu-ray addition to MVD’s popular “Rewind” library of films.

Included with this Blu-ray “Collector’s Edition” of Troll from MVD Entertainment Group on Dec. 15 is Aine and Ken Leich’s 2015 feature-length documentary titled Troll Empire: The Making of Troll.