Console
best movie i've ever seen.
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Michael_Elliott
American Gothic (1987) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Six friends take off in a plane for a weekend getaway but they're forced to land on a small island where they set up camp. Before long they stumble onto the home of Pa (Rod Steiger) and Ma (Yvonne De Carlo) and their three children (Janet Wright, Michael J. Pollard, William Hootkins). At first this family just seem extremely weird but before long their evil side comes out.AMERICAN GOTHIC is a horror film that got quite a bit of press when it was originally released or at least it did within the horror magazine world. The poster of the film became somewhat of a classic right off the bat as people enjoyed the two elderly farmers and and it made you think of a classic slasher. The actual film itself isn't what one would consider a slasher and in all honesty I'm really shocked that the film got a R-rating. Is the film a compelte success? No, there are way too many flaws for that but with that said there are some interesting ideas here.What's the most interesting thing is the fact that they released this movie during the era of the slasher and that's not what happens here. The idea of young people running into a homicidal family seems like THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE reborn and I think it's fair to say that this film borrows from it but this film decides to not go for gore or scares. I'm really not sure what they were trying to go for other than to show a very weird family but outside of their killing, strange clothes and weird religious rants, there's really not much to them.I give the film credit for trying to do something different but in the end I just don't think the film did enough to really stand out. The lack of scares and gore can be understood had the film done something else with the material but there's just nothing here. The six teen characters are only slightly interesting and the entire backstory of one dealing with trauma does eventually pay off. The twist in the film works in its own strange way and the film at least keeps you interested in what's going on.Of course, one of the big reasons the film managed to get press is the fact that Steiger was a part of it. Yes, the man who was in ON THE WATERFRONT made an apperance playing a weird old religious man and he's certainly the best thing about the picture. De Carlo is also very good as the mother and Wright steals the picture as the troubled daughter. Fans of BONNIE AND CLYDE will enjoy seeing Pollard here as well.When all is said and done, AMERICAN GOTHIC is a mildly interesting movie that deserves credit for doing something different but at the same time it needed to do more.
lost-in-limbo
Backwoods horror with a twist, well "American Gothic" won't win any awards for originality but there's no knocking back that it's truly demented, often ludicrous and eventually goes down a path (in regards to the heroine's character development) that simply fits right at home with this darkly nightmarish comic shocker. At times some instances or choice actions were grating and I was getting a little annoyed by the performances, but you could say this was meant to be. It's well-acted with Rod Steiger and Yvonne De Carlo playing Pa (a god fearing man) and Ma with stinging commitment and also showing up is character actor Michael J Pollard as one of their children.Some young adults find themselves stranded on an island when their plane comes on. On the secluded island they begin looking for help and the come across a very old-fashion house where they would meet Pa and Ma. They invite them to stay, until help arrives. However this is one strange family, who stick to their old conservative family values, the kids are a lot older than one would think and they seem to have horrifying plans for their guests.Director John Hough ("The Legend of Hell House" and "Twins of Evil") does a commendable job pacing it, drumming up suspense and capturing some lasting atmospheric visuals. There's something unsettling beneath it, but it's broken up by its operatic ham. Janet Wright's performance is a nice fit to that. Disappointedly some of the deaths happen off screen, but there are one or two ghastly inclusions. What it does set-up is routine, but where it really does come into its own is within the last half-hour, as things might not play out as you might think. Sarah Torgov's performance is the standout in the young adults, as she portrays someone with a little more depth which is important to the story's progression. Also gotta love the trademark image for the poster artwork.Typical, but decently macabre. Would make for a good companion piece with "Girly" (1971).
udar55
A group of twentysomethings are stranded on an island off the coast of Washington and find refuge with an odd couple named Ma and Pa (Yvonne De Carlo and Rod Steiger). Things get odd quickly as the family introduces a trio of infantile adult offspring (Janet Wright, Michael J. Pollard and William Hootkins) that like to play and kill. With a cover riffing on the famous Grant Wood painting, you can pretty much expect this one to be tongue-in-cheek. And while the story isn't anything beyond cliché, it is worth seeing for the performances of Steiger and his demented family. I mean, how can you not appreciate a film that casts Michael J. Pollard and William Hootkins as retarded brothers? Or features Steiger whipping Hootkins with a switch; not because he killed a girl but because he killed her and then had sex with her. Wright is the stand out as the creepy Fanny, who is in her forties but thinks she is Shirley Temple and dresses accordingly. Gross. Director John Hough gets good use out of the forest (British Columbia) location. Like I said, worth seeing for all of the actors as the villains.
WarpedRecord
For reasons they took to their graves, Rod Steiger and Yvonne De Carlo star as Bible-thumping, apple pie-eating, guest-killing inhabitants of a remote island. When some young Seattle adventurers crash their plane en route to a camping trip, they stumble upon Ma and Pa and their strange family of middle-aged "children." The family doesn't take kindly to swearing, fornicating or smoking, and many of the guests meet unfortunate ends when they don't follow the family's rules. But one guest has a tragic past that she turns to her advantage."American Gothic" is interesting strictly for its big-name stars plumbing the depths of their careers. As a B-movie, it rates a C. I was never bored, but I was never captivated, either. "American Gothic" is so bad it's ... well, just very average.
