Article: "Oh canada": American Gothic
Ryan takes time to spotlight one of horror's greatest contributors, Canada, with this homage to "American Gothic".
In 1988, the Canadians put forth an effort which delivers some genuine creepyness, and an insane storyline that forever proves that these guys know horror.
'American Gothic' can be described in many ways as being this or being that, but what it really boils down to is the premise of an even greater film made fourteen years earlier called 'The Texas Chainsaw Masscare'. In both films we have a crazy back-woods family, our stranded victims, and a heroine of the story who is left completely off the wall insane by her traumatic experiences.
We have our stereotypical characters who want to get away for a weekend, not via van or car, but by private airplane. Of course the airplane malfunctions, they have to make a crash landing on an island, and the rest is history!
After spending sometime scavenging the island for any sign of habitation, they finally stumble upon what seems to be a deserted house. Just like in any other cliche horror film, the stranded crew decide to make themselves at home and look around as if they own the place. Everything in the house is at least fifty years old-- An old phonograph, an antique table, an old baby basinet, and even a copy of 'the Saturday Evening Post'!-- Just as the party is just getting started, guess who decides to show up, and guess who's as crazy as a loon? You're right...'Ma and Pa make their way home and accept the stranded crew just like nothing had happened!
The crew are then treated to a good old fashioned supper from Ma and Pa, and ultimately promised that a friend of the family will be by in the morning to escort them off the island. What comes next was probably the most shameless thing I have ever seen. The crew are then introduced to Ma and Pa's daughter, Fanny. Well, Fanny is at least forty years old, and wears this cute little pink homemade dress. She has curly hair like little orphan Annie, and this cute, loveable, little round face. As if that's not enough, the next day we get to see Fanny's brothers...(cult star Michael J. Pollard who is at least 50) Woody, and (William Hootkins)Teddy---two 50 year old 'man children'. (Both dress in kids clothes and have the vocabulary of a ten year old.)
To make a long story short, the crew finally realize even further that they have just found the home of the craziest inbred hicks they can find. What follows next is your typical slash and dash with a touch of pinache', as our characters are offed one by one.
We get to hear our rhetorical religious self righteous reasons for murdering the crew in cold blood as finally our heroine(if you can call her that) decides to just give up and become part of the family. Yes, you actually heard me right. After the family kills her friends, she snaps, becomes totally incompetent, and decides to become one of the crazed inbred hicks! I guess this gives a whole new meaning to the term..' if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!'
John Hough (director) delivers us a very strange look into the life of incest, immoral thinking, self righteousness, and complete insanity. The characters in this film are some of the most memorable bunch I remember from any horror film, and the ending completely shocked me.
Yvonne DeCarlo(Lilly--'The Munsters') is definitely off her rocker, and Rod Steiger( 'In the Heat of the Night') is a crazy as ever. God only knows why he chose to be part of the film. One can only wonder.
It delivers some creepy atmosphere and a constant feeling of loneliness and isolation. There's some direct commentary thrown in for good measure, but I won't get into it here. You'll just have to find yourself a copy and see for yourself. If you're in the mood for something completely off the wall insane, I highly recommend this little forgotten Canadian gem. It's really a shame this movie has found its way in the bins of horror movie leftovers. I personally like leftovers, so much in fact that I go around the neighborhood garbage cans at night, filtering through old magazines and ground up coffee grinds just to try and find a half eaten sandwich, but that's a different horror film of its own.
